Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Melissa Finestone, founder, and owner of The Mulk Co., located in Vista, CA, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
The Mulk Co provides clean-label, clean-process, fresh almond milk in multiple flavors. Made from scratch in our own commercial kitchen, we sell locally at farmers markets throughout San Diego as well as online for home delivery. Our flavored mulks are delicious, so our customers include everyone from the kiddos to the nans, and of course, those who are lactose-intolerant, vegan, environmentally conscious, or living a healthy lifestyle. Which is why you will never find gums, homogenizers, emulsifiers, preservatives, or "natural flavors" in Mulk! We are clean all the way baby!
Tell us about yourself
What began as a love for dairy milk as a kiddo turned into a love for nut milks as a college student. Fueled by entrepreneurial dreams, I turned to the Farmers Markets of San Diego to test out my business plan that I'd just presented in a marketing class at CSU San Marcos. Originally, Mulk was sold as "Mulk + Cookies," but soon, the cookies were scrapped to make way for more flavors of Almond Mulk as I realized how many people were looking for a healthier beverage. Being able to connect as many people as possible to the benefits of consuming a natural product - that has a smaller footprint on the planet - is truly what motivates me.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
Coming up with the name "Mulk"! I struggled for months deciding on a name. I kept adding to the list and asked just about anybody and everybody's opinion. Eventually, one evening over dinner, my husband started teasing me about the way I said "milk" with my South African accent. He thought it was the funniest thing, and at that moment, it hit me; I was gonna call my company "Mulk," with a "u" cos that's how it sounds when I say it! Customers love the story, which makes the company name memorable, so I would say coming up with the name has been my biggest accomplishment since we all know how important that is.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
Work-life balance! Which has been most intense the last two years during these times when every business is trying to attract employees from the same small pool. Working long days, six days a week (and sometimes seven) without any end in sight with many interview no-shows, has been really hard.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
Ask yourself these top three questions:
- Are you passionate about your idea?
- Does your idea excite you enough to put in seriously long hours?
- Are you willing to take risks and learn from the ones that don't work out?
Is there anything else you'd like to share?
Come to our farmer's market booths to get mulked with Mulk shots! We have every flavor at our booth for the sampling!
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://themulkco.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/themulkco
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themulkco/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/themulkco
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-mulk-co/
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.
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