Best Joe Catt Podcasts (2025)

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BABOYOT w/ Kelley Scanlin of Pure Simple Foods 1:04:25

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4d ago1:04:25

1:04:25

Can you build a CPG brand without chasing unicorn status? Kelley Scanlin, founder of Pure Simple Foods (parent to Lark-Ellen Farm and Purely Sprouted), shares how she grew from farmer’s market beginnings to operating a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility—all while refusing to compromise on quality. Sarah and Kelley dig into the strategic path m…

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Profit by Design: Building a Food Business That Doesn't Require Endless Investment 35:17

18d ago35:17

35:17

Margins matter—but what’s the rest of the financial strategy that transforms good margins into actual profitability and positive cash flow? Sarah lays out the complete three-part framework behind “Profit by Design,” the philosophy helping food founders escape the 70% failure rate. Beyond product margins, you need clarity on your true operating expe…

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Farmer’s Market Strategies w/ Catt Fields-White: On Pricing, Scaling & When to Walk Away 47:23

25d ago47:23

47:23

Farmers markets offer food founders the chance to capture high margin sales —but it only matters if you know how to make them profitable. In this episode, Sarah sits down with Catt Fields-White, nationally recognized farmers market expert and founder of the InTents National Farmers Market Conference, to answer real questions from Good Food CFO list…

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Client Story: The "Grow Last" Strategy That Created $107K Monthly Profits 36:35

1M ago36:35

36:35

What if the secret to massive food business profits isn't growing revenue first? Sarah reveals a counterintuitive "grow last" strategy that transformed a seasonal business from $19K to $107K monthly profits in just two years. This client's 14% gross profit margins were a ticking time bomb – every new sale was actually creating bigger losses. But in…

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Podcast 436, Dr. Conall Ó Breacháin on Teacher Agency and Curriculum Change (15-9-25) 56:25

2M ago56:25

56:25

My guest on this podcast is Dr. Conall Ó Breacháin from the School of Language, Literacy and Early Childhood Education in Dublin City University. Among the topics we discuss in this episode are: Differences between 1999 language curricula and the 2016 language curriculum in Ireland (e.g. focus on plurilingualism and the transfer of skills is a noti…

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Right-Sizing vs. Scaling: The Growth Strategy That Actually Makes Food Founders Money 40:26

2M ago40:26

40:26

What if the secret to a profitable food business isn't scaling bigger, but growing smarter? Sarah challenges the "grow fast or fail" mentality that's crushing food entrepreneurs, revealing why 75% of VC funded businesses fail and sharing a proven approach to sustainable growth. You’ll meet two food founders who made the counterintuitive decision to…

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BABOYOT with Kartik Das from Doosra: Building Repeatable Revenue Without Big Retail 1:05:12

2M ago1:05:12

1:05:12

While most founders obsess over store count, Kartik Das, Founder of Doosra is building repeatable revenue systems. Rather than chasing new accounts Kartik focused on just 15 core retail partners and developed a multi-channel strategy that generates predictable cash flow. Sarah and Kartik dive deep into Doosra’s financial playbook: the 90-day cash f…

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Big News: We're Launching Custom Financial Software Built Just for Food Founders 33:39

3M ago33:39

33:39

The Good Food CFO is launching first-of-its-kind financial strategy software built exclusively for food founders! After seven years of perfecting her approach with hundreds of clients, Sarah's taking everything she knows about building profitable food businesses and turning it into powerful software that doesn't exist anywhere else. This isn't anot…

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BABOYOT with Alyssa Fernandez of Ollin: Her Strategy for Being Mission-Driven but Market-Smart 59:25

3M ago59:25

59:25

What if accepting failure could actually free you to build a stronger food business? Sarah talks with Alyssa Fernandez, founder of Ollin, who is revolutionizing premium baking by filling the gap between conventional and gluten-free cake mixes with Texas-based ancient grain blends. Alyssa shares how she spent 18 months perfecting her heritage grain …

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Poppi's $1.95B Exit: Who Really Won and What the Media Got Wrong 45:55

4M ago45:55

45:55

Poppi's $1.95B exit is being hailed as the new "North Star" for food entrepreneurs – but Sarah isn't buying the headlines. When she dug into the reported investor returns, the math literally doesn't work. Forbes reported returns that would individually equal the entire acquisition price – a mathematical impossibility. But if major publications can'…

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BABOYOT with Joe Nicchi of CVT Soft Serve: Packaging Innovation, Avoiding Trends, and the Power of Luck 45:08

4M ago45:08

45:08

What happens when nostalgia meets innovation? Sarah sits down with Joe Nicchi, founder of CVT Soft Serve, who transformed a simple craving for East Coast soft serve ice cream into a nationwide success now in 3,000 stores. After investing $150,000 in a vintage 1961 truck to bring authentic East Coast soft serve to LA, Joe spent years building cult-l…

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Answering Listener Questions: What Does My Inventory Turnover Mean? (And Why It Matters for Cash Flow) 45:55

4M ago45:55

45:55

Your inventory numbers are telling a story - but do you know how to read it? In this episode, Sarah answers listener questions about inventory turnover ratio - the metric that reveals whether your products are converting to cash or quietly draining your resources. She shows how to turn a confusing ratio like "2.75" into clear insights - that invent…

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BABOYOT with Ilay Karateke of Bezi: Data-Driven Strategy Over VC Dollars 59:45

5M ago59:45

59:45

What happens when you choose to 'control your growth' instead of racing to expand? Sarah sits down with Ilay Karateke, co-founder and CEO of Bezi, the labneh brand redefining growth through meticulous data collection and strategic expansion. Ilay shares her unconventional approach: launching direct-to-retail in handpicked New York stores, doing her…

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Answering Listener Questions: What Google Gets Wrong, Why Your COGS Don't Match Reality, and When Tiered Pricing Makes Sense 42:51

5M ago42:51

42:51

You asked, Sarah is answering! We love these listener Q&A episodes, and today's cost of goods sold questions are absolute gold. First up: When Google gives you two different definitions for the same term, which one should you trust? Sarah breaks it down and explains gross profit margin vs. net profit margin and which should be your starting point f…

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100 Apply, 2 Get In: Expert Advice on How to Beat the Co-Manufacturer Odds and Create a Bidding War 48:29

5M ago48:29

48:29

Ever wondered why finding a co-manufacturer feels impossibly difficult? Sarah sits down with Julia Megson, CEO of ReScale, who reveals the shocking reality that co-manufacturers receive about 100 inquiries monthly but only work with one to two brands from that entire pool. Julia's unique background – from auditing over 100 contract manufacturers at…

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KeHE Uncovered: Real Case Study of a Food Brand's First Payout 40:43

6M ago40:43

40:43

In this eye-opening episode, Sarah breaks down the harsh food distributor chargeback reality that many founders don't discover until it's too late. Using a real-world example of a brand that invoiced KeHE for $68,267 but received only $13,345 (just 19.5%), she dissects exactly where that money went. From the surprising "initial PO" payment policy t…

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40 Successful Years in Food: Financial Lessons from D'Artagnan's Founder 47:07

6M ago47:07

47:07

Ever wonder how a food business thrives for four decades without compromising on quality? Sarah sits down with culinary visionary Ariane Daguin, who transformed America's specialty meat landscape with just $15,000 and an unwavering commitment to sustainability. Ariane shares the unvarnished truth about building D'Artagnan from the ground up. She wa…

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Cash First, P&L Later: How Successful Food Brands Actually Track Their Finances 53:21

6M ago53:21

53:21

In this episode of The Good Food CFO Podcast, Sarah reveals the counterintuitive financial tracking system that successful food brands actually use to drive profitability. Responding to a listener's question about which financial reports matter most, Sarah challenges conventional wisdom by presenting a strategic hierarchy that puts cash flow manage…

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BABOYOT with Harvest Chocolate: Using Data to Drive Smart Growth in a Bean-to-Bar Chocolate Business 52:55

6M ago52:55

52:55

In this Building a Business on Your Own Terms episode, Sarah sits down with Matt Cross, co-founder of Harvest Chocolate, a bean-to-bar chocolate company in Tecumseh, Michigan. Matt shares how he and his wife Elizabeth transformed their culinary expertise into a thriving chocolate business that started in their kitchen during the pandemic and now op…

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The Resilient Food Brand: Financial Strategies to Weather Economic Storms 35:19

6M ago35:19

35:19

Despite rising costs and economic uncertainty, Sarah brings her characteristic straight talk to food business finances in this timely episode: "All is not lost." Drawing from both historical patterns and current market insights, she explains why specialty food brands can still thrive during economic downturns as consumers continue treating themselv…

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BABOYOT with Benny Blanco Tortillas: Premium Pricing, Patient Expansion, and the Secret Code of Giving 1:02:17

7M ago1:02:17

1:02:17

In this episode Sarah sits down with Christopher Hudson, the Arizona native behind Benny Blanco Tortillas. After years in food service, Christopher purchased the company in what he calls "a match made in heaven." Christopher's approach to building a business on his own terms combines premium quality ingredients with transparent sourcing, a premium …

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Beyond 51%: Determining Your TRUE Product Margins for Food Business Success 44:40

7M ago44:40

44:40

Did you hear the episode where Sarah told her client they needed 70% product margins? Were you curious why it was so much higher than the usually recommended 51%? In this episode, Sarah pulls back the curtain on how she determines the right product margins for different food businesses, and guides you to finding yours. She reveals where your P&L is…

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BABOYOT with People's Choice Beef Jerky: Crafting Legacy on Their Own Terms 51:59

7M ago51:59

51:59

In a world where food startups chase rapid growth and quick exits, People's Choice Beef Jerky stands as a refreshing counterexample. This Los Angeles-based company has been crafting premium meat products since 1929, and is now thriving under fourth-generation leadership. Their story offers valuable lessons for food founders looking to build sustain…

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Community, not FOMO: Sarah Returns to Expo West After 10 Years Away 44:48

7M ago44:48

44:48

After more than 10 years away, Sarah decided to return to natural foods' biggest industry event - but why now? In this candid Season 14 opener, Sarah takes you behind the scenes of her Expo West experience, revealing what's changed, what hasn't, and whether the industry hype actually lives up to reality. The conversation also explores the striking …

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Podcast 435, Dr. Claire Dunne on Teaching Irish (10-3-25) 59:45

8M ago59:45

59:45

Presented and produced by Seán Delaney. My guest on the podcast today is my colleague, Dr. Claire Dunne, from the Marino Institute of Education. Among the topics we discussed were: Why learning another language gives you another window on the world. Why literacy is crucial for those who speak minoritised languages so that they can have widespread a…

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Breaking the Monopoly: How Founders Can Navigate a Consolidated Market 47:57

8M ago47:57

47:57

In this eye-opening episode of the Good Food CFO podcast, Sarah Delevan talks with Stacy Mitchell, co-executive director of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, about the myths of market consolidation and how food founders can fight back against corporate monopolies. Stacy Mitchell is a writer, strategist, and policy advocate whose work focuses o…

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Ask The Good Food CFO: Is Rent a COGS, How to Establish Channel Margins, and the Hidden Costs of Co-Packers 38:44

8M ago38:44

38:44

In this special episode of The Good Food CFO podcast, we’re sharing highlights from our live Q&A session with BABOYOT members. These quarterly events are an awesome opportunity to connect with Founders and answer their most pressing financial questions. Some of the topics we tackled: Food Service vs. Wholesale Pricing: Discover why conventional wis…

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Building a Profitable Business: Advice from a $400 Million Brand Founder 51:09

8M ago51:09

51:09

In this episode of The Good Food CFO Podcast, Sarah Delevan shares candid insights from a recent meeting with the founder of a brand generating over $400 million in annual revenue, and doing it profitably. Through a series of powerful "sound bites" captured during their conversation, Sarah reveals how this founder's approach challenges traditional …

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BABOYOT with Hope Lawrence of Hudson Henry Baking Co.: Building and Selling a Million Dollar Brand 1:03:32

9M ago1:03:32

1:03:32

In this episode of the Good Food CFO Podcast, Sarah Delavan sits down with Hope Lawrence, founder of Hudson Henry Baking Co., who shares her remarkable journey of building a profitable granola business on her own terms. From starting with just $4,000 in her farmhouse kitchen to reaching $1.25M in annual revenue, Hope's story proves that sustainable…

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Pivot Tables: A Secret Weapon for Food Business Profitability 53:30

9M ago53:30

53:30

In this episode, Sarah is sharing her favorite tool for quickly and easily transforming your basic data into actionable business intelligence - Pivot Tables. From helping you recognize sales patterns and trends, to identifying issues and opportunities, and seeing your customer and sales channel profitability, pivot tables are truly a secret weapon …

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Values over Volume: Why Big Spoon Roasters is Breaking up with Big Grocery 28:51

9M ago28:51

28:51

After a decade of national growth, Big Spoon Roasters made a decision that has the CPG industry talking: they're walking away from Whole Foods, UNFI, and other national grocery chains. But this isn't a story about failure – it's about what happens when a good food brand chooses values over volume. In this episode of The Good Food CFO podcast, we di…

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Revolutionizing Local Food: The Story of Argus Farm Stop 54:56

9M ago54:56

54:56

When Bill Brinkerhoff and his wife stumbled upon a unique store model during a college drop-off trip, they had no idea it would lead them to transform an abandoned gas station into a revolutionary market that's paid out over $22 million to local farms. In this episode, discover how Argus Farm Stop flipped the traditional retail model on its head, g…

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6 Strategic Questions to Drive Personal & Business Growth 50:10

9M ago50:10

50:10

Ready to dig into some questions that could transform the way you think about your business? In this episode, Sarah and Chelsea share six questions that every founder should ask themselves. They tackle everything from "If we close 100 more deals like this, will we be happy?" to "What's one thing I'm afraid to ask my team, but probably should?" Thro…

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The $20,000 Mistake: What CPG Founders Need to Know About Branding & Trademarks 55:07

10M ago55:07

55:07

What’s worse? A $20,000+ legal battle, or having to completely rebrand your CPG company in 30 days? In this eye-opening episode, trademark attorney Nicole Swartz shares how losing her own brand to trademark issues led her to protect over 1,200 brands with a 99.8% success rate. Together with CPG brand strategist Kelly Bennett, they reveal their uniq…

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BABOYOT with Sarah Nathan of Nooish: How an Industry Veteran Created a Buzz-Worthy and Profitable Product 52:50

10M ago52:50

52:50

Meet Sarah Nathan, founder of Nooish, who transformed traditional Jewish matzo ball soup into an instant comfort food sensation. On this episode of The Good Food CFO podcast, Nathan shares how her decade of experience in CPG and deep roots in Jewish culinary culture led her to invent freeze-dried matzo balls - a culinary breakthrough that turns an …

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Inside Education 434, History of Model Schools with Joe Doyle (24-12-24) 1:08:10

10M ago1:08:10

1:08:10

Presented and produced by Seán Delaney. On this week's episode, we delve into the history of Irish education in the 1800s to learn about an ambitious attempt to educate teachers by co-locating theory and practice. We look at the rise and fall of model schools as a means of teacher training. My guest is retired primary school teacher and principal, …

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Inside Education 433, Professor Sonia Cabell on Literacy Education in the Early Years and More (17-12-24) 1:11:38

11M ago1:11:38

1:11:38

Presented and produced by Seán Delaney. On this week's podcast I speak to Professor Sonia Cabell who is an associate professor of Reading Education in the School of Teacher Education and the Florida Center for Reading Research at Florida State University. She was a keynote speaker at the Literacy Association of Ireland conference on 9 November 2024…

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Grateful & Growing: Saying Goodbye to Where This All Began 13:30

11M ago13:30

13:30

In this special bonus episode of the Good Food CFO podcast, Sarah Delavan shares a deeply personal moment as she prepares to leave the home office where her consulting business was born seven years ago. From an unexpected job loss that led to her first consulting gig, to launching a podcast that's grown into a thriving community, Sarah reflects on …

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A Fresh Take on Planning for the New Year: Why Looking Back is the Secret to Moving Forward 47:43

11M ago47:43

47:43

In this must-listen season finale, Sarah Delevan flips the script on typical year-end planning by exploring why looking back is crucial before looking ahead. Inspired by an Office Hours member's approach to evaluating progress, Sarah reveals how understanding your past performance in context can transform your decision-making. She challenges the "b…

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BABOYOT with Sydney Karmes-Wainer of French Squirrel: Lessons in Pricing, Negotiations and Sustainable Growth 1:07:21

11M ago1:07:21

1:07:21

From accidental entrepreneur to confident business owner: Sydney, founder of French Squirrel, reveals how she transformed her healthy snack company by confronting hard truths about pricing and profitability. After years of underpricing her premium date-based treats and struggling with razor-thin margins, Sydney shares the pivotal mindset shifts tha…

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Answering Listener Questions: Customer Profitability Analysis, Cash Flow Management, and Bubble Goods 49:56

12M ago49:56

49:56

In this value-packed episode of The Good Food CFO podcast, we tackle three critical business questions asked by our BABOYOT Members. First, we reveal why your cash flow tools might not be delivering results (hint: it's probably not the tool's fault!). Then, we dive into a step-by-step guide for analyzing customer profitability – essential knowledge…

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Breaking Free from the Food Industry Playbook: How to Stop Comparing and Start Customizing 42:17

12M ago42:17

42:17

This week on The Good Food CFO podcast, we explore financial benchmarks for CPG brands, emphasizing that many common questions about business finances often lead to the answer 'it depends.' Sarah discusses the importance of understanding individual business contexts rather than relying solely on industry standards, challenges prevalent beliefs in t…

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BABOYOT with Keesha of Live Loud Foods: Building a Bold and Authentic Brand 1:09:46

12M ago1:09:46

1:09:46

In this BABOYOT episode of The Good Food CFO podcast Sarah chats with Keesha, the vibrant founder of Live Loud Foods, a brand that’s redefining the nut market with bold, unique flavors. Keesha shares her fascinating journey from information systems engineer to culinary entrepreneur, highlighting the challenges of launching a food business, includin…

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Why Doesn’t My Model Match Reality? How to Know and What to do When Your Model isn’t Working 1:02:03

1y ago1:02:03

1:02:03

Financial Modeling helps build financially successful businesses. But what if your model doesn’t match reality?! Sarah and Producer Chelsea are discussing the importance of regularly comparing your models to your actual business outcomes, how to identify if your model doesn’t match reality (because as you’ll hear it is not always obvious!) and, of …

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Sarah’s Take: What the Siete Acquisition Says About Our Food Industry 33:18

1y ago33:18

33:18

Stay Connected! Instagram: @TheGoodFoodCFO YouTube: @thegoodfoodcfo Join us in The Good Food CFO Community There were a lot of “hot takes” on the recent PepsiCo acquisition of Siete Foods, a popular brand known for its grain-free tortillas and snacks. In this episode, Sarah offers her nuanced perspective, explores the reactions from various groups,…

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Old School Meets New Tools: How to Use CPG Automation to Do More of What You Love with Jessi Freitag 1:17:23

1y ago1:17:23

1:17:23

What advice would you get from a CPG Operations Expert that believes in building a business on your own terms (BABOYOT), and enhancing productivity to do more of what you love, rather than simply doing more? Sarah invited CPG Operational Expert, Jessi Freitag to the show to find out. Jessi is an operations and project management consultant helping …