I can’t put all on my experiences as a small business owner into an article but I will list the most important lessons I have learned as an entrepreneur that can hopefully help those of you who are trying to start a business and be ‘successful.’ As you read some of these reflections you may say to yourself, “Oh, yeah, I knew that.” And that’s great. I’m not pretending to be the voice of any new secrets to success or anything you haven’t heard of before. This is just my personal experience and lessons learned. While many of us entrepreneurs face similar experiences on our journeys, we can also say the same for how different some of our journeys are in building our businesses.
My name is Emily D. Edwards, Founder and CEO of Emily’s Foods, currently the only US company with a sweet plant based product, Paradise Icing™ in the dessert category.
Our mission is to make good plant based snacks and dips that make you feel less guilty about enjoying sweets. We want to partake in and eventually become a leader of the healthy dips and snacks revolution. We believe in fueling ourselves with real, nutritious icings, dips and snacks to get the most out of life. Beyond our individual health, we also understand the importance of a healthy planet and do our best to incorporate sustainability into everything we do. The idea for Paradise came to fruition when I decided I needed a topping for the protein muffins I was eating, and my icings/dips soon began to catch on among friends and family. The name Paradise was chosen because in the beginning everything was natural without additives and preservatives. For added convenience, Paradise Icing™ is shelf stable, has versatility, allergen free and contains plant protein. I have many stories I could share but that’s not what I’m here to write. I have started many businesses…I couldn’t name them all. SOMETIMES, FAILURE WILL TEACH YOU MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE. In this article, I will focus on the three things I live by as the Founder of Emily’s Foods and developer of our product, Paradise Icing™ and what every entrepreneur will need to be successful.
1. Do What You Love – Love What You Do Cliche, right? It’s true. This may be THE cardinal rule of true success. For one, it should never feel like ‘work.’ I can’t remember the last time I woke up and said, “I don’t want to ‘work’ today.” I’m addicted to what I do. While some may call it being a ‘workaholic’, then I think if those people enjoyed what they do as much as I enjoy building my business, they would better understand.
2. You Don’t Know Everything While you may start to build a business and it actually begins to work, don’t think that you’ve become a superstar and Mr. know it all (or Mrs.) Some may say I’m a stubborn person, and maybe I am…I have a strong mindset about how I feel about certain things and how they should be done. But guess what? I’m not Ms. know it all. I don’t have all the answers my business needs. Feedback is crucial to building a business, which leads to my next lesson.
3. Build a Good Team Around You If you think one person builds a company, you’re wrong…oh boy are you wrong. A company is built by a team of people.
If you want to build a good strong organization, then you need strong players. Think of your company as a sports team. Who wins? Those who have the best players that PLAY AS A TEAM. While that team needs a game plan to win, they are the people that will execute, and depending on who you have on your team, the outcome of the execution will be determined.
Here at Emily’s Foods, we pride ourselves on finding unique, accessible, and creative ways to provide consumers with healthy, nutritious plant based icings, dips and snacks. Our customers feedback is priceless, and we love incorporating their thoughts and feelings into every product. While convenience tops the list of decision-making factors for customers, so does making healthy choices. Products that cater to health-conscious or allergy-prone shoppers have topped the shelves for years now, but it’s time to make room for the next generation of this audience. With trending diets like Keto and Paleo, consumers are searching for easy, on-the-go snacks and dips that align with these food preferences. Research shows the health and wellness industry totals $3.2 trillion, and it’s befriending CPG brands, bringing in a health boom that is shaping how consumers, especially Millennials, shop.
More than ever before, consumers are studying packaging before making their purchase decisions. Claims like premium ingredients, no additives, plant proteins and less preservatives are capturing the attention of consumers and differentiating products. Research shows that 57% of consumers want additional health benefits beyond nutrition; 57% want snacks and dips that contain vitamins and minerals; 37% look for probiotics and plant proteins and 60% want all day fuel. Top sought-out nutritional benefits include cancer prevention, lower heart disease and weight loss. Plant Proteins can help with a healthy lifestyle, lower cholesterol and weight management. Additionally, with changing consumer preferences due to a variety factors from increasing obesity and related diseases that are forcing consumers to be more health-conscious. There are many arguments about the best diet for nutritional purposes. There seems to be an overall consensus in the health and wellness communities that diets emphasizing fresh, whole ingredients and minimizing processed foods are superior for overall wellness. The whole-foods, plant-based diet does just that. It focuses on minimally processed foods, specifically plants, and is effective at stimulating weight loss and improving health. To learn more about Emily’s Foods and Emily D. Edwards visit https://www.paradisesnax.com
Emily Edwards
Emily’s Foods
[email protected]
