Today I’m joined by Clint Matthews—co-founder of Start Right Foods and my NEW GUEST COHOST! I'm excited to share that Clint will be joining me in some future episodes to bring a fresh food business founder and sales lens to the conversation.

Today we’re kicking things off with a powerful tip you can bring into your next buyer pitch.

In ep 137 we talk about:

• Clint’s journey building a brand over the past 10 years
• His #1 sales tip for food founders (and what to stop doing!)
• Why clear, concise communication builds trust with buyers
• The difference between pushing your story vs. serving your buyer
• Clint's best sales tip that many people don't think about

Whether sales comes naturally to you or makes you nervous, you’ll walk away from this episode with a practical takeaway you can apply right away.

🎧 Subscribe so you don’t miss future episodes!

Related Resources:

Ep 120: Building a Winning Brand: How Start Right Foods Stands Out in the Frozen Breakfast Aisle

👉 Get your free guide to avoid 4 common brand strategy mistakes (and how to fix them if you’re making them).

IG: @realfoodbrands

LI: let’s connect!

Real Food Brands Brand Checkup Scorecard

Real Food Brands Marketing Roundtable Facebook Group

✨ Ready to see where your brand could be stronger as you get ready to scale up? Explore the Brand Review or the Brand Success System to move forward with clarity and confidence.

Let’s go shake up shopping carts!

Katie Mleziva

Host & Food Brand Strategist | Real Food Brands

Let's talk about why strong brand strategy should guide creativity—not restrict it.

Brand strategy is meant to bring clarity, consistency, and confidence to how you show up—but sometimes it gets taken too far. In this episode, I talk about the "dark side of strategy"...i.e. what happens when brand strategy becomes so rigid that it starts to backfire.

Instead of guiding the team, it boxes them in...so then instead of helping your brand stand out, it causes your audience to tune out.

I share a real-life example of a brand that fell into this trap and walk through what to do differently to keep your brand recognizable, interesting, and fully aligned with your core strategy.

Whether you’re a food business founder, marketer, consultant, or creative, this episode will help you rethink how to bring your brand to life!

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• What brand strategy is really meant to do (and what it’s not)

• Why consistency does not mean sameness

• A real-world example of a brand that became invisible by going too far on "consistency" (or so they thought, but they faded into the dreaded sea of sameness).

• How to avoid creative stagnation while staying on-brand

• What it looks like to treat your brand strategy like a sandbox—not handcuffs

• How to build trust and recognition without being boring

• Practical ways to invite more creativity while keeping your brand aligned

Related Resources:

👉 Download your free guide to avoid 4 common brand strategy mistakes (and how to fix them if you're making them) : www.realfoodbrands.com

IG: @realfoodbrands

LI: let’s connect!

Real Food Brands Brand Checkup Scorecard

Real Food Brands Marketing Roundtable Facebook Group

✨ Ready to see where your brand could be stronger as you get ready to scale up? Explore the Brand Review or the Brand Success System to move forward with clarity and confidence.

Let's go shake up shopping carts!

Katie Mleziva

Host & Food Brand Strategist | Real Food Brands

Does your product speak for itself? Early on, especially after some positive feedback on how delicious their products are, many food business owners believe that having a great product is enough. And while your product IS important, when it comes time to grow and scale up your business, a great product is not enough to set you apart.

In this episode, I'll explain what makes a food brand stand out in today’s market, including:

• Why a great product alone won’t lead to long-term growth
• What successful brands do differently to build momentum
• How story, strategy, and consistency invite customers into a brand they want to support
• A real example of how a client went from making a great product to building a strong brand

✨ Ready to see where your brand could be stronger as you get ready to scale up?

Explore the Brand Review or the Brand Success System to move forward with clarity and confidence.

Related Resources:

Ep. 128 The Real Story Behind a Good Brand Story

👉 Take the brief survey here -- the survey from Ep 133 is still open! I want to understand how you learn and work best. It will only take a few minutes and help me create content that helps you build your brand. Thank you!

👉 Explore the new website + download your free guide: www.realfoodbrands.com

IG: @realfoodbrands

LI: let’s connect!

Real Food Brands Brand Checkup Scorecard

Real Food Brands Marketing Roundtable Facebook Group

Let's go shake up shopping carts!

Katie Mleziva

Host & Food Brand Strategist | Real Food Brands