Best Water Street Solutions Podcasts (2024)

1
An Entrepreneur's Guide to Managing Business Disruption 12:04

7M ago12:04

12:04

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 t…

1
Updates to the Sweet Startup Journey of SugarBear Cville with Emily Harpster Replay 32:28

10M ago32:28

32:28

“You don't know what you don't know until you're in it." Says Emily Harpster in our recent conversation about the growth of her ice cream brand, SugarBear Cville. And she is right. You really don’t know what you’re getting into unless you try it. No amount of planning and studying will make you totally ready (but of course, careful planning and str…

1
Blue Cow Ice Cream Shares the Secrets of Local Sourcing Replay 24:21

10M ago24:21

24:21

Summer 2020 was not the best, but we found pleasure in simple things: like big scoops of craft ice cream. In this episode, we are talking to the owners of Blue Cow, a craft ice cream business here in Virginia. Husband and wife team Jason and Carolyn Kiser offer their insights on what it takes to run a small food business, and for them, it’s all abo…

1
A Sweet Catch-up with SugarBear Cville Replay 29:45

11M ago29:45

29:45

Just a few months after our last conversation, Emily Harspter of SugarBear Cville is back on the podcast to give us the latest updates about the progress of her ice cream brand. It’s truly an adventure, she says, to be a one-woman team who has now grown the brand by partnering with seven individual businesses. But it’s a rollercoaster ride worthy t…

1
A Sweet Start Up with Sugar Bear Cville Replay 27:58

11M ago27:58

27:58

One of the scariest (or bravest) things a food brand could do is go straight from a recipe idea to the shelf. No market testing or selling in a specialty store. It’s every startup’s dream - or nightmare if done poorly! Emily Harpster of SugarBear Cville has done just that, and her story is a great opportunity to learn about a startup retail brand i…

1
How to Let Your Packaging Speak for Your Brand 27:11

11M ago27:11

27:11

“Don’t judge a book by its cover,” says a popular adage. We like to think we can see past a first impression, but that’s not always the case. And in CPG sales, it’s rarely true. Plenty of shopper research shows how fickle consumers can be right at the last moment of putting your products into their cart – whether it’s in real life or online. Your p…

1
Maximize the ROI on your Website Investment by Repurposing Content 18:30

12M ago18:30

18:30

Your website is one of a good food brand’s biggest investments. It is the research hub for both consumers and retail buyers alike. In an industry fraught with ever-thinning margins, it is easy for you to worry that you aren’t getting a big return on that big marketing spend. It may help to consider your website part of a complete marketing system w…

1
Practical Marketing Solutions for Farms and Small Businesses with Myrna Greenfield 28:28

1y ago28:28

28:28

One of the missions that Good Food brands strive for is sustainability. But in order to foster sustainability, especially in the field of agriculture—the genesis of the Good Food movement, we need to support the ones who cultivate it: our farmers. While farmers are undoubtedly great at growing fresh and healthy produce, finding sustainable ways for…

1
Four Writing Resources You Can Invest for Evergreen Content 26:39

1y ago26:39

26:39

“But I don’t know what to SAY about my brand!” That’s a common complaint of food brand managers. As a food producer, you are probably very creative in the kitchen, but for most people, one area of creative expertise doesn’t always extend to writing. Food bloggers, influencers, recipe developers, writers, writing dashboards and marketing experts are…

1
How to Build a Salad-Centric Farm Brand with Kat Johnson 28:09

1y ago28:09

28:09

I’ve discovered a new word—salad-centric! And I’m excited to share its meaning with you, as well as its inventor, Kat Johnson, aka Kat the Farmer. When I first heard the word, I wondered how can a business be so specifically centered on salad. What does it take to run a farm that produces naturally grown crops and herbs while also managing a busine…

1
How to Maximize the Return on Your Photography Budget 26:09

1y ago26:09

26:09

Photography can make or break a food brand. Your photos set customer expectations and help create appetite appeal when you aren’t there to sell your brand or offer someone a sample to try. Photography can be an expensive investment, yet powerful images are vital for your brand’s message. When you finally decide to invest in new images, ensuring tha…

1
Updates to the Sweet Startup Journey of SugarBear Cville with Emily Harpster 32:14

1y ago32:14

32:14

“You don't know what you don't know until you're in it." Says Emily Harpster in our recent conversation about the growth of her ice cream brand, SugarBear Cville. And she is right. You really don’t know what you’re getting into unless you try it. No amount of planning and studying will make you totally ready (but of course, careful planning and str…

1
My Top Time Management Tip for Marketing Craft Food Brands 18:32

1y ago18:32

18:32

“If you want steady sales, you need steady marketing.” I heard this first from my friend and mentor, Ilise Benun, but I will never tire of sharing that bit of wisdom. But what does steady marketing mean for the Good Food industry? Well, it means many of the same things as for any business. A healthy, thriving, steady marketing program relies on fiv…

1
Strategy-Led, Design-Driven Branding with Steve Redmond of Rival Brands 42:06

1+ y ago42:06

42:06

All Good Food brands are made up of two integral parts: a mission and a vision. Your mission as a Good Food brand is what sets you apart from the big players in the food industry. It’s what makes you unique. Your vision is how you see yourself as a brand and a player in the food industry in the future. The challenge is this: how do we close the gap…

1
Creating an Annual Marketing Plan for Your Good Food Brand 16:29

1+ y ago16:29

16:29

It’s a fact, defining goals without creating any supporting actions means your targets will never be attained. If you are reaching for steady sales, you need steady marketing to pull those opportunities toward you. Like many of you, I own a small business and all too often the urgency of day-to-day operations takes priority over my own marketing. H…

1
Empowering Sustainable Farming with the Certified Naturally Grown Label with Alice Varon 24:06

1+ y ago24:06

24:06

How do you assure customers that the food you are selling is healthy, safe, and nutritious? The organic label has long been a hallmark of the GOOD FOOD industry, but it can sometimes be difficult to source every ingredient from organic farmers, which keeps your brand from sporting that highly-regulated logo. Certified Naturally Grown (CNG) may be a…

1
10 Mistakes to Avoid When Setting Goals and How to Turn Them into Your List of Accomplishments for 2023 14:13

1+ y ago14:13

14:13

The New Year’s Resolution is entrenched in pop culture. There can be a lot of social pressure to make yours on January 1. But while making your list of this year’s to-dos has been a tradition, following them is often a struggle. There’s not much structure behind how you’ll reach your new life-changing goals. I prefer to set strategic goals for myse…

1
5 Tips to Carry Into 2023 32:20

1+ y ago32:20

32:20

To say that 2022 was a rollercoaster year is a vast understatement. Everybody was rushing to rebuild, recalibrate and rectify post-pandemic, while most of us want to start fresh in 2023. Fortunately, I’ve witnessed some fantastic successes in the craft food industry. Whether restaurants, catering, or packed foods, the food business has taken a mass…

1
Creating Product Descriptions that Close Sales 11:25

1+ y ago11:25

11:25

In the last episode, Anna Bradshaw and I talked about conversion copywriting and how investing in it and your website’s content could help generate sales for your good food business. There were many important topics in that conversation about conversion copywriting, creating good content, and drawing in customers to your business website. I thought…

1
The Power in Words: What is Conversion Copywriting and How to Use it to Leverage your Brand with Anna Bradshaw 36:12

1+ y ago36:12

36:12

As a good food brand, you need to emphasize the good in your brand. And when we say good, we don’t just mean the delicious, healthy, sustainable products you create. We also mean the good story behind your pursuit of success in the good food economy. It’s not enough for your story to travel word-of-mouth in your community. It’s essential to build y…

1
Your Mission Statement: the Road Map for Your Good Food Journey 26:53

1+ y ago26:53

26:53

Everything that we create begins with a reason. So naturally, every brand that pursues the good food journey starts with a vision—a mission worth fulfilling. Your goal and purpose as a brand is illuminated by your mission statement. A mission statement is a group of sentences, usually one or two, that describes, defines, and sets your brand apart f…

1
Cheers to Co-Packing: A Conversation with Martha Bourlakas of Storied Goods 36:01

1+ y ago36:01

36:01

It’s a sweet, sweet story how the good food brand, Storied Goods, was founded. Now, it is on the road to success. Martha Bourlakas’ Storied Goods started as a granola-making business before she shifted into concocting sugar cubes. The rationale is simple: there are many delightful granolas in the world, but creating a business that is centered on c…

1
A Sweet Catch-up with SugarBear Cville 29:32

1+ y ago29:32

29:32

Just a few months after our last conversation, Emily Harspter of SugarBear Cville is back on the podcast to give us the latest updates about the progress of her ice cream brand. It’s truly an adventure, she says, to be a one-woman team who has now grown the brand by partnering with seven individual businesses. But it’s a rollercoaster ride worthy t…

1
Creating Your Strategic Content Marketing Plan 31:17

1+ y ago31:17

31:17

The last 100 days of the year can be crucial for business owners. Not only because it’s the last window for hitting your original sales goals, but also because the end of the year is the perfect time to set up growth plans for the upcoming year. Although the end of the year is comparatively hectic for food businesses, it is important to review and …

1
Good Food and its Good Goal: Reversing the Climate Crisis 12:44

1+ y ago12:44

12:44

When I speak about good food, I don’t mean the taste. The GOOD FOOD industry revolves around a philosophy: to create food choices that have a positive impact on the environment, the economy, and our local communities. We are in a climate crisis, and now is the time when good food companies need to step up the game if they want redefine the food mar…

1
Exploring Regenerative Agriculture with Daniel Griffith of Commons Provisions 49:04

2y ago49:04

49:04

There are plenty of organizations who are working with farmers on systems that facilitate the sale of local food. Many of these entrepreneurial ventures are often a hybrid of several business models, with business owners wearing many hats. Daniel Griffith is no different. Part food hub, part grocery store, part certification agency, the eCommerce b…

1
Ins and Outs of a Craft Food Startup with Mrs. Marcys Homemades 27:44

2y ago27:44

27:44

Do you enjoy cooking? Did you have a eureka moment while working in your kitchen? Are you ready to turn your culinary skills into a full-fledged business? Launching a food business from home can be daunting, and you need more than just your passion for your product for your new brand to be a success. Marcy Thornhill ventured into a food business th…

1
A Sweet Start Up with Sugar Bear Cville 27:44

2y ago27:44

27:44

One of the scariest (or bravest) things a food brand could do is go straight from a recipe idea to the shelf. No market testing or selling in a specialty store. It’s every startup’s dream - or nightmare if done poorly! Emily Harpster of SugarBear Cville has done just that, and her story is a great opportunity to learn about a startup retail brand i…

1
Helping Farmers & Reducing Waste, One Bloody Mary at a Time, with Back Pocket Provisions (Replay) 27:44

2y ago27:44

27:44

Back Pocket Provisions, makers of the most delicious Bloody Mary Mixes around, are on a mission to make life more delicious, healthy, honest and fun by helping small farms succeed. On today’s show, we talk to Founder and CEO, Will Gray about the inception of his business and the ways in which it has grown since then. He touches on the impact of the…

1
Guiding Food Producers from Recipe to Retail with Virginia Food Works (Replay) 33:44

2y ago33:44

33:44

Few things are more exciting for small brands than getting their first commercially-packaged food products off the production line. Allie Hill and Katharine Wilson, founder and director of Virginia Food Works, respectively, get to see this excitement firsthand through the work they do. This non-profit, located in the Prince Edward County Cannery & …

1
Brand Building, Merchandising, and Wholesale with Sandra Velasquez of Nopalera 34:01

2y ago34:01

34:01

How do you create a brand with a destination in mind? That may seem like a vague and dreamy question, but in an industry where the margins are slim and competition for the shelf is challenging, starting your good food brand with a plan for where you ultimately want to take your business will get you to your goals faster than if you adopt the trial …

1
Slow is Smooth: The Fastest Way to Grow Your Food Brand 10:40

2y ago10:40

10:40

It's so easy to feel pressured to get things done as quickly as possible, especially in food marketing. That feeling often leads to business owners to rush, and push out their marketing needs as quickly as possible. This might compromise your business’ output and even hurt your brand. The same goes for many aspects of running a business - there’s t…

1
Scaling Your Food Brand Through Co-Packing with Sage’s Ashley Sutterfield 26:06

2y ago26:06

26:06

To scale or not to scale. To grow, but how far? What's the right choice for your brand? Many brands choose co-packing as the next best step for increasing production to meet market demand. But choosing a co-packer can be a nerve-wracking process. Handing over your recipes to someone else feels like you are relinquishing control over your business. …

1
The Four Seasons of Sales and Marketing for Good Food Brands 10:48

2y ago10:48

10:48

The change of seasons always gives me a lift. Spring to summer to fall to winter. It's a lovely cycle. - Georgiana Dearing All things are made beautiful in their time. Everything has its proper timing, and every action or idea on this earth is attenable if you are sensitive to its flow and when it should come to fruition. Business planning is no di…

1
Is Your Packaging Helping or Hurting Your Sales? 8:34

2y ago8:34

8:34

One of the things I hear a lot from small and startup businesses is that deciding on product packaging is the most exciting and awaited part of the production process and business launch. What color to use, what size of the box or jar, how many inches from the lid should the logo sit. These are the thrilling questions that get thrown in the brainst…

1
Reach For It! Product Packaging Secrets with Watermark Design Packaging 25:43

2y ago25:43

25:43

Picture this. You started a food business out of your sheer love and passion to create something of quality that’s unique, and is good for the planet. You made something that you, as a customer, were desperately looking for. You’ve nailed the product. You get great feedback from your customers at farm markets and pop-ups. You are ready to hit the r…

1
The 5 Marketing Tools Good Food Brands Need 14:59

2y ago14:59

14:59

As a small food business owner, are you confident about conveying your real worth or marketing your own brand and product line? Or are you uncomfortable with marketing because you feel that promotion is self-indulgent? This is a common mental block for most good food brands. Though they’re proud of their product and believe in their mission, they a…

1
Sustainable and Delectable: The Story of Wild Blue Chocolate with Mike Sever 36:11

2+ y ago36:11

36:11

Americans love all food, from all regions, and they want what they want when they want it. The questions many craft food brands wrestle with is how can you be a GOOD FOOD brand when your product is something exotic? What do you do when you make a product every American loves, but you can’t possibly source it locally? Wild Blue Chocolate started the…

1
Streamline Your Ecommerce Strategy in 3 Easy Steps 11:12

2+ y ago11:12

11:12

"Content, social posts, and ads: these are the tools we can use to grow online sales. And the good news in 2022 is that these tools are getting smarter and smarter." - Georgiana Dearing Whether intentionally or unknowingly, every small business aims and needs to boost its ecommerce sales. This might not be the natural first step for most small bran…

1
From Battling Diabetes to Launching a Successful eCommerce Business | ChipMonk Baking 31:22

2+ y ago31:22

31:22

Diabetes is a frightening condition that affects 425 million individuals throughout the world. Since sugar and other processed foods are the main ingredients for most food products, we aren’t really left with much of a choice. Jose Hernandez, the Co-Founder and President of ChipMonk Baking, thought otherwise. He and David Downing, Co-Founder and CE…

1
Everything I Need to Know About Setting Goals I Learned from Sesame Street 12:15

2+ y ago12:15

12:15

Many people mark the start of a new year by renewing their commitment to improvement and growth. Setting goals is a practice most entrepreneurs have – you wouldn’t have started a business if you didn’t have some kind of life goal in mind. But where most people fall off track is by not having a plan in place to help you reach those goals. I’ve seen …

1
Curated for Culture: Putting the Spotlight on Emerging BIPOC and Women-Owned Food Brands | Yumday 27:39

2+ y ago27:39

27:39

“As a woman of color, I felt the need to create a business whose mission was to elevate other people who are marginalized in their communities.” - Lia Ballentine The pandemic taught us two things. One, we want good, nutritious food and snacks that are easily accessible, simple enough that we can make in our own kitchens, and the taste and ingredien…

1
Get Your Brand Discovered on RangeMe | Vir Satyan 40:32

2+ y ago40:32

40:32

When it comes to marketing food brands, the primary challenge is to get your products seen and discovered. In 2020, US grocery sales topped 750 billion, and over 40% of shoppers under the age of 65 are purchasing specialty food items. Food and beverage sales will continue to rise in the coming year as the market opens post-pandemic. So when it come…

1
The Price Is Right: Raising Rates the Right Way 10:04

2+ y ago10:04

10:04

Shoppers – and Retail Buyers – may prefer deep discounts and promo bundles over a price hike, but a strong and stable business is built on a strategic pricing strategy, among other things. Raising prices is the flipside of giving discounts and promo bundles. Coming at the heels of Black Friday (where most retailers and businesses, unfortunately, di…

1
Elevating Home Bartending | Crescent Simples 27:14

2+ y ago27:14

27:14

As we welcome the Christmas season, there’s an excited buzz in the air as we prep for all the parties and gatherings. What better way to bring on the holiday cheer than the perfect cocktail or mocktail to enjoy with your family, friends, loved ones, and peers. In this episode, I’m bringing back Megan and Bill Miller of Crescent Simples, a craft foo…

1
Supporting Emerging Brands Through Cost-Efficient Distribution | Pod Foods 24:54

2+ y ago24:54

24:54

Thousands of small businesses find it challenging to deal with large distributors that don’t provide the depth of support and transparency they need to complement their logistical requirements. So imagine how refreshing it would be for emerging brands to find a distribution partner that can help them grow and expand their profits by helping get the…

1
The Power of Gratitude in Marketing 10:23

2+ y ago10:23

10:23

As a business owner, you probably say thank you several times a day without even realizing it. But what if you could add to your social media following, increase website conversions, and even attract new customers by genuinely expressing your gratitude towards your customers? Gratitude is a valuable marketing technique since it helps you connect an…

1
Scrumptious and Sustainable Cookie Biz | Julie Strange 27:43

2+ y ago27:43

27:43

We know you love those luscious pastries, in fact, they are some of the best performing images on Instagram. But have you ever wondered how baked goods actually fit into a local food system? The truth is, flour production is largely controlled by just a few corporations, so there’s not much in baked goods -- at least by volume -- that can be source…

1
Campaign Strategies You Should Apply to Your Brand Now 15:39

2+ y ago15:39

15:39

The holiday season is just around the corner. Are you prepped and ready for this biggest selling opportunity of the year? A well-planned strategic campaign will drive sales, streamline operations, and give you space to authentically connect with your audience. In this week’s episode, I’ll be sharing with you campaign strategies you can use to make …

1
Sustainable Packaging Options with Good Goods | Zach Lawless 22:01

2+ y ago22:01

22:01

CO2 emissions went up tremendously over the years because of the increase in human activity, especially those related to manufacturing and trading of goods. Overconsumption has also resulted in a huge waste problem, which continues to exponentially increase our carbon footprint on this planet. Thankfully, more and more companies and organizations h…

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