Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Sarah Wilburn, Owner of Lost Buddy Spices, LLC., located in Boerne, TX, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Lost Buddy Spices is a family-owned company that specializes in creating small-batch, hand-crafted spice blends designed to enhance the flavor of the food you already cook. Our customers are moms, chefs, BBQ Masters (aka dads), hosts with the most... essentially anyone who enjoys cooking and wants to have the ease of choosing from two spice blends to make their food taste amazing!
Tell us about yourself
When I got the idea to launch Lost Buddy Spices, I was a new mom, running another company, looking for something new and exciting in my day-to-day life. I was on a run when it dawned on me... This recipe that we've had in our family for four generations, the one that we give out to friends and family when they ask for it, the one that we used as our wedding favor in 2010...
Why weren't we sharing it with more folks? Why couldn't everyone have access to this amazing spice blend that I've known about for my entire life? Why couldn't I be the one to make that happen?
My firstborn was six months old when we got Lost Buddy Spices off the ground, and he was my primary motivation for going forward with it. I want him, and now his younger brother, to look back and think, "Wow! Look what my mom did! " I want to leave them a legacy that their mom, a female in a male-dominated industry, could succeed and do great things in the face of adversity.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
My biggest accomplishment as a business owner is adding our most recent spice blend to the Lost Buddy line-up, our Garden Salt. It was a risk to bring in another partner and a new recipe, but it is a risk that pays off every single day when we get orders for Garden Salt from new and old customers alike. It gives me great hope for the following spice blends we can come up with!
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
One of the hardest things that come with being a business owner is the balance of work and motherhood. I want to be successful in both my mission—my job—and with my family, and for the first few years, it was undoubtedly a struggle to raise two young boys and run two small businesses. I am so lucky to have a great support system in my family and the Babes, Support Babes community. I have finally achieved a healthy balance that works for my business and family.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Ask for help! You would not believe the resources out there filled with information and guidance you can access if you ask for help.
- Find a supportive community! Look for other small business owners to bond with or established business owners to learn from. That group should also include friends and supporters to lift you and cheer you on.
- Research! Learn from others doing something similar to you, or see what others have tried and not succeeded in. Use your research to guide your next steps and goals.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://lostbuddyspices.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Lostbuddy/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lostbuddyspices/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-wilburn-b16565b0/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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