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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

• Waitlist for Foodpreneurs Formula Coaching Program
• Foodpreneurs Festival - your opportunity to apply to pitch your products to retail buyers
• Anna Polyviou website
• Harris Farm
• Kepos Street Kitchen
• Circle Harvest
• Anniversary Edition: Straight Talk from a Specialty Retail Buyer. What to Say in your Pitch. 
• What is a Sales Agent, and do I Need One?

If you haven’t listened to

Season 15

Season 15, out now, is 'Marketing Season' and is being presented by Foodpreneurs Festival.

The highly anticipated 2026 BiteBack Awards & Foodpreneurs Festival are both must-attend events dedicated to bringing consumer packaged goods food, drink (alc and non-alc), pet and supplements brand owners, buyers, media, industry specialists and distributors together under one roof.

You can't miss these events. Here’s why:

• Thousands of stockists looking for new products for their shelves.
• A chance to pitch for funding + mentorship to scale your brand.
• Workshops tailored to where you’re at - whether you’re just starting or scaling big (THIS IS NEW!)
• A NEW Marketing Clinic for hands-on brand strategy - you'll leave with five key messages ready to use.
• Opportunities to get recognised and get your brand in front of industry experts, media, buyers, distributors and fellow brand owners.
• If you’re an Industry Specialist, tap into a highly engaged, niche audience.
• And much, much more.

The full program drops early 2026. For now, block out May 21-22 and click this link to see how you can be part of it.