The Fearless Foodie Podcast

Redundancy, restructuring and uncertainty have become familiar conversations across food manufacturing and retail. Behind every organisational change are real people trying to navigate what comes next, often while questioning their confidence, identity and sense of purpose.

In this episode, I'm joined by Dahlia Stroud, commercial consultant and host of the Stressed But Well Dressed podcast, to explore what happens when work changes and how we can find stability during uncertain times.

One of the strongest themes throughout our conversation is identity. Many of us spend years building careers, relationships and routines around work, so when that suddenly changes, it can feel like we've lost more than just a job.

Dahlia shares why getting dressed became an important daily ritual during periods of uncertainty. It's not about fashion or appearances. It's about taking a few minutes to reconnect with yourself and create a sense of control when everything else feels unpredictable.

We also explore how different clothes often represent different versions of ourselves. Our work wardrobe, our home clothes and what we choose to wear during periods of transition can all influence how we feel and how we show up each day.

Another important part of the conversation is the BANI framework, which describes today's world as Brittle, Anxious, Non-linear and Incomprehensible. It's a useful reminder that many of the challenges we're facing aren't personal failings. They're a reflection of the complexity of the environments we're working in.

Throughout the episode we discuss practical ways to rebuild confidence during career transitions, including creating small daily routines, letting go of clothes or habits that no longer serve you, remembering that purpose doesn't have to come from work alone, giving yourself permission to pause and make decisions at your own pace, and building confidence through networking and new experiences.

This conversation is a reminder that confidence isn't something you either have or you don't. It's something we build through small, consistent actions, especially during the moments when life feels most uncertain.

Timestamps

00:00 – Why confidence and identity matter during uncertain times

01:00 – Meeting Dahlia Stroud and her commercial career

02:24 – The meaning behind Stressed But Well Dressed

05:35 – Redundancy and the loss of professional identity

07:18 – How clothing influences confidence and mindset

09:05 – Understanding the BANI framework

11:57 – Small daily habits that help during difficult times

15:03 – Workplace expectations and confidence

16:41 – Creating a wardrobe that works for you

20:25 – Rebuilding confidence after redundancy

24:06 – Finding purpose during career transition

30:46 – Practical advice when facing redundancy

33:54 – Consultancy, networking and what's next

Connect with The Fearless Foodies

The Fearless Foodie Newsletter straight to your inbox. No fluff, no spam.

https://foodies.fearlessfoodies.co.uk/podcast

Connect with me here:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/amywilkinsoncoach/

Useful Links & Support

If this episode resonated, especially around confidence, resilience and navigating career change, here are a few places to continue the conversation.

Connect with Dahlia Stroud

LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/dahliastroud/

Stressed But Well Dressed Podcast

https://dahliastroud.com/podcast/

Work with Fearless Foodies

Leadership development and team support tailored to food manufacturing and retail environments.

https://fearlessfoodies.co.uk

A Big Thank You to Our Sponsors

IFP Labs

Specialist laboratory services supporting food businesses with fast, reliable testing and technical expertise.

https://www.ifp-labs.com/

Welcome to Season 4 of The Fearless Foodie.

I wanted to start this season with a topic that comes up time and time again when I'm working with leaders across food manufacturing and retail.

"Be more strategic."

It's one of the most common pieces of feedback people receive as they progress in their careers, yet it's rarely explained in a way that's practical or useful.

In this episode, I explore what strategic leadership actually means and why so many people find the transition difficult. Across food manufacturing and retail, I see talented managers promoted because they're brilliant at delivering results, only to discover that leading strategically requires a completely different set of skills.

With businesses asking teams to do more with less, it's easy to become trapped in firefighting mode. The constant pressure to solve today's problems leaves little space to think about tomorrow's opportunities, making it difficult to step back and see the bigger picture.

I introduce the four pillars of Fearless Strategic Leadership, a framework I've developed alongside Donna Ward-Higgs to help leaders build practical strategic capability.

See Wider

Understand the wider system you operate in, not just your own area of responsibility. Look beyond immediate problems to recognise patterns, relationships and opportunities.

Think Deeper

Create space to make sense of complexity, ask better questions, and focus on what really matters rather than reacting to every urgent request.

Stand Firmer

Have the confidence to back your judgement, communicate priorities clearly, and hold your ground when difficult decisions need to be made.

Bring People on Board

Create clarity, build trust, and help others understand where you're heading so they can make decisions without relying on you for every answer.

Throughout the episode, I also explore why self-awareness sits at the centre of strategic leadership. Understanding your own habits, behaviours, and reactions under pressure makes it much easier to recognise when you've slipped back into firefighting mode and when it's time to step back.

Rather than trying to change everything at once, I encourage you to think about which of the four pillars feels strongest today and which one could benefit from a little more attention.

Strategic leadership is not about having all the answers. It's about creating enough space to think clearly, make better decisions, and help others do the same.

Timestamps

00:00 – Why "be more strategic" is such frustrating feedback

02:26 – Why so many leaders get stuck in the weeds

03:47 – The difference between busyness and strategic thinking

06:15 – The four pillars of Fearless Strategic Leadership

10:47 – Moving from doing the work to leading the work

11:19 – Practical questions to strengthen each pillar

13:41 – Why self-awareness underpins strategic leadership

15:07 – Finding your next area for development

16:04 – A preview of what's coming in Season 4

Connect with The Fearless Foodies

The Fearless Foodie Newsletter straight to your inbox. No fluff, no spam.

Subscribe at:

https://foodies.fearlessfoodies.co.uk/podcast

Connect with me here:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/amywilkinsoncoach/

Useful Links & Support

If this episode resonated, especially around leadership development and building strategic capability, here are a few places to continue the conversation.

Fearless Strategic Leadership

Learn more about the Fearless Strategic Leadership framework and how it helps leaders develop practical strategic thinking. 

Work with Fearless Foodie

Leadership development and team support tailored to food manufacturing and retail environments.

https://fearlessfoodies.co.uk

A Big Thank You to Our Sponsors

IFP Labs

Specialist laboratory services supporting food businesses with fast, reliable testing and technical expertise.

https://www.ifp-labs.com/

Welcome to Bethan’s Bite-Sized Bulletin - your quick-fire briefing on what’s happening across the food and drink industry. In under five minutes, journalist and Food Manufacture editor Bethan Grylls shares the latest headlines, trends and developments to keep you in the know.

Explore more industry news at foodmanufacture.co.uk

Links and Resources:

Website Link: https://fearlessfoodies.co.uk

FB Link: https://www.facebook.com/thefearlessfoodiepod

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/thefearlessfoodiepod

You can follow us here on Instagram: @thefearlessfoodiepod

Find Amy on Instagram or LinkedIn for further support with industry coaching and facilitation.

IFP Labs sponsors the Fearless Foodie Podcast https://www.ifp-labs.com/en/index.php

You would never run a production line without maintaining it. Yet many businesses are expecting people to operate at full capacity without the support, recovery, or development they need.

In this episode, I share what I am hearing from leaders and teams across food manufacturing and retail. Regardless of company size, sector, or role, the same themes keep appearing. People are tired. Teams are stretched. Leaders are being asked to deliver more with less.

We explore the wider challenges facing the industry, from rising costs and restructuring programmes to ongoing talent shortages and declining business confidence.

One of the biggest concerns is the impact these pressures are having on people. Burnout is increasing. Development budgets are being reduced. Teams are losing experienced colleagues while remaining employees absorb additional responsibilities.

I also discuss the hidden costs of short-term decision-making. Overpaying people to stay while under-investing in their development may solve an immediate problem, but it does little to build long-term engagement or capability.

There is a particular focus on what happens when people become stuck in survival mode. Creativity drops. Innovation slows. Confidence decreases. The energy needed to improve and move forward gets replaced by the need to simply get through the day.

We also look at the challenges facing the next generation entering the industry. If new talent sees stressed teams, limited development opportunities, and constant pressure, it becomes harder to attract and retain the people the industry needs.

Most importantly, this episode focuses on what leaders can do, even when budgets are tight.

Supporting people does not always require expensive wellbeing programmes or large-scale initiatives. Honest conversations, regular check-ins, appreciation, development opportunities, and simply acknowledging the reality people are facing can make a significant difference.

The external pressures may not be going away any time soon. But how leaders show up for their teams remains one of the most important choices they can make.

Timestamps

00:00 – Why people need maintenance just like production lines

00:40 – What leaders and teams are really saying right now

02:14 – Falling business confidence and growing cost pressures

04:14 – Mergers, acquisitions, and the human impact of restructuring

06:29 – Overpaying, under-developing, and the trapped talent challenge

08:16 – Why younger talent is leaving the industry

09:27 – The reality of stress and burnout in food manufacturing

10:52 – When food jobs become spreadsheet jobs

13:01 – Frozen budgets, paused projects, and industry-wide impact

13:55 – Survivors’ guilt and life after restructuring

15:34 – The commercial cost of burnout and knowledge loss

17:07 – How survival mode damages innovation and growth

19:34 – Why honesty matters more than corporate wellbeing initiatives

21:15 – Preventative maintenance for people, not just equipment

22:11 – Practical ways to support teams without additional budget

23:48 – Final reflections on leading through difficult times

Connect with The Fearless Foodies

The Fearless Foodie Newsletter straight to your inbox. No fluff, no spam.

Subscribe at:

https://foodies.fearlessfoodies.co.uk/podcast

Connect with me here:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/amywilkinsoncoach/

Useful Links & Support

If this episode resonated, especially around resilience, leadership, and supporting people through change, here are a few places to continue the conversation.

Work with Fearless Foodie

Leadership development, resilience workshops, and team support tailored to food manufacturing and retail environments.

https://fearlessfoodies.co.uk

A Big Thank You to Our Sponsors

IFP Labs

Specialist laboratory services supporting food businesses with fast, reliable testing and technical expertise.

https://www.ifp-labs.com/

The phrase "talent shortage" gets used a lot in food manufacturing and retail. But is there really a shortage of talent, or are we simply overlooking people who do not fit traditional expectations?

In this conversation, I’m joined by Rich Howell, founder of Marvel FMCG, to explore some of the biggest challenges facing recruitment in the food industry today.

We discuss the biases that continue to influence hiring decisions. Age, career gaps, industry background, and assumptions about what a successful career should look like can all prevent businesses from accessing exceptional people.

A major theme throughout the episode is the idea of the squiggly career. Many of the most capable people have taken sideways moves, stepped back for personal reasons, changed industries, or followed paths that do not fit a neat progression.

Rather than seeing these experiences as weaknesses, we discuss why they often build resilience, adaptability, and broader perspectives that businesses desperately need.

The conversation also looks at flexibility and how expectations around work have changed. Candidates are increasingly looking for roles that fit around their lives, while businesses continue to wrestle with how to attract and retain talent in a competitive market.

We explore Marvel FMCG’s approach to recruitment, including anonymised CVs and focusing on skills and potential rather than assumptions or labels.

There is also a strong message for hiring managers. The candidate experience matters. Small acts of communication, respect, and transparency can make a significant difference to how people experience your business and whether they choose to join it.

Ultimately, this episode is a challenge to rethink what talent really looks like and to recognise that some of the best people may not have the most obvious CVs.

Timestamps

00:00 – Is there really a talent shortage in the food industry?

02:43 – Building Marvel FMCG and becoming a force for good in recruitment

05:39 – Giving back through purpose-led recruitment

07:19 – Why the talent pool may be bigger than we think

09:48 – Looking beyond category experience and taking chances on people

13:31 – The reality of bias in recruitment, including ageism

16:31 – Career gaps, overqualified candidates, and flexible roles

19:50 – Is workplace flexibility moving forwards or backwards?

22:14 – Managing a five-generation workforce

27:11 – The candidate experience and where businesses get it wrong

29:00 – Why treating candidates like humans matters

34:27 – The strength of squiggly careers

35:46 – Building a more human approach to recruitment

Connect with The Fearless Foodies

The Fearless Foodie Newsletter straight to your inbox. No fluff, no spam.

Subscribe at:

https://foodies.fearlessfoodies.co.uk/podcast

Connect with me here:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/amywilkinsoncoach/

Useful Links & Support

If this episode resonated, especially around recruitment, career development, and attracting great people into the food industry, here are a few places to continue the conversation.

Connect with Rich Howell

Follow Rich for insights on recruitment, talent attraction, leadership, and building people-first cultures in the food and FMCG sectors.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/rich-howell-fmcg-recruiter/

Marvel FMCG

Learn more about Marvel FMCG and their people-first approach to recruitment in the food and FMCG sectors.

https://marvelfmcg.co.uk/

Work with Fearless Foodies

Leadership development and team support tailored to food manufacturing and retail environments.

https://fearlessfoodies.co.uk

A Big Thank You to Our Sponsors

IFP Labs

Specialist laboratory services supporting food businesses with fast, reliable testing and technical expertise.

https://www.ifp-labs.com/