In Service of Food Businesses

Sue Ellsworth (she/her), Manager of Piedmont Food Processing Center and Founder of WE Power Food  In the food industry, facing challenges is like battling summer heat—you can’t escape it, but you can learn to thrive with the right supports. In this episode of Proofing Stage, hosts Michelle Bond and Joan Kanner explore the realities with Sue Ellsworth, Manager of Piedmont Food Processing Center and Founder of WE Power Food, about running a shared kitchen successfully.Sue reveals how the center evolved into a 10,200 square-foot haven for 65 companies, navigating cross-contamination and overcrowding with its unique setup. She emphasizes the importance of truly serving the entrepreneurs who use the facility by championing the art of starting small, testing products at farmers’ markets, and using raw, unbiased feedback to improve them before going big on packaging and marketing.Michelle and Joan serve up their own tales from Bottoms Up Bagels (BUB), underscoring the goldmine that is direct customer feedback and how it helped inform their product development and the overall BUB brand. Whether you are a food business owner, consumer or champion, tune in to this episode for sharp insights, practical advice, and a dose of real-world grit on fostering a thriving food business ecosystem.Highlights include:Building a community of would-be competitorsNavigating red tape of food entrepreneurshipNitty gritty in regulations and labelingTanking two of our episode sponsorsPassion, vision (and an assist!) are all equally necessaryLong-term thinking impacts “success” and can fight food insecurityOpportunity calling (but Kool Kat Sue sends them to voicemail)LinksConnect with Sue Ellsworth:WE Power Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/WEPowerNCWE Power Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/we_power_food1/WE Power website: www.wepowerfood.orgPFPC Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/PFAPNCPFPC website: www.pfapnc.orgMore on food business startups and spaces S1: EP3, Share Kitchen ConfidentialTheme music by Thorn HazeAdditional music by William King (via Pixabay), SergePavkinMusic (via Pixabay)Artwork by Lisa OryeExecutive Producers, Joan Kanner and Michelle BondPodcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fmFind more at proofingstage.comFollow us on Instagram and Threads @proofingstageJoin Proofing Stage+ to support us supporting you, AND access new bonus content in-between episodes!See Buzzsprout's Privacy Policy for listener privacy and read our disclaimer here.