Scaling Your Healthy Food Product

#87 Fresh off the show floor, Jacinta shares three real takeaways from CHFA — not theory, but what actually worked (and what she watched other food founders do right) to turn trade show moments into real momentum. This episode is a follow-up to last week's CHFA prep episode, covering what Jacinta noticed in practice: how competitions and awards create a "double whammy" of publicity, why the quiet...

#86 If you're heading to  CHFA , this episode gives you the exact questions to ask so you leave with  requirements, next steps, and follow-ups —not just samples and business cards. This episode covers CHFA trade show strategy for better-for-you CPG founders, including retailer conversations, co-manufacturer vetting, shelf life documentation, labeling compliance, and retail readiness. In this episo...

#85 In this Founder Spotlight, Jacinta interviews Kadeem George, founder of Carobium, on how a personal family moment sparked a product idea — and how he moved from recipe development to a real retail-ready brand. Kadeem shares his biggest lessons on building systems, pricing properly, and why asking for help (even when you're nervous) can change everything. 💡 In This Episode You'll Learn The sto...

#84 If you're an emerging food or beverage founder selling at pop-ups, online, or farmers markets and aiming for specialty retail (or foodservice), this episode is your reset. Jacinta breaks down the 3-part "Retail Ready in 15 Minutes" check  and introduces the  ETS Method—Evaluate → Transform → Scale  so you can stop guessing and start building real retail structure. In This Episode, You'll Learn...

#83 You don't need a $10,000 sensory lab to know if your product actually works. In this episode, Jacinta shares innovative and cost-effective ways for food entrepreneurs to gather customer feedback through focus groups, especially for those who can't afford expensive sensory labs. Using a real kombucha case study, she walks through exactly how to organize a focus group with friends and regional g...

#82 If you started your food business without a clear read on your margins, your ingredient list, or how many SKUs you actually need — you're not alone. Jacinta revisits a listener-submitted clip from Betsy, a gluten-free food founder, recorded as part of a series asking food founders what they wish they'd known before starting. Betsy's answer centers on margins, the challenge of ingredient-heavy...

#81 There's a specific kind of moment every food founder hits — a buyer reaches out, or an opportunity lands out of nowhere, and suddenly you're deciding whether to say yes on the spot. In this episode, I'm talking about the difference between a reactive founder and a proactive founder — and why retail doesn't reward the best product, it rewards the founder who was actually prepared for the yes. I...

#80 Most product developers treat their ingredient supplier as a line item. This week, we break down three things a good supplier can actually do for you — ingredient interaction insights, flavor compatibility guidance, and co-manufacturer connections — and walk through a real, in-progress kombucha project where all three made a measurable difference. Key Takeaways Ingredient suppliers often have...

There's a specific kind of doubt that hits at 11pm — the dashboard isn't what you wanted, a review stings, a competitor just launched something shinier, and the voice in your head starts asking if this is even worth it. In this episode, I'm talking honestly about what it actually means to believe in your product, why that belief naturally erodes over time, and more importantly the four specific th...

We're at the mid-year mark, and if you're building a food product business, this is the moment things stop being theoretical. In this episode, I'm giving you an honest, behind-the-scenes look at four things I'm tracking right now: our September/October launch window, narrowing down our co-manufacturer, growing local retail distribution, and how it's all building toward a bigger retail launch next...

You worked for months on your product. You finally got it retail-ready. You started applying to every opportunity that could get your name in front of buyers. And then… you saw a contest deadline in your industry and scrolled right past it. Here's the truth nobody tells emerging founders early enough: building a good product is not the finish line. Getting other people to notice it is. And one of...

You have a great product — but is it a strong brand? There's a big difference, and most food founders don't realize it until they're already stuck. In this episode, Jacinta sits down with food brand strategist Katie Mleziva to break down what it actually takes to go from making a great product to building a brand that makes people want to choose you — every single time. If you've ever struggled to...

Most food founders ask the wrong question. They ask "Am I ready for a co-manufacturer?" when the question they should be asking is "How much time do I have?" In this episode, I share the story of a snack bar founder who called me frustrated after approaching three co-manufacturers with six months until his retail launch date. He made it — but the process was painful, rushed, and strained relations...

You worked for months on your recipe. You got your labels designed. You landed the shelf space. And then… nothing moved. The store called. They're pulling your product. Here's the truth nobody tells food founders early enough: getting your product onto the shelf is not the goal. Getting it off the shelf is. And one of the most overlooked reasons products stop selling — or never get approved in the...

Some of the most important decisions in your food business journey don't happen on the shelf. They happen before you even get there — in the moments when you decide what to launch, when to launch it, and how to back it once it's out in the world. In this episode, Jacinta Kemboi draws from two powerful real-world experiences: a mentoring session with a food founder navigating multiple products in d...

Feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or like you can't see the finish line? This episode is for you. Jacinta shares the pivotal in-flight moment that shaped her entire career — and how a two-hour plane ride from Minneapolis to Montreal became the turning point that led to coaching Better For You food founders toward one million healthier products in retail.   Whether you're just starting your food product...

Are you spending more on ingredients than you need to — or reformulating over and over because something isn't working? In this episode, Jacinta Kemboi breaks down one of the most powerful but overlooked strategies in food product development: using multifunctional ingredients. She shares how the right ingredients can do more than one job — extending shelf life, reducing costs, and improving your...

If you're building a food, beverage, or CPG brand, shelf life testing is probably costing you more than it should — in money, time, and missed opportunities. In this episode, we break down why so many founders treat shelf life like a black box, what it's actually costing them, and how bringing this process in-house can completely change the trajectory of your brand. We're also announcing the Shelf...

I'm currently working with a founder who has two SKUs running below zero margin. The product sells. It just costs more to make than they charge for it. In this episode, I walk through exactly how that happens — ingredient inflation, hidden co-manufacturing costs, and how to build a pricing structure that can absorb years of pressure from day one.   TOPICS COVERED •        The real story: two SKUs...

Most founders think a plant trial is a formality — a box to tick before production starts. It isn't. It's the only moment where your recipe meets commercial reality before real money is on the line. In this episode, I demystify the plant trial process, walk through what it costs, what it catches, and share two real stories: one where it saved a product, and one where skipping expert advice destroy...

Not every program is right for every founder — and in this episode, I'm being direct about exactly who the Emerging Food Business Hub is for, and who it's not.   If you already have a product people want, you're making sales (even small ones), and you're ready to think seriously about scaling, retail, or co-manufacturing — this episode will feel like it was made for you.   I also walk through what...

Are you doing everything right -learning, testing, showing up — but still feeling stuck? In this episode, we talk about the real reason so many food founders hit a wall: not a lack of effort, but a lack of structure.   I break down the hidden costs of piecing things together on your own — from reformulating multiple times to going into retail before your margins are ready — and share what changes...

Scaling a food product can feel overwhelming when you are not sure what to focus on next. In this episode, Jacinta simplifies the process by walking through exactly what she would do if she were starting or scaling a food product today. This step by step approach is based on years of experience working with founders and seeing what actually leads to growth. Instead of guessing or trying to do ever...

Getting into retail is exciting. But staying on shelves is what builds a sustainable food business. In this episode, Jacinta breaks down what retail readiness actually means and why most founders misunderstand it. She explains why retail does not fix product issues and how it often exposes gaps that were already there. Using her ETS Method Framework, Jacinta walks through the three stages every fo...

Why Most Food Founders Stay Stuck (Even When Their Product Is Good) Most food founders don't feel stuck because their product is bad. They feel stuck because they don't understand what it actually takes to scale. In this episode, Jacinta breaks down why having a great product and even consistent sales does not automatically lead to growth. She shares what is really happening behind the scenes when...