Fishermen in Maine were leaving their jobs because they weren't making enough money to make ends meet. In the newest episode of the Conch Podcast, we hear how one woman started a seafood company to support fishermen in a time of need. Julie is joined by Jen Levin, Founder, President, and CEO of True Fin, a seafood company on a mission to sustain people and livelihoods in the Gulf of Maine.
Episode Guide
- :00 Intro
- 01:16 Looking to escape the big city of DC, Jen moves to rural Maine and starts off her 17 year career working with fishermen and seafood
- 05:30 The genesis story of True Fin, Jen's seafood company: Her journey takes her to the Gulf of Maine Research Institute where she builds markets for Gulf of Maine seafood and supports fishermen who are leaving their jobs en masse due to the high cost of doing business
- 10:51 How a girl from rural Wisconsin became a fish buyer and navigated the trial and error of working with an incredible, yet highly perishable product like seafood
- 14:42 The pandemic hit True Fin hard. Jen and her team managed to navigate this perilous time by keeping one goal in mind–continue to support fishermen by buying their fish no matter what.
- 18:48 Act now, think later. How crises can force you to keep going.
- 22: 27 True Fin is a business on a mission to provide a product that sustains people and fishermen's livelihoods.
- 30:36 True Fin works closely with fishermen to share innovative techniques that guarantee seafood's quality, longer shelf life, and better taste.
- 34:46 Jen is learning from the next generation of women about the power of the language we use in perpetuating assumptions, even her own, about women
- 42:13 Jen's advice for a young woman in seafood: be authentic
- Episode Transcript
- Check out @truefinseafood on Instagram and at truefinseafood.com
- Make sure to recommend this episode to anyone you think who might care about the future of our ocean and women working in the sector.
The Conch Podcast series is a program of Seafood and Gender Equality (SAGE) and made possible by generous funding from The David and Lucile Packard Foundation. Audio production, engineering, editing, mixing, and sound design by Crystal Sanders-Alvarado for Seaworthy. Original music provided by Satan's Pilgrims.
