About me
Hi, I’m Sam! I want to help you unlock the true potential of your food business & turn your dreams into reality.
I have worked with hundreds of artisan producers to help them create a better business from their passion. Making something is such a special skill and when it is driven by passion, it needs the right guidance to unleash it into the business you deserve.
What drives me
Small business can give you greater freedom with the right guidance.
Meeting hundreds of artisan producers really inspires me as I hear their stories of why they do what they do. I love watching their faces light up when they discuss their journeys. Small business isn't easy, but with my help, we can build your business better and give you reminders of why you started in the first place. Let's make this journey rewarding.
A little more about me
You need to be remarkable to stand out from the crowd
I've always done things differently. My journey in small business has been rewarding, terrifying, exciting, punishing and worth every second. I worked my ass off to build my skill set to set up me for success, but to also give others access to what I know. I have built several businesses in my time. Some great, some not so. But damn I've learned a lot along the way. I have a Bachelor of Engineering (Civil), an MBA (Marketing, Finance & Entrepreneurship) and studied at MIT's Sloan School of Business. I ran Cheese Therapy (Australia's largest online artisan cheese retailer) and created Max+Tom (artisan cheese range). I have had a successful medical device company that had distribution through 1,500 pharmacies and had a chain of 7 hair salons (I know, random!). There's loads more on top of this.
In 2022 I had the privilege of delivering a TEDx talk about why people around the World should support small artisan producers.
Some of the other recent random things I have done:
- Swimming the English Channel (2018)
- The 6th Australian to swim an Ice Mile (2019)
- The first person in the World to attempt to swim the English Channel in Winter (2019)
I love trying new things and seeing what happens. My favourite saying is
"If you aint the lead dog, the scenery never changes"
I love working with people who have artisan businesses because they make our World a better place. I want to help you realise your true potential and help you build a better business for you.
Listen
Some podcast & interviews that I've done
One-on-One Coaching
In this episode of Add To Cart, we are joined by Sam Penny from Artisan’s Bend, a curated marketplace for artisan producers. He is also behind the great online cheese shop, Cheese Therapy. According to Sam, they are now the largest cheese retailer behind Woolies and Coles. This is Sam’s latest venture and just one of the many strings to his bow - he’s a former soldier, engineer, extreme swimmer and cheesemonger...oh and he used to own hair salons. Slowing down is now at the heart of Sam’s business and the unique food and drink available through Artisan’s Bend is the kind that takes its producers time to get right. In this chat, we talk all about Sam’s colourful past lives, discuss how the success of his other business, Cheese Therapy, led to a marketplace, why content creation is a huge part of the business and what it feels like to go where no man has ever gone before.
Small Business Big Marketing
Cheese Therapy founders Sam Penny and Helen Shadforth have single-handedly saved Australia’s artisan cheese making industry from going under following bushfires, drought, economic turmoil and now COVID-19. Host Tim Reid finds out how they did it.
The Greatness Machine
On today's episode of The Greatness Machine, Darius chats with Sam Penny, who with his wife operates Artisans Bend (Cheese Therapy), Australia's largest artisan cheese retailer. Sam is passionate about strategy, marketing, and the pursuit of the perfect cheese. In the sports world, Sam made the first attempt to swim the English Channel in Winter, has run 87km in 13 hours, and swam an Ice Mile in 3.9-degree celsius water. You'll discover what life looks like as a serial entrepreneur. You'll learn about Sam's passion for cheese and how he became the "Cheese Monger." You'll also discover what it was like to swim the English Channel... in Winter! Join Darius and Sam as they explore the tasty world of cheese, entrepreneurship, and how it feels to swim in essentially frozen water. Topics include: • Life as a serial entrepreneur • How and why Sam shifted from running a medical device company to the role of "Cheese Monger” • What it was like to be the 191st Australian to swim the English Channel • And other topics...
That Voice Podcast
If you're afraid to jump in the deep end when it comes to any type of speaking - this episode is for you. Hear from the first person in the WORLD to attempt to swim the English Channel in winter! Sam Penny is a hell of an inspiration and a shining example of why you should give it a go - whatever 'it' may be.
Effortless Swimming
Our guest for todays episode is Sam Penny who is the first person who attempted to swim the English in winter. In this episode, we talked about Sam’s training, strategy and his journey in crossing the English Channel.
The Antitoxin Podcast
Sam Penny describes himself as a middle-aged bloke who fell into something he’s world class at. After taking up swimming as rehabilitation for his back, he contemplated life and went searching for that “Everest” moment. That moment was meant to be his successful crossing of the English Channel in 2018. Left unsatisfied with its level of difficulty, Sam realised that in fact what he was searching for was to find what it would take to put him in the foetal position. Sam next big challenge is the 68km journey of a double-crossing swim of the English Channel. A feat that just twenty people in the world have ever accomplished.
Some of the recent crazy things I have done
Swimming the English Channel in 2018
I've never been a long distance swimmer but wanted to see what the journey would be like.
Swam an Ice Mile in 2019
Swimming a mile in 3.9deg water is CRAZY! This was a massive challenge that I set. It was scary.
English Channel Winter Attempt
I am the first person in the World to attempt to swim the English Channel in winter. Sometimes you just need to see what happens...
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