How To Not F*** Your Business and How To Un-F*** It If You Did
William Madden has worked in the food industry for the past 20 years. He specializes in big-picture operations and supply chain management, and contract negotiation between food companies and contract manufacturers. He is currently Senior Partner in Whole Brain Consulting.
William Madden has helped everything from start-ups to multimillion-dollar businesses find perfect-match contract manufacturers, setting them up for long term success. He is also the author of ‘Separating the Con Man From the Co Man – A Guide to Contract Manufacturing’
Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:
The story of a college cotton candy bet that launched William into food industry entrepreneurship
How he forged vital relationships with alternative market insiders
How he began work at Nestle
The meaning behind his often-used phrase, FITFO
Why you can never be too busy to walk the floor
The necessity of building relationships on the floor
What common mistakes are made in co manufacturing arrangements
How to ensure quality product even in a facility you don’t own
What his mentor John George taught him
In this episode….
William Madden has worked in the food industry for the past 20 years and is author of a book called ‘Separating the Con Man From the Co Man - A Guide to Contract Manufacturing’ but his start in the food industry came about in college because of a $20 cotton candy bet made with his roommates. From those auspicious beginnings, he became a young million-dollar business owner who made and lost his company all by the age of 21.
After cotton candy, he moved on to Nestle and ran their alternative markets for the US. From there he gathered a wealth of operational knowledge all from various businesses where he held high-level positions but always forged relationships with the folks on the operational line. He understands how to leverage attitude and experience and apply it to hard work and smart decision making, using the knowledge of the people making the product to get things working right.
In this episode of What CEOs Talk About, host Martin Hunter and William Madden explore the “cotton candy king’s” storied resume and what valuable and practical insights William gained at every step of the way. He remained true to himself - personable and honest - and always willing to roll up his sleeves, walk the floor, and learn fast. They discuss how to treat the people in operations, the most common mistakes William encounters in industry, and the importance of always doing a line trial.
Resources mentioned in this episode:
Contact email: info@urgeo.com
‘Separating the Con Man From the Co Man – A Guide to Contract Manufacturing’ by William Madden
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