As a Foodpreneur, trying to create a successful brand, in an industry that’s notorious for being tough to make it in, is financially, mentally and emotionally taxing (not to mention all the physical effort that comes into cooking and packing products). You’ll likely experience the rollercoaster of not only being in the F&B industry, but also being a business owner, and some days you can question yourself and your decision to become a food founder.
BUT you are not alone. My guest this week on Foodpreneur with Chelsea Ford podcast is award-winning pastry chef, media personality, Foodpreneur and Cookie Dough extraordinaire Anna Polyviou. Despite being all the above, Anna had to work, educate, and hustle her way to success when launching her Cookie Dough brand AP Bites, overcoming major financial and emotional hurdles along the way.
Anna is one of the amazing women we’re celebrating this month on the podcast in recognition of International Women's Day last week. She has learnt so many valuable lessons through her journey that she shares with us on the podcast, including:
🍪 How her celeb status made her ‘put on a mask’ and hide her struggles during those dark times.
🍪 How a brand partnership helped her at the start of her journey.
🍪 Who to surround yourself with to increase your chance of success, both professionally and personally.
🍪 Why self-care is so important as a Foodpreneur.
🍪 Why even as a known media personality she has to push her product, and how she does it.
🍪 Why using a distributor and a sales agent works best for her business financially.
🍪 Why she prefers stockists to order ‘less’ of her product.
LINKS & RESOURCES
If you haven’t listened to episode 57 (59 mins), ‘Overcoming Failure as a Foodpreneur’ listen here.
This episode is brought to you by Foodpreneurs Formula, my coaching program for packaged food and drink brand owners ready to scale, and Foodpreneurs Festival, the sales event opportunity of the year, specifically curated for packaged food and drink brand owners.
Season 17 with NFTC
Season 17, out now, is brought to you by NFTC – The Natural Foods Trading Company.
If you're a growing food brand navigating that tricky middle phase—scaling up, maybe landing your first major retailer, figuring out how to buy smarter—NFTC is worth knowing about.
They're a mid-tier ingredient supplier specialising in natural wholefoods: nuts, dried fruits, herbs, spices, seeds, and more. Small enough to offer lower minimums and genuine flexibility, but backed by serious sourcing capability and a team that actually knows its range inside out.
Think of them as the ingredient partner that grows with you—not one you'll outgrow.
Check them out at nftc.com.au
