The food industry is highly seasonal, dictated by trends, occasions, the weather, and of course, what foods are actually in season. And the ever-growing demand for fresh produce and great flavors has gotten food industries constantly expanding their markets. The rapid changes in season and trends, coupled with intermittent demand require food manufacturers and businesses to always be two steps ahead, forecasting and preparing to meet the needs of their varying customers.  I always talk about the month of September as the start of your 100-day mark to prepare your sales and marketing engin ..read more

Tune into today’s conversation to meet Michael Reilly, co-founder of Foodshed Capital, and hear about his nonprofit loan fund, which helps clients in farming and beyond. Since making their first loan in January of 2019, Foodshed Capital has contributed over $600,000 in low- or no-interest loans to farms and food enterprises and 85 percent of these loans have gone to businesses owned, at least in part, by women and people of color. Foodshed Capital offers services that go beyond funding with a view to equipping businesses with the education and tools they need to succeed, and Michael gives us a ..read more

Today I'm answering some of the questions I'm frequently asked by clients and listeners. This year, I've been talking a lot about RangeMe, and the number one response I get is, “What the heck is RangeMe, and should I be using it?” (Spoiler alert: if you are a food brand considering retail sales, the answer is yes, you need it!) The other top question we're asked is "if I send you some free food, will you promote it for me?" Find out why we don’t -- and why you shouldn’t be asking.  There is one common thread in both of these topics, and that's there is no magic bullet for food marketing ..read more

Joye B. Moore is the founder and owner of Joyebells Sweet Potato Pie, and her delicious pies are now available on the shelves of 45 Food Lions. Joye has taken what is traditionally a fourth-quarter food item to a product that receives steady sales all year round. Tune in today to hear the story of how she has taken her family recipe, passed it down through six generations with love, and turned that tradition into a full-blown business. Find out how her famous molasses-based recipe was created generations ago in North Carolina, and how customers constantly let her know that it tastes just like ..read more

It’s another Marketing Monday and we’re here to talk about a theme we’ve noticed during recent conversations: just because you can do something, doesn’t mean you should be doing it! You’ll hear about the epiphany our recent guest, Lesley Riley of Mama’s Biscuits, had: in order to grow, she needed to let some things go. Realizing that it wasn’t her dream to own a manufacturing plant freed Lesley up to diversify her involvement in the business. We talk about why it is impossible to know what is behind another small business’s decisions before discussing some Canva do’s and don’ts, and why you sh ..read more

Welcome back to the Virginia Foodie Podcast! In this episode, we have a very special guest who we’ve been admiring from afar as her business has steadily grown its reputation and its fanbase over the years. Lesley Riley is the founder and CEO of the gourmet food brand Mama’s Biscuits and she came to our attention when she was able to secure a spot on Walmart’s shelves several years ago. Since then, her products have been picked up by Wegmans, Publix, and Trader Joe’s. These are great retail channels for craft food brands, and she promises us that there are more coming soon. In our conversatio ..read more

I’m sure many of you can relate to this! We've all been through those big moments that suddenly shake up our lives and make us rethink everything – it could be an unexpected illness, a family emergency, a career setback, or even a surprise accident. These are the moments that can turn our world upside down in the blink of an eye. As a marketer, I totally get how these life-altering events can throw entrepreneurs into a loop. So, let's talk about what we, as entrepreneurs, should do when life hits us with significant moments. How can we deal with these disruptions and keep our businesses movi ..read more

Today I'm answering some of the questions I'm frequently asked by clients and listeners. This year, I've been talking a lot about RangeMe, and the number one response I get is, “What the heck is RangeMe, and should I be using it?” (Spoiler alert: if you are a food brand considering retail sales, the answer is yes, you need it!) The other top question we're asked is "if I send you some free food, will you promote it for me?" Find out why we don’t -- and why you shouldn’t be asking.  There is one common thread in both of these topics, and that's there is no magic bullet for food marketing ..read more

Welcome back to the Virginia Foodie Podcast! In this episode, we have a very special guest who we’ve been admiring from afar as her business has steadily grown its reputation and its fanbase over the years. Lesley Riley is the founder and CEO of the gourmet food brand Mama’s Biscuits and she came to our attention when she was able to secure a spot on Walmart’s shelves several years ago. Since then, her products have been picked up by Wegmans, Publix, and Trader Joe’s. These are great retail channels for craft food brands, and she promises us that there are more coming soon. In our conversatio ..read more

I'm one year in and today's episode is the start of some new content.  I'll still be doing interviews with craft food brands that are making waves. I'll still give you access to other industry experts, but we're shifting things up to make The Virginia Foodie a weekly podcast and my interviews will be interspersed with marketing tips and strategic advice -- all pulled straight from the challenges I'm seeing my own clients face.  To kick things off, today's episode will focus on marketing coaching and why engaging a marketing coach could be just the thing to take your business to the n ..read more