Food Business Marketing Podcast - Strategy, Stories, and Tips to Build a Strong Brand Podcast Por Katie Mleziva (Real Food Brands) & Clint Matthews (Start Right Foods) arte de portada

Food Business Marketing Podcast - Strategy, Stories, and Tips to Build a Strong Brand

Food Business Marketing Podcast - Strategy, Stories, and Tips to Build a Strong Brand

De: Katie Mleziva (Real Food Brands) & Clint Matthews (Start Right Foods)
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Looking for ways to grow your natural food business or family farm business into a strong local, regional or national brand? Find actionable tips and insights from Food Brand Strategist, Katie Mleziva, to DEFINE, ALIGN, & ACTIVATE your brand strategy to set your food brand apart and align everything you do around that North Star. You will also hear from Clint Matthews, cofounder of Start Right Foods, about food business sales strategy. Clint has a unique perspective and useful tips about working with buyers, brokers, distributors and more. Focusing on cohesive, compelling, and consistent food branding and sales will help you build a business you love and make meaningful connections with your ideal audience, team, buyers, suppliers, influencers, and investors. The Food Business Marketing Podcast (formally known as the Real Food Brands Marketing Podcast) answers critical food business strategy questions that will help food entrepreneurs take a brand-first approach, including these Top 10 questions: 1) What sets my food business apart? 2) How do I prioritize all my different ideas for my food business? 3) Who is the ideal customer for my food business? 4) What is brand strategy and brand management? 5) How can I lead my team to help build a strong brand? 6) What is a step-by-step approach to define my food brand? 7) What is the difference between a product feature and a consumer benefit? 8) How to create an impactful customer journey map for my food business? 9) What is a good marketing plan for a food business? 10) What's the best sales strategy to grow my natural food business? Let's go shake up shopping carts! Katie Brought to you by Real Food Brands (www.RealFoodBrands.com) and hosted by Katie Mleziva. Join Katie and other food business owners to continue the conversation by joining the free Real Food Brands Marketing Round Table group on Facebook!2018-2025 Real Food Brands Economía Gestión y Liderazgo Liderazgo Marketing Marketing y Ventas
Episodios
  • 182. Your Brand Adds Value Across Your Business (Not Just Marketing)

    182. Your Brand Adds Value Across Your Business (Not Just Marketing)
    Apr 15 2026

    Most food business owners think of their brand as a marketing tool, but what if it's actually one of your most valuable business assets? IT IS!

    In this episode, Katie Mleziva (Real Food Brands) shares highlights from a recent training she gave for the Food Finance Institute's GROW series, where she explored how brand strategy impacts how effectively your business runs on a day-to-day basis.

    When your brand is clear and aligned, it doesn't just help you grow—it helps you operate more efficiently, make better decisions, and build a more valuable business over time.

    🎧 In this episode, you'll hear:
    • Three elements that help you build a valuable brand
    • How a clear brand reduces price sensitivity and builds customer loyalty
    • How a strong brand improves decision-making across your business
    • Where brands lose time and money through rework, revisions, and lack of alignment
    • Why your brand strategy is a margin driver—not just a marketing expense

    Stay tuned for more brand-building episodes each Wednesday!

    📩 Want to keep going?

    If you want support working through your brand strategy, Katie offers 1:1 workshops, 6-week coaching, and a more in-depth Brand Success System to help you define, align, and activate your brand in a way that actually drives your business forward.

    ➡️ Set up an intro call here if you're ready to talk about your vision.

    Let's Connect!

    1) Connect with Katie Mleziva on LinkedIn.

    2) Join Katie's weekly newsletter HERE

    3) Follow along on Instagram for more – @realfoodbrands

    Let's Go Shake Up Shopping Carts!

    Katie Mleziva – Host & Food Brand Strategist
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    14 m
  • 181. Build a Brand That Adapts While Staying True to Its Core - Kasondra Shippen Flax 4 Life

    181. Build a Brand That Adapts While Staying True to Its Core - Kasondra Shippen Flax 4 Life
    Apr 9 2026

    Flax 4 Life is a 25-year-old brand that has adapted to changing consumer needs and market realities, while staying grounded in the core of what the brand stands for...and I'm slightly obsessed with their blueberry flax muffins!

    ➡️➡️➡️ This episode is part of a 3-part series on what it really looks like to build a strong brand. Check out Ep 179 and 180 in the series after you listen to this.

    In this episode, I'm joined by Kassandra Shippen, CEO of Flax 4 Life—a national family-built brand rooted in multi-generational baking and a deep commitment to better-for-you products.

    Fun Fact: They were one of the first certified gluten-free companies in the US!

    We talk about how Flax 4 Life has adapted over time—responding to family health needs, evolving consumer expectations, and even market shifts like rising egg prices—while staying true to what made the brand work in the first place.

    This is a fantastic example of what it looks like to lead a brand over time: not by completely reinventing it, but by adapting with intention and innovation.

    Key Takeaway

    A strong brand gives you the clarity to adapt. When you know what you stand for, you can evolve your products, respond to change, and make new decisions without losing your direction.

    What You'll Hear
    • How family health challenges helped shape the foundation of Flax 4 Life
    • Why they've always focused on nutrition and flavor—not just "free-from" positioning
    • How rising egg prices + consumer needs led to a new allergen-friendly innovation partnering with Plantible
    • The role of new ingredients in adapting their product line
    • How to evolve your products without losing your brand foundation
    • Why education and communication remain ongoing challenges
    • Walmart's Open Call experience
    What's Next

    This episode wraps up our 3-part series on building strong brands. If you haven't listened yet:

    • Listen to this first - Episode 181
    • Go back to Episode 179: Build a Brand That Grows With the People You Serve
    • Then listen to Episode 180: Build a Brand That Solves a Real Need

    Together, these three episodes walk through how to build a brand that grows, solves real problems, and adapts over time—while staying grounded in what matters most.

    ...Stay tuned for more brand-building episodes each Wednesday!

    🤝 Share with a fellow food business owner

    If this episode sparked an idea or helped you see something differently, share it with someone else who's working to grow their brand.

    🌟 Rate and Review—we might give you a shoutout!

    And if you haven't already, a review goes a long way in helping more people find the podcast. We appreciate it and may give you a shoutout! Likewise, if you have any ideas to optimize the podcast, please email us directly at Katie@realfoodbrands.com.

    LET'S CONNECT!

    Listening is helpful, but doing is even better!

    1) Connect with Katie Mleziva and Clint Matthews on LinkedIn.

    2) Join Katie's weekly newsletter HERE to get additional insights, industry resources, and the Weekly Worksheet for this episode, designed to help you build your own brand strategy workbook over time. Joining the email list gives you access to book a Brand Strategy Session as well!

    3) Follow along on Instagram for more – @realfoodbrands

    4) Check out Flax 4 Life!

    Let's Go Shake Up Shopping Carts!

    Katie Mleziva – Host & Food Brand Strategist
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    22 m
  • 180. Build a Brand That Solves a Real Need - with Jon Romanow of Letz Go! Nutrition

    180. Build a Brand That Solves a Real Need - with Jon Romanow of Letz Go! Nutrition
    Apr 8 2026
    Most strong brands don't start with random ideas—they start with understanding a real need. ➡️➡️➡️ This is episode 2 of 3 in our Expo West follow-up series. We're releasing a new episode each day—so check back tomorrow! Strong brands are built from insight—sometimes insight that comes from lived experience and a deep understanding of what's actually missing in the market. In this episode, Katie Mleziva (Real Food Brands) and Clint Matthews (Start Right Foods) talk with Jon Romanow, founder of Letz Go! Nutrition, about how the intersection of his personal health journey and professional experience in the category led to a brand that's gaining traction quickly. And not because of luck, but because it's rooted in a real need and clearly positioned to meet it. This isn't just another founder story, it's an unfolding example of brand strategy in action - a work in progress as Jon shares what has happened since launch as they translate insight into action. As you listen, you can think about how you can do the same in your business. What you'll hear: Why the best brand strategies start with insight—not just an ideaHow lived experience can uncover opportunities and nuances others may missThe difference between creating a product and solving a real needWhy packaging format, accessibility, and pricing are part of brand strategy—not only product tasteHow clear positioning leads to traction without relying on a heavy marketing spend early onWhat it looks like to turn insight into action as you build your brand Key Takeaway: Strong brands start with understanding. When you deeply understand a real need—often one you've experienced yourself even though the brand is about more than you—you're able to build a brand that feels clear, relevant, and aligned from the start. That clarity should show up in your positioning, your product decisions, your pricing, and how your brand connects with customers. That's not luck...it's putting insight into action. What's Next: Take a step back and look at your own brand through this lens. --Where have you experienced the problem you're trying to solve? --And where might you be overlooking insights because they feel "normal" to you? The more clearly you can connect your experience to a real need in the market, the easier it becomes to make aligned decisions—and build a brand that actually works. Listen to yesterday's episode with Betsy Frost, CEO of Q Mixers, and stay tuned for the third episode in this 3-part series releasing tomorrow with Kasandra Shippen, CEO of Flax 4 Life. 🤝 Share with a fellow food business owner If this episode sparked an idea or helped you see something differently, share it with someone else who's working to grow their brand. 🌟 Rate and Review--we might give you a shoutout! And if you haven't already, a review goes a long way in helping more people find the podcast. We appreciate it and may give you a shoutout! Likewise, if you have any ideas to optimize the podcast, please email us directly at Katie@realfoodbrands.com. LET'S CONNECT! Listening is helpful, but doing is even better! 1) Connect with Katie Mleziva and Clint Matthews on LinkedIn. 2) Join Katie's weekly newsletter HERE to get additional insights, industry resources, and the Weekly Worksheet for this episode, designed to help you build your own brand strategy workbook over time. Joining the email list gives you access to book a Brand Strategy Session as well! 3) Follow along on Instagram for more - @realfoodbrands 4) Check out Letz Go! Nutrition Let's Go Shake Up Shopping Carts! Katie Mleziva Host & Food Brand Strategist Real Food Brands
    Más Menos
    24 m
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