BABOYOT with Lauren Montgomery of Monty’s: A Story of Recalibration, Patience and Growth

06/10/24 • 60 min

Trusting in the process can be the hardest and most rewarding thing you can do for your Good Food business.

In this episode, Sarah is joined by Lauren Montgomery, the founder of Monty’s, to discuss the intricacies of building a sustainable food brand. Lauren's journey from a deep passion for nutrition to creating the cleanest ingredient cashew cream cheese and plant-based butter on the market is both inspiring and educational.

Lauren shares how Monty’s early and fast growth caused some growing pains, and how a pause to recalibrate helped her lay the foundations that would eventually allow for the sustainable growth she is enjoying today.

You’ll hear:

What made Lauren decide to slow down and ensure every aspect of the business was in alignment with her vision
How she approached reducing costs without sacrificing the integrity of her product
The importance of diversifying your business
Lauren’s best advice for emerging food business founders
And more!

Connect with Lauren

Montys Website: livemontys.com

Montys Social: @montysnyc / @thefulllaurenmonty

From Our News Segment:

Foxtrot Returning to Chicago Under New Company

Foxtrot Reopen Chicago, Dallas, Austin Locations

Foxtrot Chicago, Dallas, and Austin Corner Store Comeback

Stay Connected!

Instagram: @TheGoodFoodCFOYouTube: @thegoodfoodcfo

Join us in The Good Food CFO Community

Trusting in the process can be the hardest and most rewarding thing you can do for your Good Food business.

You’ll hear:

What made Lauren decide to slow down and ensure every aspect of the business was in alignment with her vision
How she approached reducing costs without sacrificing the integrity of her product
The importance of diversifying your business
Lauren’s best advice for emerging food business founders
And more!

Connect with Lauren

Montys Website: livemontys.com

Montys Social: @montysnyc / @thefulllaurenmonty

From Our News Segment:

Foxtrot Returning to Chicago Under New Company

Foxtrot Reopen Chicago, Dallas, Austin Locations

Foxtrot Chicago, Dallas, and Austin Corner Store Comeback

Stay Connected!

Instagram: @TheGoodFoodCFOYouTube: @thegoodfoodcfo

Join us in The Good Food CFO Community

Previous Episode

Ask The Good Food CFO: How to Establish a Marketing Budget, Tips for Increasing Margin, and Clarifying Debt vs. Equity Funding

You’ve got questions

The Good Food CFO has answers!

In this episode, Sarah Delevan, The Good Food CFO is answering financial and business questions submitted by our BABOYOT members, and offering live coaching to member Chris Gilmour, Co-Founder of Wild Muskoka Botanicals.

Sarah answers:

What is the difference between Debt and Equity funding?
I know I need to increase my margin, but where do I start?
How do I create a marketing budget for my new retail opportunities?

Do you have questions for The Good Food CFO?

You can join us for our next Live Q+A by becoming a BABOYOT member. Your membership is direct investment in this podcast, and our goals of creating a more equitable and vibrant food system, as well as helping us keep this podcast ad-free.

In exchange, you’ll get access to benefits like:

Access to our library of bonus clips
A brand highlight on the podcast
Beta testing of new tools before we release them
And more!

Learn more about BABOYOT membership

From our News Segment

Last Call: Sacred Serve serving up last pints

Stay Connected!

Instagram: @TheGoodFoodCFOYouTube: @thegoodfoodcfo

Join us in The Good Food CFO Community

Next Episode

BABOYOT with Taste of Pace: The Journey From High End Catering to the Sale of a Fried Chicken Franchise

From starting small and leveraging diverse experiences to embracing challenges and making strategic decisions, this story is a testament to the power of resilience and adaptability.

In this episode, Sarah is joined by entrepreneurs Pace Webb and Chris Georgalas as they share their journey in the food industry. They discuss their backgrounds, the founding of their businesses, and the challenges they faced, including the impact of COVID-19. Pace talks about her early entrepreneurial experiences and her catering company, Taste of Pace, while Chris shares his transition from Wall Street to co-founding Daddy's Chicken Shack. They highlight the importance of customer feedback, strategic decisions, and forward thinking.

With a track record of entrepreneurial success spanning 20 years, Pace has proven herself as a dynamic force in the business world. As the founder of Taste of Pace and Daddy's Chicken Shack, she has a reputation for excellence in the culinary industry. Chris Georgalas is a seasoned professional and entrepreneur with over two decades of experience in business analysis, investment strategy, client relations, and technology. His passion for hospitality, the guest experience, and consumer insights, coupled with an affinity for innovative technologies, has been a driving force throughout his career.

Pace and Chris went on to collaborate with Area 15 Ventures to expand the company infrastructure, develop franchise models, and successfully sell 150 units nationwide within 18 months, ultimately leading to the sale of Daddy’s Chicken Shack to Area 15 Ventures.

In this conversation, you’ll hear:

How Pace pivoted from high end catering to selling fried chicken sandwiches
What the pandemic did to their catering business, and why they knew it was time to pivot
Chris’s vision for the future of the food industry, and how that played into they way they built Daddy’s Chicken Shack from the start
How they decided to franchise Daddy’s, and when they knew it was time to walk away
And so much more!

Connect with Taste of Pace

LinkedIn: Taste of Pace

LinkedIn: Chris Georgalas

From Our News Segment:

PBS: A Brief but Spectacular take on Painting the People Who Feed America

BABOYOT Member Highlight:

Wild Muskoka Botanicals

Annual Member Chris Gilmour

Website: Wild Muskoka

Stay Connected!

Instagram: @TheGoodFoodCFOYouTube: @thegoodfoodcfo

Join us in The Good Food CFO Community