entrepreneurship advice: be different!

co-founder sarah gives some off-the-cuff entrepreneurial advice for budding foodtrepreneurs. 

there’s a lot of crowded categories these days. how many energy bars, granolas, and popcorns can the market bear? but oftentimes even when we think a category is mature, along comes a new entrant that shakes things up and steals the show. what all these success stories have in common is that they’re differentiated.

one of the most important steps of vetting your idea is comparing it to the competition and making sure you can clearly state not only what is different about your product, but why that’s better. first you need to make sure you identify all the competition. if it’s a natural food product that means scouring the shelves of whole foods, doing google searches and exploring on-line marketplaces such as amazon and abe’s market, and hitting the local farmer’s markets. 

then you need to identify factors that are or could be important to consumers when they’re making their decision: is it price, taste, grams of protein? maybe your product introduces a completely new attribute that consumers never considered as part of their decision-making set. for example, your product is portable and no one else’s is. then make a chart that shows how you stack up against all the competition.

the one or two areas in which you stand out from the crowd are the ticket to your success. they are what you can use to easily communicate to grocery buyers and to consumers why they should be interested in your product. it’s a critical part of your elevator pitch. and they give you the confidence that you’ve got a good idea that’s worth pursuing.

- sarah

little helpers

co-founder sarah gives us a personal take of what it means to run a food company and have two little kids.

when i drop my kids off at school or take a trip i always explain that “mommy is going to sell keenwah.” but i was so excited recently to be able to share with them what this really means.

we piled in the car and went to one of the manufacturing sites where we make i heart keenwah. they saw the raw materials and learned how the quinoa seeds get transformed into yummy, crunchy squares of goodness.  they saw the whole production process: the rolling, the cutting, and the chocolate drizzling (yum!).

a few days later i took my oldest son to the warehouse. he saw the keenwah boxes piled high, and learned how we prepare orders for customers. my favorite part was when he was excited to help: he counted the bags going into boxes, and helped me tape each one closed. of course the highlight for him was watching the forklift drive by and taking a ride on a pallet jack.

i was so proud to be able to share what i do with my children in such a direct, tangible way. i love that now they understand more about how food makes it to the grocery shelf and to our tables. one of my favorite parts of being a mother is providing my children with experiences. this helps them understand the world around them, but it also helps me to appreciate everyday things much more.  i see things through their eyes for the first time all over again.

- sarah

our bff's: simpalo snacks

in our semi-regular series, we highlight some cool food start-ups that we have enjoyed meeting. this post is on our pals at simpalo snacks, a denver-based company that provides healthy snacks to offices. 

how did simpalo snacks get started?

it all started when both of us were in elementary school. we noticed that our classmates hated the snacks at our school. seeing the need for tasty treats at school, we would bring a briefcase full of snacks to sell every day. jason would take the briefcase in the morning, while jordan would take it in the afternoon. it was always a competition to see who could sell more. we were ecstatic about selling something our classmates loved.

after graduating from college, we both went to work for large companies. these companies purchased snacks for their employees to enjoy; however, they were unhealthy snacks, chips, cookies, candy, etc. we wanted healthier options that provided sustainable energy and nutritional value. the process for them to provide these healthier options was difficult and time-consuming compared to the unhealthy options.

that’s when we knew there was an opportunity to provide healthier snacks without the hassle. we left our positions at these companies to set out and build simpalo snacks. our goal was (and still is) to provide healthier snack options with the same convenience and deliciousness. with simpalo snacks anyone can easily find tasty, healthy snacks and have them delivered right to their door.

what’s been your biggest challenge so far and how are you overcoming it?

right now we have been focusing our sales effort on businesses. we have seen a positive response from companies that want to provide their employees with a nice perk, increase productivity, and boost morale. one of our biggest challenges with selling to businesses is reaching out to the decision maker in the office.

every company is a little different when it comes to the person responsible for ordering snacks. we have worked with ceos, hr directors, office managers, and a variety of other roles that have the final say about snacks in the office.

to overcome this, we use carefully crafted emails, persistence, and creativity to find the decision makers. once in contact with the right person, we work with them to customize a snack program to fit their needs.  

video: scion motivatour: chicago - kickstarter, threadless, rockit ranch productions and IHK!

ermahgerd! sarah was featured in a scion commercial! the plot: she drives around the city of chicago and sees if fellow-chicagoan entrepreneurs (the founders of kickstarter, threadless and rockit ranch productions) can offer any advice on propelling i heart keenwah to the next level. i won't give away what happens at the end... but it's exciting and involves a contest! we're so honored!

sarah's thoughts on growth in 2015

the new year always makes me stop and reflect about the passage of time. it often leads to melancholy: another year behind us, one less ahead. but this year i’m exceptionally excited about 2015: i believe it will be a year of exceptional growth for i heart keenwah.

in 2015 we want as many people as possible to fall in love with our healthy snacks. we’re in lots of stores now (over 3,000!), so we need to let people know we’re there. we’ll be doing events, sampling the product, doing pr, and generally spreading the word. we want to grow awareness of our snacks, but also of quinoa itself. it’s a remarkable ingredient that lots of people are just beginning to understand.

this year we’re also expanding our product line. we’re very excited to be launching quinoa puffs! the flavors are phenomenal and the product’s great. but we have a lot of work ahead of us. we have to get the product on shelves, just like we did with our quinoa clusters. that means a lot of persistence, meetings, and samplings. we’re up for the challenge.

so here’s to 2015 - let’s grow this thing together! - sarah