About me

Hi, I'm Sam! I want to help you unlock the true potential of your food business & turn your dreams into reality.

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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

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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 mytime. 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)
  • Ran 120km in 24hrs on an athletics track (2024)

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

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One-on-One Coaching

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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.

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Small Business Big Marketing

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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.

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The Greatness Machine

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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 120km in 24 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...

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That Voice Podcast

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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.

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Effortless Swimming Podcast

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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.

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Sam Penny is a pioneering entrepreneur in the gourmet food industry, best known for founding Cheese Therapy, a company dedicated to delivering artisanal cheeses to doorsteps nationwide. With a passion for supporting small-scale cheese producers and providing cheese lovers with access to some of the world's finest cheeses, Sam has built Cheese Therapy on the principles of quality, community, and sustainability. Before embarking on his journey with Cheese Therapy, Sam garnered experience in various sectors, including business development, marketing, and the culinary arts. This diverse background has equipped him with a unique blend of skills that was crucial in shaping the success of Cheese Therapy. Under his leadership, the company not only thrived as a business but has also created a vibrant community of cheese enthusiasts, connecting people through the love of cheese.

Sam Penny takes on Australia Post at the highest level

CCheese Therapy founder Sam Penny says Australia Post’s “draconian” decision to stop delivering perishables as of June 30 will “kill off” small businesses in the nation.“It’s a direct attack on these small businesses,” he told Sky News host Alan Jones.“I just can’t believe that it’s happening.”

Some of the recent crazy things I've done

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Swam the English Channel

I've never been a long distance swimmer but wanted to see what the journey would be like.

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Swam an Ice Mile

Swimming a mile in 3.9deg water is CRAZY! This was a massive challenge that I set. It was scary.

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World Record 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...

Book a Free 20-Minute Consultation with Sam Penny

What our Artisan Businesses say

Sam was amazing. He shared in detail his set-up and gave clear implementable tactics.

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Gaelle, Dust&Glow

New Zealand

Sam was fantastic, very open about his business, what has worked and what hasn't and how to interrogate the numbers. Great assistance in terms of actually naming the programs and platforms that he has found to be the most beneficial.

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Helen, Federation Chocolate

Tasmania

Sam Penny, Down to earth and easy to understand with clear dialogue.

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Ian, Longbrew Nitro Coffee

Melbourne

Sam. I loved how honest he was to share his experience. And he has 'been there, done that' so his advice was very good and relevant.

Sarah Alg Seaweed

Sarah, Alg Seaweed

Victoria

Since the class with Sam, we've relooked at our eCommerce strategy and have made some major changes including database management and customer attraction and retention. Excellent Masterclass!

Shannon, MiteyCo

New Zealand