Women Who Make It - A Females in Food Podcast with Angela Dodd

Doing great work isn't always enough to get ahead. Sometimes, the missing piece is visibility.

In this episode of Women Who Make It, Angela Dodd sits down with Maha Aboulenein, CEO and founder of Digital & Savvy, bestselling author of The Seven Rules of Self-Reliance, and a personal branding expert with more than 30 years of experience in communications.

Following the release of the second annual State of Women in the Industry report, which found that 38% of women surveyed identified a lack of visibility and recognition as a barrier to career advancement, Angela and Maha unpack what...

Kimberly Ratcliff didn't take the traditional path into ranching.

After building a career at Bloomberg in New York, she made the decision to return home to her family's ranch in rural Texas. What started as a desire to protect her family's land eventually became Ratcliff Premium Meats—a growing business built around local producers, community, and a different way of thinking about the food supply chain.

In this episode, Kimberly shares what it was really like coming home, learning to listen instead of trying to change everything, and earning the trust of her family and co...

How do you go from HR intern to CEO?

In this episode of Women Who Make It, Angela Dodd sits down with Shawna Nelson, CEO of Organic Valley, to explore the career journey that took her from an internship to leading America's largest organic farmer-owned cooperative.

Shawna shares the pivotal moments that shaped her leadership, why taking risks outside your comfort zone can transform your career, and how sponsors helped open doors she never imagined. She also discusses interviewing for the CEO role twice, balancing executive leadership with motherhood, and leading through change in today's...

What does it really take to build a celebrity-founded brand into a lasting consumer products company?

In this episode of Women Who Make It, Angela Dodd sits down with Haley Ludwigson, CEO of Cravings by Chrissy Teigen, to explore how the company is disrupting the baking aisle through clean ingredients, nostalgic flavors, and thoughtful innovation.

Haley shares her journey from CFO to CEO, explains why flavor always comes before function, and discusses how changing consumer behaviors—including the rise of GLP-1 medications—are influencing product development. Together, they dive into retail strategy, branding, leadership, and why...

Have you ever thought of the perfect response... twenty minutes after the conversation ended?

In this solo episode, Angela Dodd shares an unexpected personal story that led her down a fascinating rabbit hole into neuroscience, leadership, and emotional regulation. After being pulled over and asked to complete a field sobriety test despite being completely sober, Angela realized the most frustrating part wasn't the traffic stop—it was that she couldn't access the confident, articulate version of herself she knew so well.

Why does this happen?

The answer lies in our nervous system.

...

Can your career be bigger than your job title?

In this episode of Women Who Make It, Angela sits down with Tamanna Ramesh to explore what it means to build a career with intention. From immigrating to the United States with no professional network to building a successful corporate career at global food companies while creating a thriving coaching business, Tamanna shares how curiosity, consistency, and personal branding transformed her professional journey.

Together, they discuss why your employer can't fulfill every creative ambition, how to confidently build something outside of your day job, and why...

What does it take to grow from a manager to an executive leader while navigating industry disruption, organizational change, and the realities of being a working parent?

In this episode, Angela Dodd sits down with Lauren McNamara, Senior VP of Business Management at SunOpta, to discuss her journey from brand management and marketing roles to executive leadership. Lauren shares the pivotal career decision that changed everything, the lessons she's learned leading through acquisitions and organizational growth, and why cross-functional experience is one of the most valuable investments young professionals can make.

The conversation also explores...

What does “wellness” actually mean in today’s food and beverage industry — and how do brands build trust in a space full of trends, noise, and overhyped claims?

In this episode of Women Who Make It, Angela Dodd sits down with Lisa Govro, founder and CEO of Big Heart Tea Co., for an honest conversation about entrepreneurship, herbal healing, sustainability, and the evolving wellness movement.

Lisa shares how Big Heart Tea grew from a farmers market trailer into a nationally recognized brand, why ingredient sourcing and packaging transparency matter more than ever, and how wellness brands c...

Leadership today feels different — and harder. Expectations are higher, organizations are moving faster, and employees are looking for more than just direction and performance metrics. They want connection, growth, visibility, and a sense of belonging.

In this episode of Women Who Make It, Angela sits down with Roxanne Davis, SVP of Manufacturing at Post Consumer Brands, to discuss what it really takes to retain and develop talent in modern organizations. From building intentional mentorship and community programs to creating systems that improve internal visibility and career growth, Roxanne shares the leadership practices helping people thrive in fast-moving en...

Jennifer Jorgensen, CEO of Back to Nature Foods, shares how she went from leading billion-dollar brands at General Mills to becoming the sole employee tasked with turning around a legacy snack company.

In this episode, Jennifer breaks down what it really takes to rebuild a brand—from creating a high-performance culture and redefining strategy to taking bold creative risks that reignited growth. She also shares powerful insights on leadership, work-life boundaries, and why joy—not perfection—should be at the center of how we think about food.

If you’re navigating change, building a team, or tryin...

What does it take to disrupt an entire food category—and build a $100M+ brand while raising a family?

In this episode, Angela sits down with Loren Castle, Founder and CEO of Sweet Loren’s, to talk about turning a personal health crisis into a thriving business that’s reshaping the refrigerated baked goods aisle. From surviving cancer at 22 to teaching herself food science and launching in Whole Foods, Lauren shares the real story behind building a brand rooted in better ingredients and big ambition.

They dive into the early hustle, scaling challenges, leadership evolution, and ho...

What does innovation really look like inside legacy food brands?

In this live episode of Women Who Make It, host Angela Dodd sits down with Cherie Floyd, Vice President of R&D for Sweet Baked Snacks at JM Smucker, to explore innovation, leadership, and career growth in today’s fast-changing food industry.

Recorded at Baking Tech in Chicago, this candid conversation covers everything from defining innovation and managing risk to navigating clean label pressure, AI in R&D, and leading cross-functional teams in complex organizations. Cherie also shares hard-earned career lessons, including why failure is pa...

In this powerful and deeply honest episode of Women Who Make It, host Angela Dodd sits down with executive leader, advisor, and mentor Michele Fite for a conversation that challenges one of the most persistent myths women face: the idea of balance.

With more than 30 years of leadership experience across global enterprises and startups—including managing multi-billion-dollar businesses at DuPont—Michele shares the five rules she’s written for herself across different seasons of life. From navigating single motherhood while leading global teams to walking away from prestige to pursue purpose, Michele offers hard-earned wisdom on values, bounda...

In this episode of Women Who Make It, Angela Dodd sits down with Katie Holman, Vice President of Manufacturing & Engineering at General Mills, for a thoughtful conversation on leadership, complexity, and the future of the food system. Katie shares how her career evolved from manufacturing into global supply chain leadership, including lessons learned from leading large, cross-functional teams and spending three years running supply chain operations in Mumbai, India.

Together, they explore how supply chains are changing inside one of the world’s largest food companies — from applying AI in practical, people-centered ways to balancing long-term strategy with...

Fractional leadership is often misunderstood — and it’s quickly becoming one of the most powerful models shaping the future of work in food, beverage, and CPG.

In this episode of Women Who Make It, Angela sits down with Lynn Ducharme, a seasoned recruiter and industry insider, to unpack why senior women aren’t opting out of the workforce — they’re opting out of broken systems. Together, they explore what’s driving the rise of fractional executives, what companies are actually hiring for, and where both sides get it wrong.

Lynn shares candid insights on why execution ma...

In this episode of Women Who Make It, Angela sits down with Taylor Clarke, co-founder of Amborella Organics. Taylor shares how a simple idea inspired by gardening memories evolved into a seed-bearing lollipop brand rooted in sustainability, intention, and connection. In this episode, Taylor opens up about building a mission-driven food brand without a traditional business background, navigating the realities of scaling and retail partnerships, and making hard sustainability trade-offs along the way. She also reflects on how motherhood reshaped her leadership, why a successful business should be able to thrive without its founder, and how Amborella Organics continues...

In this episode of Women Who Make It, Angela shares the pivotal moment that revealed she had removed herself from her own story—and the mindset shift that changed everything about how she leads, communicates, and builds Females in Food. She breaks down the three-part blueprint that helped her step into her voice: changing your language, building rooms that can hold your ambition, and taking action before you feel ready. If you've ever felt unseen despite doing the work, this episode will give you the clarity and confidence to own your value and intentionally shape your narrative. Plus, Angela sh...

In this episode of Women Who Make It, Angela sits down with Julie Smolyansky, CEO of Lifeway, who became the youngest female CEO of a publicly traded company at just 27. Julie shares how she navigated grief while leading Lifeway Foods, transforming it into a global wellness brand rooted in authenticity and community.

She discusses embracing imperfection, trusting her instincts, and redefining leadership, as well as her advocacy work, documentary filmmaking, and co-founding Bird Beauty with her teenage daughters. This conversation is a candid and inspiring look at resilience, reinvention, and using business to drive meaningful change.

In this episode of Women Who Make It, Angela sits down with Danyel O’Connor, CEO of Umami, to explore what it truly means to lead with clarity, courage, and curiosity in today’s fast-changing food and beverage industry.

With over two decades of experience across CPG, investment, and innovation, Danyel shares how she’s built a career that bridges the gap between data-driven strategy and human-centered leadership. From navigating tough decisions and managing uncertainty to earning trust as a new leader, she offers actionable insights for women looking to accelerate their careers and lead with confidence.

D...

In this episode of Women Who Make It, Angela discusses the inaugural State of Women in the Food and Beverage Industry Report, highlighting key insights from a survey of about 250 women. The conversation uncovers the most pressing challenges women face across the industry—from leadership development gaps and work-life imbalance to company culture issues, gender bias, and harassment.

Angela is joined by Dorsey Standish, neuroscientist and mindfulness expert, to explore the physiological effects of burnout and share practical strategies for building resilience and fostering human connection. Together, they emphasize the urgent need for actionable change, allyship, and re...

Angela sits down with Jenna Sullivan, VP of Sales at So Good So You, a fast-growing functional beverage company. Jenna shares her journey from corporate sales to the startup world, offering candid insights into accountability, decision-making, and leading with authenticity.

She opens up about the challenges and rewards of balancing motherhood with a high-growth career, the pivotal choices that fueled the company’s success, and the importance of building trust and strong support systems. Jenna also reflects on how COVID-19 reshaped the business, the opportunities ahead for the functional beverage industry, and the power of women supporting wo...

Welcome to Women Who Make It, the podcast where real conversations happen with the women and allies shaping the food and beverage industry. Hosted by Angela Dodd, founder and CEO of Females in Food, this series dives into unfiltered stories, lessons learned, and the messy middle of leadership and career growth.

In this first episode, Angela shares the inspiration behind starting Females in Food, the impact of building a global community, and why empathy and connection are the future of leadership. Tune in to hear how women are redefining success, creating opportunities, and driving change across the...

Angela sits down with Amy Abouelenein, retired global innovation executive from General Mills, to reflect on her 36-year career shaping brands like Betty Crocker and Cheerios. Amy opens up about balancing motherhood with leadership, navigating company politics, and overcoming imposter syndrome while building high-performing teams. She also shares advice for women in the “messy middle” of their careers—reminding us that with support, boundaries, and confidence, it’s possible to grow both a career and a life that matters.

FULL SHOW NOTES

Tune in for new episodes every other Thursday...

Women Who Make It is the podcast where the real conversations in food and beverage happen. Hosted by Angela Dodd, founder & CEO of Females in Food, the show shares unfiltered stories, hard-won lessons, and leadership insights from the women shaping the future of the food industry.

After years of building a global community and connecting with thousands of women across every sector, Angela noticed something: the most powerful advice didn’t come from panels or press releases. It came from hallway chats and candid, behind-the-scenes moments. This podcast takes those private conversations public.

Wh...