Who gets into the room, who gets heard and who gets the opportunity to progress? In food and drink, those things aren’t always determined by talent alone.
In this episode, I’m joined by Rebecca Oliver Mooney, who has more than 20 years of commercial experience across major FMCG businesses and challenger brands, to talk about equity, opportunity and what needs to change in our industry.
We explore some of the barriers that still influence who stays and progresses, from caring responsibilities and working environments to everyday bias around who gets noticed, supported or promoted.
Rebecca also shares her own experiences of moving between large corporates and challenger brands and how that shaped her understanding of privilege, opportunity and what feels “normal” depending on where you’ve built your career.
A big part of our conversation is about what we can actually do. Rebecca talks about the importance of allyship, mentoring and using your own position to create opportunities for other people. Change doesn’t only sit with women’s networks or the people experiencing the barriers. We all have a part to play.
We also talk about imposter syndrome, which Rebecca reframes as “improver syndrome”. Instead of seeing self-doubt as evidence that you don’t belong, perhaps it’s a sign that you’re stretching yourself, learning and growing.
Rebecca shares the work Raising the Glass is doing to create a more supportive drinks industry through mentoring, community and practical support for women-founded businesses.
Ultimately, this conversation comes back to a simple question for anyone in a leadership position: are you leaving things better than you found them? Small actions, from inviting somebody into the room to advocating for their progression, can have a much bigger ripple effect than we realise.
Timestamps
02:00 – Rebecca’s career across FMCG and challenger brands
05:06 – Setting up diversity-focused incubators
09:54 – The drive for equity in food and drink
13:36 – Why Raising the Glass was founded
15:19 – Practical support for women and allies
21:10 – Experiences that can push women out of the industry
25:03 – How bias and culture shape careers
28:32 – Queen bee dynamics and supporting others
32:06 – Systemic issues and self-belief
33:37 – Reframing imposter syndrome
36:00 – Finding your tribe and building support
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Useful Links & Support
Raising the Glass
An industry initiative supporting women and allies in drinks through mentoring, community and practical support.
https://raisingtheglass.co.uk/
Connect with Rebecca Oliver Mooney https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-oliver-mooney-65730614/
Work with Fearless Foodies
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https://fearlessfoodies.co.uk
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