Local Food Founders share their recipes for business success

A bunch of local entrepreneurs gathered at Crooked Creek for a GRO Greater “Entrepreneur-to-Entrepreneur (E2E)” panel event designed to help local business owners support other small business owners – and get supported themselves. The topic focused on local “Food Founders” for a discussion about “How They’re Creating Their Own Recipe To Success.” 

The speakers were: Dave Lauridsen, Crooked Creek Brewery; Hayley Starkey, Beyond the Forest; and Rebecca Thompson, Elemental Acres and Elemental Eats. 

All shared their backgrounds and path that led them to where they are today. Not surprising, each had childhood hustle stories that demonstrated entrepreneurial spirit from a young age. 

From paper routes, to marking up candy for selling on the playground, to lawn mowing services, each owner tapped their creativity and resourcefulness to fuel budding passions and interests — and income. 

This approach carried them into adulthood and throughout their careers, and has helped pave the way for the success and growth they’re experiencing today. Read on for key takeaways, from one entrepreneur to another.

Following your passion: Passion was a key theme throughout the conversation. For any new or seasoned entrepreneur, having passion for what you do and want to build is essential. (word? Essential? foundational?).

“You have to decide that your dream, your passion, your desires, your wants are more powerful than the discouragement, the anxiety, depression and exhaustion, the lack of money. But you have to let that passion and that dream fuel you every day,” said Thompson.

Comfort with risk and disappointment: Being an entrepreneur is not for the faint of heart. It is a grueling exercise but when following your passion and seeing the fruits of your labor, it makes the hard work worth it. 

Taking the leap to start any new business or try something new comes with risk and disappointment and sometimes those disappointments in the short term work out for the best in the long run. 

“In hindsight there was a reason why things happened the way they did or didn’t. All of those setbacks, you either quit and do something else, or become more determined and figure out how to problem solve, re-group, and push forward. I’m thankful for the set backs and never felt the need to force it,” said Lauridsen when discussing the many disappointments he experienced on his journey to building and continually expanding Crooked Creek Brewery that now includes a full menu/restaurant/food service.

Connect with experts: There is a lot to consider when starting a new business, no matter what the focus is. Each speaker encountered experiences in their careers where their passions and business visions led them outside of their comfort zones into unchartered territory. They all advised to reach out to experts and fellow business owners to help fill the knowledge gap.

Starkey commented she wished she’d connected first with an accountant who works specifically in structuring businesses. “There were certain tax codes and benefits I didn’t know about when I structured my business myself,” said Starkey

Lauridsen said, “I surround myself with people who are smarter than me. I didn’t know about selling beer or running a tap room. The team here is amazing and I never wanted to be a bartender.”

Thompson connected with people who had been there done that before she opened a wine shop. She took time to connect with local winery owners from diverse backgrounds that helped her make smart and strategic business decisions.

Staying Determined: Creating a business from just an idea takes consistent determination and commitment to push through the hard work, and inevitable disappointments and frustrations that come with being a business owner. There is a lot that can be within control, but also a lot that isn’t.

Thompson shared, “Mindset and manifestation is literally the lifeblood of your business. If you can’t get over the stones in your path and disappointments you’re going to wake up to, then you’re better off not starting because all those things are absolutely going to happen. You have to want it.”