What does it take to lead Canada's largest distributor of natural and organic foods? In this episode of In Conversation with, host Bruce Cole speaks with Stacey Kravitz, President of UNFI Canada. Fresh off UNFI’s recognition as the CHFA Distributor of Distinction, Stacey reflects on her transition from a 20-year career at Kraft Heinz to guiding UNFI through a major corporate turnaround.

Stacey shares candid leadership lessons that every executive and entrepreneur can learn from. She discusses the career-changing power of accepting tough feedback, mastering active listening, and balancing global corporate strategy with local Canadian market needs. She also gives a behind-the-scenes look at how UNFI identifies high-potential emerging brands and prepares them for shelf distribution.

Whether you are a retailer, brand founder, or aspiring leader, this conversation offers actionable wisdom on navigating supply chain realities and driving business growth. Tune in to gain practical strategies from one of the natural food industry's top executives.

In this episode of “In Conversation With,” Bruce Cole sits down with Johnny Larocque, Director of Sales at St. Francis Herb Farm. Following CHFA Toronto, they reflect on the brand’s Brand Excellence Award win and the family roots, commitment to quality and dedicated team behind it.

Johnny Larocque shares his journey from Fortinos’ Nature’s Treasure department to roles at Renew Life, Health First Network and St. Francis Herb Farm. He's a Registered Holistic Nutritionist with experience on both sides of the shelf; he brings insight into retail relationships, grocery expansion and herbal manufacturing.

They also explore how independent retailers can stand out through community connections, practitioner partnerships and unique shopping experiences. From rising costs and emerging trends to the three-year development of Deep Immune gummies, the conversation offers a look at the industry’s challenges and opportunities.

In this episode of In Conversation With, host Bruce Cole sits down with Amanda Kenny, founder and Chief Merchandiser of Hive Retail Solutions, to explore what really happens after a product earns its place on the shelf. Drawing on her unconventional path from sales and brand brokerage to building a nationwide merchandising company, Amanda shares how she identified a critical gap in the industry: getting into retail is only the beginning. Staying on shelf, maintaining visibility and creating consistent product movement is where the real work begins.

Amanda breaks down the strategies behind successful store-level execution, from taking a “narrow and deep” approach to distribution to balancing high-impact promotional blitzes with ongoing continuity merchandising. She explains why details like shelf placement, visible price tags, planogram compliance, displays and regular store visits can have a major impact on how a product performs.

For emerging brands looking to scale, Amanda shares practical lessons that can prevent costly mistakes. From testing packaging on real retail shelves and understanding competitive pricing to getting buyer feedback before committing to large production runs, she explains why successful growth starts with strong fundamentals. The episode offers a behind-the-scenes look at the realities of retail and a clear reminder that long-term velocity is built through consistent execution, strong retailer relationships and attention to what is happening at the shelf.