Exploring Life & Business with Chennelle Diong of GoodLove Foods

Today we’d like to introduce you to Chennelle Diong

Hi Chennelle, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
GoodLove Foods is definitely the product of COVID. My background prior to founding GoodLove was in experiential event production and design, and COVID basically shut down the event industry. Unfortunately, my team was laid off. I took that time to reassess what I really wanted out of life and decided to go back to school to get my MBA. When I started classes the inspiration for a CPG brand really took hold. My husband, who is also my business partner and co-founder, has celiac disease. I’ve loved cooking and baking since I was a kid and have always found joy in making others happy through food. When I met Justin I actually didn’t know what “gluten-free” or celiac disease was! Mind you, this was in 2008 before the term “GF” became mainstream. I went out and bought the Gluten-Free for Dummies book and began experimenting with gluten-free ingredients, and took a deep dive into truly how impactful this disease is on folks, both physically and mentally. Fast forward a few years and surprise! I was diagnosed with the markers for celiac disease. It’s so funny because our situation is so random but people gasp when we tell them we’re both celiac. We get fun comments like, “What!? How’d that happen? Did you meet on a gluten-free dating site or something?”

It was because of our combined passion for creating safe and inclusive food that planted the seeds for a gluten-free company. After developing the brand and prototyping our first products, I also knew we needed to be part of a community within food and learn from other founders going through the same process we were. Shortly after launching we joined the Naturally Boulder group because it was highly recommended from basically everyone we had met in the industry. That network has helped us grow in so many ways, through networking and learning events, and through advising with CPG experts.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Ha! I would love to say this has been a smooth road but honestly, it’s the hardest thing I’ve ever done! And I should mention we—as a brand and company—wouldn’t be here without my partner. Our collective imaginations and quirky / crazy personality traits helped us create an instantly memorable and lovable brand. In addition, Justin’s background in quality engineering and manufacturing, combined with my experience in hospitality and production, has been our secret sauce. But no, it hasn’t been easy. As most CPG founders will tell you, especially those self-manufacturing like us, growth is the hardest. We have amazing customers and proven demand but it is hard to keep up. There have been times when I needed an expert opinion or just someone to throw ideas at, and was able to tap into my network at Naturally Boulder. All that said, we are still grinding every day because we love what we do and believe in our mission.

Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
At GoodLove, our mission is to create an inclusive foodie experience and to destigmatize what it means to be “GF” by providing celiac-safe products that are ‘Unbelievably Gluten-Free’ and delicious enough for all!

GoodLove Foods specializes in gluten-free frozen ready-to-bake nostalgic faves like buttermilk biscuits, cinnamon rolls with icing, puff pastry and pizza crust. All of our products are manufactured in our 100% gluten-free facility and we are also free from nuts, eggs, soy, oats, seeds, and in some of our newer products, dairy as well.

What sets us apart and where we really shine is that as a woman and minority-owned food manufacturer, our driving force has always been inclusivity. Not only do we prioritize safety, but we’re actively creating a food-positive community through our products. We also take on the hardest products to make into “GF” versions because we know that these are what our customers want! They want the cinnamon rolls, they want the biscuits and puff pastry, but they also want quality and unmatched flavor and texture. They get the full experience with GoodLove products.

At GoodLove, I’m most proud of how we attract our customers with our fun and cheeky branding, and with our nostalgic faves that are rarely, if ever, seen as gluten-free. As a brand we seek to INSPIRE, WOW & MOTIVATE our customers through relatable and honest messaging.

I want readers to know that at GoodLove, our goal is to bring the joy and love back into the kitchen and beyond. Families, partners, friends, co-workers, we all want to share in life’s simplest pleasures, i.e. eating! Food is at the heart of every culture and we, as a collective, crave connection and creating memories centered around what and how we eat. GoodLove is here to be that connection.

Have you learned any interesting or important lessons due to the Covid-19 Crisis?
COVID taught me a few hard lessons but ultimately fueled the fire I needed to start my own path. My partner and I are doing this for our customers as much as we are doing it for ourselves. No one else is going to create your legacy for us.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://goodlovefoods.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/goodlovefoods/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GoodLoveFoods
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chennellediong
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCN_b55cCeCwLU6wRAKXFdWg

Image Credits
Courtesy of Annika Sisac