The Good Food CFO podcast

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit <a href="https://thegoodfoodcfo.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&#38;utm_campaign=CTA_7">thegoodfoodcfo.substack.com</a><br/><br/><p>Thrive Market has built a loyal following of health-conscious consumers who are actively looking for better-for-you brands.For good food founders, it’s a direct line to your target audience. And the conventional wisdom has always been that selling direct to retail, cutting out the distributor, means better margins and more money staying in your business. </p><p>But the Thrive Market relationship isn’t as cut and dry as we assumed, and as Sarah uncovered many founders don’t realize the financial impacts until it’s too late. </p><p>In this episode </p><p>In this episode Sarah breaks down the real cost of selling through Thrive Market, shares insights into Thrive's price negotiation process, and what she learned from Founders actively selling to Thrive Market right now.</p><p>You’ll hear: </p><p>* What Thrive Market actually charges brands on every invoice</p><p>* Why the direct-to-retail margin assumption doesn’t always hold</p><p>* How Thrive Market margins stack up against national distributor KeHE (the numbers might surprise you)</p><p>* The 5 steps every founder should take before signing with any retail or distribution partner </p><p>Before you say yes to Thrive Market, or any retail partner, listen to this episode.</p>

<p>Most food founders think fundraising means perfecting your pitch deck. Angel investor Katie Dunn says you’re starting in the wrong place.</p><p>In our conversation, Katie breaks down the three fundamentals that actually get investors to meet with you, and say yes: understanding investor thesis (and why it saves you from wasting time), leveraging warm introductions instead of cold pitching, and building a financial model that shows exactly how you’ll reach profitability.</p><p>We cover the investment basics every founder needs to know—what a safe note actually is, why angels want equity, and whether regional brands can get funded (spoiler: yes, but with different deal structures). Katie also shares her strong recommendation on why your first hire should be finance, not marketing, and how to make it ridiculously easy for investors to want to help you.</p><p>If you’re considering fundraising or just want to understand how investment actually works in food CPG, this episode gives you the straight talk you need.</p><p><strong>Connect with Katie:</strong></p><p>Website:<strong> </strong><a target="_blank" href="http://www.katiedunn.com/"><strong>katiedunn.com</strong></a></p><p>Advisory Board: <a target="_blank" href="http://www.themastheadstrategy.com/"><strong>The Masthead Strategy</strong></a></p><p>LinkedIn: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/katie--dunn"><strong>Katie Dunn</strong></a></p><p>Instagram: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.instagram.com/iamkatiedunn/"><strong>@iamkatiedunn</strong></a></p><p>TikTok:<strong> </strong><a target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@iamkatiedunn"><strong>@iamkatiedunn</strong></a></p><p><strong>Join The Good Food CFO Community:</strong></p><p>Follow us on Instagram:<strong> </strong><a target="_blank" href="https://www.instagram.com/thegoodfoodcfo/"><strong>@thegoodfoodcfo</strong></a></p><p>Watch on YouTube:<a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/@thegoodfoodcfo"><strong> @thegoodfoodcfo</strong></a></p><p></p> <br/><br/>This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit <a href="https://thegoodfoodcfo.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&#38;utm_campaign=CTA_1">thegoodfoodcfo.substack.com</a>

<p>Building a profitable food business without investors isn’t just possible—it’s a strategic choice.</p><p>Sarah sits down with Daniel Goetz, founder of Good Pop, who’s bootstrapped his popsicle brand for 16 years by prioritizing profitability over growth headlines.</p><p>Daniel shares practical strategies that kept Good Pop alive and thriving:</p><p>* Why he sold just 4 popsicles at his “big launch” (and what happened next)</p><p>* The 3am working capital discovery that kept his business going</p><p>* Why he focused on going “deep not wide” with retail expansion</p><p>* How to get packaging and ingredient suppliers invested in your vision</p><p>Hear how forcing profitability from day one shaped every business decision—and why Daniel chose this path after watching funded peers struggle under investor pressure.</p><p><strong>Connect with Daniel:</strong></p><p><strong>Website: </strong><a target="_blank" href="https://goodpop.com/">GoodPop</a></p><p><strong>Instagram: </strong><a target="_blank" href="https://www.instagram.com/goodpop/">@GoodPop</a></p><p><strong>LinkedIn: </strong><a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielgoetz/">@Daniel Goetz</a></p><p><a target="_blank" href="https://www.good-food-collective.com/"><strong>The Good Food Collective</strong></a></p><p><strong>Join The Good Food CFO Community:</strong></p><p>Follow us on Instagram:<strong> </strong><a target="_blank" href="https://www.instagram.com/thegoodfoodcfo/"><strong>@thegoodfoodcfo</strong></a></p><p>Watch on YouTube:<a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/@thegoodfoodcfo"><strong> @thegoodfoodcfo</strong></a></p><p>Become a Member: <a target="_blank" href="http://www.thegoodfoodcfo.com/baboyot?utm_source=podcast&#38;utm_medium=shownotes&#38;utm_campaign=BABOYOT"><strong>BABOYOT</strong></a></p> <br/><br/>This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit <a href="https://thegoodfoodcfo.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&#38;utm_campaign=CTA_1">thegoodfoodcfo.substack.com</a>

<p>Sarah sits down with Shelley Elkovich, co-founder and CEO of For Bitter For Worse, to explore the financial strategy behind building a profitable specialty beverage brand. Shelley shares how self-manufacturing became a dual revenue stream through contract manufacturing, allowing her to control costs while generating additional income.</p><p>The conversation reveals practical insights on sustainable growth versus rapid expansion, how to filter customer feedback without compromising your vision, and the strategic decisions that kept this non-alcoholic cocktail brand resilient through major market shifts. Discover how Shelley evaluates each growth opportunity and makes decisions that prioritize long-term sustainability over short-term wins.</p><p>Shelley also graciously offered our listeners 20% off their products using the code <strong>Sarah20</strong> on their website!</p><p><strong>Connect with Shelley:</strong>Website: <a target="_blank" href="https://forbitterforworse.com/"><strong>For Bitter For Worse</strong></a>Instagram: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.instagram.com/forbitterforworse/?hl=en"><strong>@forbitterforworse</strong></a>LinkedIn: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/shelley-elkovich-4245901a3/"><strong>Shelley Elkovich</strong></a>Amazon: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.amazon.com/stores/ForBitterForWorse/page/4B469C6C-E8C4-460E-9075-BC9E1105EED4?lp_asin=B0CG2MGWPB&#38;ref_=ast_bln"><strong>Shop For Bitter For Worse</strong></a></p><p><strong>Join The Good Food CFO Community:</strong></p><p>Follow us on Instagram:<strong> </strong><a target="_blank" href="https://www.instagram.com/thegoodfoodcfo/"><strong>@thegoodfoodcfo</strong></a></p><p>Watch on YouTube:<a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/@thegoodfoodcfo"><strong> @thegoodfoodcfo</strong></a></p><p>Become a Member: <a target="_blank" href="http://www.thegoodfoodcfo.com/baboyot?utm_source=podcast&#38;utm_medium=shownotes&#38;utm_campaign=BABOYOT"><strong>BABOYOT</strong></a></p> <br/><br/>This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit <a href="https://thegoodfoodcfo.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&#38;utm_campaign=CTA_1">thegoodfoodcfo.substack.com</a>

<p>Sarah shares real stories from beta testers using The Good Food CFO financial strategy software for the first time:</p><p>* A founder running five sales channels discovered their revenue tracking wasn’t set up to support strategic decision-making</p><p>* A 16-year bakery owner finally understood where profit actually goes when monthly debt payments take it right back out</p><p>* A founder learned why categorizing marketing expenses as cost of goods sold makes their numbers nearly impossible to interpret</p><p>The software isn’t just a tool—it’s revealing the blind spots that most founders don’t even know they have. Tune in for practical insights about organizing your financial foundation and unlocking better decision-making in your business.</p><p>Want this same clarity in your food business? <a target="_blank" href="http://thegoodfoodcfo.com/waitlist"><strong>Join our waitlist</strong></a> for 50% off your first month’s subscription.</p><p><strong>Join The Good Food CFO Community:</strong></p><p>Follow us on Instagram:<strong> </strong><a target="_blank" href="https://www.instagram.com/thegoodfoodcfo/"><strong>@thegoodfoodcfo</strong></a></p><p>Watch on YouTube:<a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/@thegoodfoodcfo"><strong> @thegoodfoodcfo</strong></a></p><p>Become a Member: <a target="_blank" href="http://www.thegoodfoodcfo.com/baboyot?utm_source=podcast&#38;utm_medium=shownotes&#38;utm_campaign=BABOYOT"><strong>BABOYOT</strong></a></p> <br/><br/>This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit <a href="https://thegoodfoodcfo.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&#38;utm_campaign=CTA_1">thegoodfoodcfo.substack.com</a>