Editor’s Note

Not Another Echo Chamber

JOANIE SPENCER Editor-in-Chief | joanie@avantfoodmedia.com Ahem … I’ve said this before, but I’ll say it again a little louder for the folks in the back: Relationships matter.

You can see this theme threaded throughout the issue. From a snack producer who got help from a competitor to fill an order before starting up the first line in her new plant, to a cannabis snacks entrepreneur paving the way for underfunded BIPOC businesses, to our featured bakery, which relied on rock-solid vendor relationships to complete a greenfield project in the face of the pandemic, relationships are moving the industry forward. We could even take a cue in relationship-building from the influencers infiltrating IBIE next month.

But these aren’t the only relationships I’m talking about. Businesses are built from the inside, so we have to nurture that network first. That means taking a moment to pay attention to — and learn from — everyone around us.

Could hierarchical thinking be a thing of the past?

Don’t panic ... hierarchy doesn’t have to be replaced with anarchy. But diversity of thought is the birthplace of innovation. Imagine inviting junior staff into a strategy meeting, asking an intern to look for a design flaw or talking about product packaging with someone from accounting. What if you spent a day being trained by a line operator on their job? Or chatted at IBIE with a competitor about how to solve a problem?

In the age of disruption, we’re all running on empty. But if we take a minute to listen to new voices, we just might be able to build a new culture … and not another echo chamber.