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The Good Food CFO podcast

The Good Food CFO podcast

By: The Good Food CFO
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About this listen

 Join Food Industry Finance Expert Sarah Delevan as she breaks down the need-to-know financial concepts for running a profitable food business, shares case studies and lessons from around the food industry, and highlights the many different ways to build a successful food business on your own terms through conversations with founders and industry experts.

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

    Poppi's $1.95B Exit: Who Really Won and What the Media Got Wrong
    Jul 14 2025
    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't do basic math on these deals, what else are we getting wrong?With $39 million invested over seven years to fuel Poppi's rapid growth from Shark Tank to nationwide distribution, this wasn't a bootstrap success story. Sarah traces the money trail and questions who actually won in this deal. Was it the founders who built the company, or the investors who funded the journey?As more independent food brands get absorbed by giants like PepsiCo, entrepreneurs need to know the real financial playbook – not the fairy tale version making headlines.All findings discussed in this episode are opinions based on publicly available reporting. We've compiled every article, press release, and data source we referenced so you can do your own research and draw your own conclusions.Food Republic: Mother Beverage/Poppi, here’s what happened after Shark TankThe Wall Street Journal: Small Investor Group Scores 88-Fold Return in Poppi SaleSpace Funding: How $105,000 Invested in Poppi Turned Into $9.5 Million: The Power of Early-Stage InvestingFood Navigator: Poppi closes $13.5m funding round led by CAVU Ventures and backed by celebrity investors: 'Poppi is the modern soda for the next generation'Forbes: Viral TikTok Prebiotic Soda Brand Poppi Raises $25 Million Series B To Expand Nationwide Through DSDTaste Radio: How A Four-Letter Word Sparked Poppi’s Billion-Dollar TrajectoryBevNet: Best of 2023Forbes: Poppi Investors Russell Westbrook, 24KGoldn Cash In On $2B PepsiCo DealPress Release from Pepsi Co.Join The Good Food CFO Community: Follow us on Instagram: @thegoodfoodcfo Connect on LinkedIn: @sarahdelevan Watch on YouTube: @thegoodfoodcfo Become a Member: BABOYOT This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thegoodfoodcfo.substack.com/subscribe
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    46 mins
  • BABOYOT with Joe Nicchi of CVT Soft Serve: Packaging Innovation, Avoiding Trends, and the Power of Luck

    BABOYOT with Joe Nicchi of CVT Soft Serve: Packaging Innovation, Avoiding Trends, and the Power of Luck
    Jun 30 2025

    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-like brand loyalty. Then came the pivotal moment: when Jeff Bezos installed CVT's machine in his home, Joe realized he needed to democratize access to quality soft serve. Enter his revolutionary solution – soft serve pouches that deliver the truck experience anywhere, no machine required.

    Sarah and Joe explore essential strategies for emerging food brands:

    * Protecting margins like "your life depends on it"

    * Building regional brand loyalty before retail expansion

    * Innovation through packaging, not trendy product flavors

    * Landing on shelves without traditional trade spend using velocity data

    * Being open about your vision to leverage unexpected opportunities

    From breast milk storage bag prototypes to venture backing (you read that right!), Joe's journey proves that sometimes the best business opportunities come from solving your own problems – and being willing to admit when luck plays a role in success.

    Learn more about CVT Soft Serve

    Website: CVTsoftserve.com

    Instagram: @cvtsoftserve

    Join The Good Food CFO Community:

    Follow us on Instagram: @thegoodfoodcfo

    Connect on LinkedIn: @sarahdelevan

    Watch on YouTube: @thegoodfoodcfo

    Become a Member: BABOYOT



    This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thegoodfoodcfo.substack.com/subscribe
    Show more Show less
    45 mins
  • Answering Listener Questions: What Does My Inventory Turnover Mean? (And Why It Matters for Cash Flow)

    Answering Listener Questions: What Does My Inventory Turnover Mean? (And Why It Matters for Cash Flow)
    Jun 23 2025

    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 inventory turnover ratio means it takes your business 146 days to sell through the product on your shelves. The eye-opener: Sarah shares how a rapidly growing meat company with impressive revenue was hemorrhaging cash because they had eight months of chicken inventory collecting freezer rent.

    Listen in to learn:

    • Step-by-step calculations for both accrual and cash-based businesses

    • Why industry benchmarks miss the point

    • And how to interpret your number based on lead times, growth plans, and cash runway.

    Essential listening for food entrepreneurs ready to make data-driven inventory decisions that protect cash flow.

    BABOYOT Member Spotlight:

    Amber Stevenson of Rosebud's Real Food

    Learn more at www.rosebudsrealfood.com

    Join The Good Food CFO Community:

    Follow us on Instagram: @thegoodfoodcfo

    Connect on LinkedIn: @sarahdelevan

    Watch on YouTube: @thegoodfoodcfo

    Become a Member: BABOYOT



    This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thegoodfoodcfo.substack.com/subscribe
    Show more Show less
    46 mins
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