My Food Job Rocks!

Today we have Jonathon Weber on the show, a young professional who works at Herbaland Naturals, a gummy company in Vancouver, Canada. Jonathon just graduated but he’s worked for so many companies! He also has chef experience, and now he’s a food technologist. This guy is really passionate on what he does. If you are currently in college. Really listen to the part about how he gets internships Other gems in this episode, is that you learn a little bit about the gummy industry, learn how to hustle in college and do internships for small companies, and Jonathon and I geek out about ethnic food which includes talking about Dominican food, Banh Mi sandwiches, monte cristo sandwiches, and my spring fling, gochujang Sponsor This episode is sponsored by FoodGrads, an interactive platform for the Food & Beverage Industry, which focuses on closing the gap between students and employers with a broader mission to attract and retain people to a meaningful career in food. From Food Scientists to Farmers, Chefs to Plant

I am so excited to have Sapna Thottahil join me today. Sapna has an amazing background. From her early days in food waste to her fullbright scholarship Indian Organic Farming, Sapna is very passionate on the current issues in food that are just starting to get our attention. With a  good heart, she now has a job as a Supply Chain Specialist at School Food Focus where she manages the supply chain for all ingredients that goes to feed schools in California. So not only do we discuss one of the most important (yet not well talked about) careers in the food industry, but we also get into a lot of other really cool things such as whether to buy local, or fair trade, the cool things happening in the school food space, and an excellent tip on how to make your own vanilla extract. hat’s the end of the show everyone, if you like what you heard, like us on facebook or set a review on itunes. It helps wonders. If you have any questions or suggestions on how to improve the podcast, don’t be afraid to email me at podcast@

In this episode we have Dan Follese, the owner of Follese Culinary Consulting, where he goes to clients with the latest trends and brings new innovative concepts to life. Dan’s main clients are fast food companies and we go through a lot of talk about how he views new trends and his opinion on certain fast food restaurants. For example: a debate on which is better: taco bell or Chipotle. But this is a really fun episode. Dan is a wealth of knowledge and we talk about amazing resources to make you more innovative. For example, he’s told me research programs I’ve never thought of, how to communicate better as a food science person, and just his experiences as a chef, food photographer, and consultant were really a treat to hear. Sponsor This episode is sponsored by FoodGrads, an interactive platform for the Food & Beverage Industry, which focuses on closing the gap between students and employers with a broader mission to attract and retain people to a meaningful career in food. From Food Scientists to Farm

It was an honor interviewing Susie Wyshak, author of Good Food Great Business as she shows us so many useful tips on how to start a food business and how to write a book. I actually was able to meet Susie for a brief time during my trip to the Fancy Food Show, which we talk about during the episode. She even signed my copy of Good Food Great Business and you can see it in the show notes. If you haven’t read the book and you are looking to start a food business, I highly suggest this one. It’s so good! From personal experience, I found the resources so valuable, the format really easy to follow, and the examples are superb. Other little gems in this episode includes great tips and tribulations of writing a book, me showing off my food science knowledge, and Susie’s thoughts on robots in the future. About Susie Susie Wyshak is the author of Good Food, Great Business: How to Take Your Artisan Food Concept From Idea to Marketplace and Chocolate Chip Cookie School, for kids. She blogs about trends at FoodStarter.c

We have a great guest today as Tiffany Tong, Strategic Initiatives lead at Canada’s Smartest Kitchen, enters the scene and brings with her an amazing story about doing what you should do, versus doing what you want to do. See, Tiffany didn’t start in food. Not for a long time. She was actually in the ever stable and lucrative oil and gas industry. Her switch to food seemed easy on paper, but as we dive deeper in the interview, you realize that the journey had its challenges. I really appreciate Tiffany for sharing her story, and along with that, we talk a lot about how to strategize your company’s target clients, how to apprentice for a celebrity chef, and some really cool food jobs we found on the internet. Like… Chief Adventure Officer About Tiffany An insatiable learner, Tiffany's background ranges from supply chain management and organizational change management in the oil and gas industry to food media. To compliment her Bachelor of Commerce in Business Process Management, Tiffany received a Culinary Art

Louis Edmond is an extremely inspiring fellow. He has loved food his whole life and decided to be a chef, until he realized that the chef isn’t the most stable job in the world. Then he dived into the world of food science in his final semester. Though he didn’t get a food science job, he worked darn hard until 6 years later, he applied for his masters, and now works as a food technologist at Advanced Pierre Foods. Louis’ strength is the ability to tell quite inspiring stories and he really loosens up in the final minutes of the interview, where he reminisces about his amazing week in culinary camp in high school. Sponsor This episode is sponsored by FoodGrads, an interactive platform for the Food & Beverage Industry, which focuses on closing the gap between students and employers with a broader mission to attract and retain people to a meaningful career in food. From Food Scientists to Farmers, Chefs to Plant Managers, QA Technicians to Dieticians, or Marketing and Sales, no matter what your passion--the

Today we have Julie Bernarski, Founder and President of the Healthy Crunch Company Julie’s company makes an amazing Kale Chip product and she was so nice she sent me a whole box of it!   In my opinion, these are the biggest, most satisfying kale chips I’ve ever eaten. The flavors are crazy innovative and the kale is a nice, dark green. Though we talk a lot about the product on the podcast, I feel the best takeaway advice for this product is specifically helpful if you are thinking of starting a product based business. Though the best giveaway is to love your product, also love your competitor’s products. And the more research you do with your competitors, the more of an advantage you have. Other than that, Julie does an amazing job talking about how to Network and she lists all of the associations she’s a part of. Most of these associations are women leadership and food related. And this is an important piece of advice: that you should specialize where you network. Sponsor This episode is sponsored by FoodGra

Some housekeeping items before we get into this episode. We will be going back to one episode a week starting at episode 61 to focus more time on website improvements and writing. I was fortunate to have a young food science student named Veronica Hislop reach out to me. Working together, we collaborated to make a sort of flavor article series. Check out Flavor Investigator Veronica Hislop dive into the very mysterious world of flavors, which if you are in industry, this might be beneficial for you. Sponsor This episode is sponsored by FoodGrads, an interactive platform for the Food & Beverage Industry, which focuses on closing the gap between students/recent graduates and employers. With a broader mission to attract and retain people to a meaningful career in food. From Food Scientists to Farmers, Chefs to Plant Managers, QA Technicians to Dieticians or R&D to Sales, no matter what your passion--there's something for everyone in Food—and they will help you find it. Join FoodGrads for support, mentors

Today we feature Michael Kalanty, who is a man of many talents. And you learn why that’s the case. This interview is very well, timeline heavy. You learn step by step and the twists and turns between being an architecture student, chef, pastry chef, bread author, and lastly, consultant. You will learn the key points on how these happen and the catalysts that make Mike what he is today. What I love in this interview is the twist and turns throughout his life. I really dug in deep on his career path. Questions like Why did he switch into food, why did he decide to write a book, how hard it was to make a book…. And most of all, you’ll learn the best, most tangible advice on how to make good bread. About Michael Before Michael Kalanty served as Director of Education for the California Culinary Academy (“CCA”) in San Francisco from 1996 to 2000, he’d already built and sold a successful catering business and pastry shop in his native Philadelphia. While developing the artisan bread course for the Baking & Pastr

This was a cool connection. A graduate student from Texas A and M, contacted Katie Lanfranki and Sherrill Cropper. They did a small little interview about the different perspectives between going to graduate school and not going to graduate school. I find this so cool! Not only did people get value from the podcast, but Katie was able to benefit from it as well! I love this! So Katie asked Sherrill to be on the show. Of course, I accepted. Sherrill holds a PhD in Grain Science in Kansas State. Working in product development, she makes enzyme cocktails that help the baking industry make bread. I loved talking about Sherrill’s diverse food industry background, such as the internships she did, and we talk a lot about bread. There is also a great amount of career advice such as communicating, critical thinking and networking tips. If you enjoyed this episode, please, sign up on our email list at myfoodjobrocks.com, like us on facebook,  rate and review on itunes, and share with your friends. If you show interest

Today we have Jaime Reeves, R and D Manager for Del Monte Foods. Funny story, I think I might have actually met her as an undergraduate. Jaime brings a ton of knowledge as she has developed products for huge companies and well, she has some interesting stories to tell. Jaime is a high energy, positive woman, and such a huge vat of knowledge. Her child-like enthusiasm is just so refreshing.  If you are a food scientist, I highly recommend this interview because she gives such great advice on how to flavor your products, and generally have fun in your job. We also dive deep into education, especially on the topics such as Non-GMO and Clean Label. If you enjoyed this episode, please, sign up on our email list at myfoodjobrocks.com, like us on facebook,  rate and review on itunes, and share with your friends. If you show interest in being interviewed, know someone who would be a great interviewer, or would like to join our team of volunteers, make sure to email us at podcast@myfoodjobrocks.com. Sponsor This episo

Today’s episode is with Kimber Lew, R and D Coordinator at La Terra Fina. They make quiches and dips. Kimber is a graduate from UC Davis and is pretty involved in her chapter at Northern California IFT’ section. The biggest highlight in this interview is Kimber’s experience with research chefs in her previous company. They taught her not only how to cook, but to taste which I think all product developers should know how to do. It sure has helped Kimber progress in her career. Other than that, we talk a ton about how to get a product to market, awesome food science titles and most importantly, an important discussion about Ramen Noodles. If you enjoyed this episode, please, sign up on our email list at myfoodjobrocks.com, like us on facebook,  rate and review on itunes, and share with your friends. If you show interest in being interviewed, know someone who would be a great interviewer, or would like to join our team of volunteers, make sure to email us at podcast@myfoodjobrocks.com. About Kimber Lew Kimber Le

Today I interview my friend and alumni Jocelyn Ngo to the podcast and we get to talking about dreams and ambitions, and the like. Jocelyn and I go way back. I knew her as a high energy stranger back at freshman orientation! Throughout the years, she was also very involved in Cal Poly, rising in the ranks of the food science clubs, doing product development competitions, even being on IFTSA’s board. Jocelyn's a hard worker, and a big part of this episode is about dealing with graduate school and work and your social life. If you choose to go that route, it’s not easy, but it will be rewarding.   If you enjoyed this episode, please, sign up on our email list at myfoodjobrocks.com, like us on facebook,  rate and review on itunes, and share with your friends. If you show interest in being interviewed, know someone who would be a great interviewer, or would like to join our team of volunteers, make sure to email us at podcast@myfoodjobrocks.com. Sponsor This episode is sponsored by FoodGrads, an interactive platfo

Today we ahem, dive in the world of sushi Kaz works at Breakthrough Sushi, where hosts special classes, caterings, and team building events where he teaches people how to make sushi. Kaz’ innovative sushi concept is awesome and he really takes the time to teach his guests the art of sushi, and then let them do it, and then let them eat it! I actually crashed in one of his classes at Miele, or Rochelle Boucher’s place in San Francisco! All I can say is, Kaz is very tall! This episode is all about fish! Seriously, Kaz loves his craft and you’ll learn so many cool things such as what Zen Buddhists eat, how to be a sushi chef in japan, why you should always be on time, and the importance of the blue fin tuna About Kaz Kaz Matsune is the owner and operator of the Bay Area’s (and possibly North America’s) ONLY team building sushi class experience, Breakthrough Sushi. With two books under his belt and a third in the works, he has become the go to guy in the Bay area for anyone wanting to take sushi classes either pr

In this episode, we have Rachel Chetham, the CEO of her own consulting firm, The Foodscape Group. She combines media, policy, and nutritional sciences to make an amazing food communication platform. This episode is a bit different, one.. because I messed up the audio, Apparently, I had to move my audio equipment halfway through the interview and recording on my end just stopped working! I panicked for about 5 minutes. However, Rachel’s content saved the day. Since Rachel’s answers were so good, I was able to edit in the questions I asked to her So Rachel’s interview has such amazingly good information. You’ll learn so many things about being a good food communicator. Mainly strategies. For example, what’s the best way to communicate to people about food? Or how can you absorb the right media quickly. She also gives you tips on the best ways to progress through your career. About Rachel Dr. Rachel Cheatham holds a doctorate in nutritional biochemistry from Tufts University, where she is an adjunct professor of

Today we dive in the life of food sales and marketing expert, Eric Dunn, who is the director of Marketing and Innovation at Nutrifusion, a patent-pending super fruit and vegetable powder. Sales and Marketing have always interested me. In college, it wasn't really talked about yet, but if you're in product development, it's half the battle! Sales and Marketing is the lifeblood of a company and paired with a great product, it becomes an unstoppable force. I really enjoyed this interview with Eric because this is a type of job that not many food enthusiasts are aware of. If you are interested in sales and marketing in the food industry, then Eric does a great job explaining the difference to me. He also talks about where to find the best food news and why packaging is so important in this industry. If you enjoyed this episode, please, sign up on our email list at myfoodjobrocks.com, like us on facebook,  rate and review on itunes, and share with your friends. If you show interest in being interviewed, know someo

Welcome to the My Food Job Rocks Podcast with me, Adam Yee, where we showcase amazing food jobs and interview the passionate people who drive the industry forward and this is episode 51! We have a special guest for you today. A top scientist at an amazing food company who’s had an amazing journey. He grew up in Nandi, a district in Kenya, went to China for graduate school, and now lives in Germany! Or as he says it, made in Nandi, formed in China and refined in Germany He’s a pet food scientist in one of the most well-known companies in the world and he really digs home on the importance of the petfood industry. So if you want to at least look into the petfood industry, this interview is for you. Hey, I made petfood at my last job, and that industry makes bank. This is a long one, a bit dense as well, but Seroni, has a lot to offer in his wisdom. After all, his motto in life is “Just DO it, make mistakes. Learn from them. Recalibrate and move on”. I apologize in advance for any audio issues. When editing I sa

Key Takeaways How leaders use family as a support network How to not only innovate, but how to introduce new ideas Should you incubate or join a mastermind if you choose to start on your own? Other Links Pina Romolo, CEO from Pico La Cucina  Rohini Dey, Founder from Vermillion Naz Athina Kallel, CEO from Save Good Food Crystal MacKay, CEO from Farm and Food Care Lisa Tse, CEO from Sweet Mandarin Mike Hewitt, CEO from One Haus Raf Peeters, CEO from Qcify Ali Bouzari, CSO from Pilot R+D Dr. Howard Moskowitz from Mind Genomics Terra Chips Dang Foods Taco Bell Fancy Food Show Expo West Foodgrads Peas On Moss Transcript The last ten episodes had a bunch of startups and businesses that are not only innovative, but also are down to earth and realistic. It was amazing to talk to the owners! In this context, we’ll refer any owner, and founder as a CEO, though sometimes this isn’t the case. What I loved about learning from the CEOs was that these people were in a stage where they made something profitable but can als

Today I have Raf Peeters who owns his own quality technology company. These guys basically solve problems on the quality control realm of things Here’s a quick bio on their company Qcify is a young and dynamic company built by an enthusiastic group of industry experts. For many years our founders have worked closely with food processing companies in the fields of automation and imaging technology.  Our team has bridged the gap between the technological wonders of Silicon Valley and the much needed Quality Control improvements the majority of food processors in the Central Valley and other global food producing areas were waiting for. Qcify strives to be the leading global innovator, developer and provider of quality inspection solutions that will transform the way our customers and their business partners gather, manage, distribute and communicate quality control information. By providing digital fingerprints of the produced food, our patented technology (patent pending) and services can be used for quality

I had the opportunity to talk to the amazing Mike Hewitt who runs his own chef recruiting agency. They are Hospitality Recruiters specializing in dining room, culinary and corporate salaried positions. Mike’s background is kind of cool. He’s worked in the family restaurant, went to culinary school in Switzerland, then moved to the United States for a restaurant job. He then started his own restaurant and then went over to… Human Resources? He does this for a very valid reason, to take care of his growing family, and that’s something I hope you take away from this episode. Mike still loves food, you can definitely tell. But now he is helping the food industry in a different way by connecting talented people to each other. His company One Haus is unique as he recruits recruiters that have a strong operational restaurant background so his employees used to work in restaurants. This allows his works to find quality people because they just know what it takes. Other than this, you’ll leanr a couple of really cool