Skip to Content
Share:

In this episode of Fresh Take with IDDBA (Test Kitchen), host Kat Shanahan (VP, Marketing & Membership, IDDBA) sits down with Steve Asp (Meat & Seafood Category Manager, Lunds & Byerly’s) and Ellen Coatney (Education Coordinator, IDDBA) to unpack how leadership development translates into better communication, stronger teams, and real results on the job.

Steve and Ellen share what they experienced in the IDDBA Leadership Certificate Program, including hands-on exercises that sharpen negotiation skills and build confidence in everyday leadership moments. From the “gas station game” to practical lessons about defining “fair,” they explain why it’s okay to ask for more, and how preparation and mindset shape outcomes.

They also dig into two big leadership essentials: how to foster innovation through collaborative idea-building, and how to influence without direct authority by tailoring your message to what motivates the person across the table. Along the way, they connect these skills to a broader workforce challenge in fresh: developing people in a way that supports growth, engagement, and retention.

The conversation wraps with a look ahead at upcoming leadership development opportunities through IDDBA and why investing in your people can pay off for both the individual and the organization.

To learn more about IDDBA and becoming a member, head here: https://www.iddba.org/membership/join-iddba/membership

Want to learn more about the IDDBA Leadership Certificate program and other educational and professional development resources? Head here: https://www.iddba.org/education

Speaker Bios

Kat Shanahan

VP of Marketing & Membership

Kat-Shanahan

Ellen Coatney

Education Coordinator

Steve Asp

Lunds & Byerly

Meat & Seafood Category Manager

Steve Asp

Other Podcasts

55-s5e17-Leadership Habits to Cultivate

Leadership Habits to Cultivate

Jody Barrick, Kat Shanahan

Test Kitchen

What habits help leaders continue to grow throughout their careers?

In this Test Kitchen episode of Fresh Take with IDDBA, Kat Shanahan welcomes back Jody Barrick, Founder of Perimeter Partners, fresh industry executive, and IDDBA chair, for a conversation about the leadership habits that have shaped her more than 40 years across retail, wholesale, manufacturing, and executive leadership.

Influence, Trust, and the Skills of Modern Leadership

Suzanne Sherry, Kat Shanahan

Test Kitchen

In this Test Kitchen episode of Fresh Take with IDDBA, Kat Shanahan talks with Suzanne Sherry, Principal of Talentlabs2, about how modern leaders can build trust, gain buy-in, communicate through chaos, and influence people without relying solely on authority.

54-s5e16-People Before Products Suzanne Fanning on Trust, Marketing, and Leadership

People Before Products: Suzanne Fanning on Trust, Marketing, and Leadership

Kat Shanahan, Suzanne Fanning

Executive Aisle

What happens when you stop asking consumers to notice products and start helping them notice the people behind them?

In this Executive Aisle episode of Fresh Take with IDDBA, Kat Shanahan talks with Suzanne Fanning, Chief Marketing Officer at Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin and incoming IDDBA Chairperson of the Board, about authentic storytelling, practical innovation, and the opportunities ahead for the dairy, deli, and bakery community.

53-s5e15-Helping Shoppers Say Yes to Premium Products

Helping Shoppers Say Yes to Premium Products

Kat Shanahan, Mike Sadler

What’s in Store

In this What's in Store episode of Fresh Take with IDDBA, Kat Shanahan talks with Michael Sadler of Forever Cheese about how retailers can help shoppers understand and choose premium specialty products.

Building on his 2026 What's in Store Live session, "Premium for the People: Top Shelf on Every Shelf," Michael explains why premium products cannot win by competing like commodities. He shares how clear storytelling, intentional packaging, occasion-based merchandising, and product education can reduce hesitation and make value easier for shoppers to understand.

The conversation also explores how retailers can build demand beyond the holidays, communicate product stories in lower-labor departments, create champions at the store level, and review displays through the eyes of someone encountering the category for the first time.

All Podcasts