Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Alexandra McEntire, founder of Chin Up Donuts, located in Scottsdale, AZ, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

Chin Up Donuts is a specialty donut and coffee shop located in Scottsdale, AZ. We make all of our donuts from scratch and create a brioche-style donut that has a rich, buttery consistency. Our donuts are different than your typical donut, with eccentric flavors like the Everything Bagel donut and Sriracha Cinnamon Sugar - we love pushing the boundaries of what's normally found on a donut. All of our coffee is roasted in-house on a zero-emissions, all-electric roaster. We create craft coffee drinks like our honey lavender latte, or house-made salted caramel latte, but we also have amazing cold brew and espresso for those who like to keep it classic.

Tell us about yourself

I was working in the corporate world and started playing around in the kitchen as an outlet from my desk job. I taught myself how to make donuts and loved getting creative with the flavors and bringing them into work to see what my coworkers and friends thought. Turns out people loved them, and using my background in marketing and branding, I designed a logo and built a website, and started my donut side-hustle. I eventually quit my full-time job to pursue donuts and opened my brick + mortar shop in November of 2020.

I love spreading joy and positivity through food - making someone's day with a donut and coffee is an amazing feeling. I love creating a positive place for people to come, to escape the everyday and feel surrounded by joy; being able to make people's day a little brighter keeps me motivated.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

Having people come in and feel the love and positivity of what I've created, to have them tell me they feel better when they come into the shop, and the amazing donuts and coffee keep them coming back - there's no better feeling. I'm continually inspired by my customers and my awesome team, and I feel accomplished in having created such a great product and such a happy place.

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

Every day can be so different, and having to manage every aspect of the business has been extremely challenging. I am a one-woman show and therefore am responsible for everything that happens behind the scenes to keep this business running. I do all of our payrolls, run my social media, create projections and forecasting for the weeks ahead, order ingredients, design merch, create new donut flavors, and so much more - it's a lot. I have learned so many things I never thought I would, and I love wearing all the different hats, knowing down the road I'll be able to delegate some of these tasks as the business grows.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

  1. Just start. That can be the hardest thing to do; it can feel overwhelming trying to start your own business. Want to start a food concept? Start making product and handing it out to family and friends. Trying to launch a graphic design business? Design logos and websites for some local small businesses and share your designs online and start offering your services to others. Sometimes the most difficult thing can be deciding where to start, but just taking that first step can help create momentum to continue taking action.
  2. Entrepreneurship is a rollercoaster; stay buckled in. What I mean by that is there will be a TON of ups and downs as you create and grow a business; you'll need to be prepared to just roll with it. One day I could feel like a failure and want to quit, and the next, I'm selling out within hours and ready to build an empire - but the constant is moving forward. I take it day by day and try to enjoy the wins and roll with the lows.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

Do it. If you're contemplating starting something, go for it. Maybe don't email your boss right now and quit your current job, but take the steps to build your own business, and if you keep at it, you'll know when the time is right to go full-time. Imagine your life in 5 or 10 years and work today to get to the place you want to be down the road. The world is our oyster, and I truly believe we can do whatever we put our minds to and put in the work to accomplish. I wouldn't rather be anywhere else than where I'm at right now in life, and that's a pretty amazing feeling.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.chinupdonuts.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChinUpDonuts/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chinupdonuts/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-mcentire-190a2920/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

Feel inspired to start, run or grow your own subscription business? Check out subkit.com and learn how you can turn "one day" into day one.