Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Liza Atkinson, CEO of Nosh and Gather, located in Minneapolis, MN, USA.

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

I am the CEO of Nosh and Gather, a local catering company that also offers a weekly meal subscription featuring seasonal, from-scratch meals that can be reheated easily to get dinner on the table fast.

Tell us about yourself

Food is my love language. I have always been into food and entertainment. I believe that nourishing people and building community over a shared table is important and powerful. I launched Nosh and Gather in early March 2020. The business looks really different than my initial concept due to COVID. But I am really proud of how we have been able to bend and shift to be flexible during these ever-changing times. I am motivated by my clients, who often tell me how having the ability to get a good, home-cooked dinner on the table quickly a few nights a week makes such a difference in their families.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

My biggest accomplishment is opening and running a successful and growing new business during a global pandemic. This is all I know. I have only been a business owner during this time. I do look forward to more normal and boring days ahead =)

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

One of the hardest things as a business owner is the need to wear so many hats. On any given day, you have to play so many roles. It's often hard to focus on a few big things on my to-do list when so many little questions come up that also need my attention.

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

  1. When starting a business, you just need to leap and do it and trust that you will figure it out. You can research all the things you might need to know all day long, but nothing will prepare you; you just have to start, or you never will.
  2. Surround yourself with a community of other business owners. I belong to a Business Women's Circle with fellow entrepreneurs, all in different industries. Those women are my sounding board and have been essential to my success. Being a business owner is hard, and you need a group that can help you navigate everything you don't know as well as being the biggest cheerleaders.
  3. Lastly, no one will ever care about your business as much as you do. That is just a fact. You are 100% all-in and will do whatever it takes to make it successful. But no one else on your team will care as much. That can feel lonely at times, but it is important to recognize it at the beginning.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

Continue to support women-owned, small businesses. It has been a very hard couple of years, and the hardships are continuing with inflation, gas prices, and challenging expectations regarding hourly wages for our employees. But small business is so essential to the longevity of a thriving community. Think about shopping small and local as much as you can, it truly makes a difference, and we do all actually do a little dance when you make a purchase.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.noshandgather.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/noshandgather/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/noshandgather/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/nosh-gather/

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.