Check in with Lauren, Paul, and Matthew as they discuss the food and beverage industries both within Mississippi and the Southeastern region.

In this episode, the Country Fried Coffee Roaster opens up about the growth of his coffee roasting business and the need to find a strategic partner to assist in growth. Lauren, Paul, and Matthew also discuss some non-traditional expansion strategies for food and beverage companies and the need to remain focused on growth.

In this episode, Lauren, Paul, and Matthew discuss the challenges with raising capital for a food and beverage startup and ensuring that investors expectations are in line with the overall growth strategy of the company. The Kombucha Lady, the Country Fried Coffee Roaster, and the Beer Lawyer also consider the current funding environment in the Southeastern United States for food and beverage companies and the different types of capital that is available for startups.

Smallbatch returns! Check in with Lauren, Paul, and Matthew as they discuss the food and beverage industries both within Mississippi and the Southeastern region. In this episode, Lauren, Paul, and Matthew discuss the differences between fads and trends in the food and beverage industry and finding white space when it comes to product development. From cricket flour to CBD infused products, the Kombucha Lady, the Country Fried Roaster, and the Sometimes Frustrated Mississippian also discuss the regulatory challenges of introducing innovative products to market.

Entrepreneurship, especially in the food and beverage industries, can consume your life. In this episode of Small Batch, the Kombucha Lady, the Country Fried Coffee Roaster, and the Craft Beer Nerd discuss the importance of taking care of yourself and strategies for doing so.

In the wake of Lauren’s decision to close Sweet & Sauer, the team explores burnout and entrepreneurship in the food and beverage industry. Burnout can propel entrepreneurs in two distinct directions: push through it or close down the operation. Lauren opens up about her journey operating a startup in the food and beverage industry and the ultimate decision to shut it down. Matthew and Paul discuss professional burnout and decisions they made to push through adversity.

In this episode of Small Batch, the Kombucha Lady, the Country Coffee Roaster, and the Beer Lawyer examine the ubiquity and relativity of the term “small business.” In many circumstances, there are clear advantages to remaining somewhat small and nimble regardless of what definition is applied to a particular situation. Lauren, Paul, and Matthew also discuss the paradox of launching a food and beverage business in the Southeastern United States as it provides opportunities to introduce products to less mature markets, but also presents challenges in the context of product awareness and scarcity of financial resources.

Lucky Town Brewing Company, Jackson’s only craft brewery, recently announced it was shutting its doors after 6 years in operation. Lauren, Paul, and Matthew discuss not only the impact Lucky Town had on Jackson, but the impact the brewery had on the craft beer industry in Mississippi. As Matthew describes some of the struggles and challenges that breweries are facing throughout the United States and in Mississippi, Lauren and Paul draw comparisons to operating their own businesses in other beverage categories.

Lauren and Paul have both dealt their individual identities as female and black owned business owners in the food and beverage industries. In this episode of Small Batch, Lauren, Paul, and Matthew discuss the concept of identity in the food and beverage industries as it relates to product development, product bias, corporate storytelling, product packaging and sales. As the conversation unfolds, learn more about how Beanfruit Coffee and Sweet & Sauer Fermented Foods address the issue of identity as the companies grow from a founder focused business selling products at farmers markets to businesses selling specialty food and beverage products at retail to the health food demographic of consumers.

Many, if not all, food and beverage ventures start out as the artisanal hobby of their founders; but, in order for a hobby to become a viable business venture, it must scale. In this episode of Small Batch, Lauren, Paul, and Matthew provide some definitional context around what it means to scale in the food and beverage industries. From selling products in farmers markets, to purchasing equipment, and selling through retail sales channels, Lauren, Paul, and Matthew discuss the myriad issues food and beverage companies faces when scaling in a hyper-competitive business environment. Hosts: Lauren Rhoades Paul Bonds Matthew Mclaughlin Studio: Podastery Studios (twitter.com/Podastery) Lean More: Exploring the truths and myths of being an entrepreneur in the insanely competitive food and beverage industries