Women Who WOW event gift bags are — in fact– TRULY legendary. But our most recent event in New York City? Even our FOOD sponsors brought the WOW factor. ReadyPac delivered lunch in a cooler.. complete with BISTRO salads that I’ve bought many times since, mostly from Target. Moon Cheese, Boss Foods and Larissa’s Kitchen brought in THE MOST delicious and nutritious snacks that kept us fueled all day long. The BEST cookie I’d ever put in my mouth came from The Allergy Chef. Every bite was heavenly… dough-y, almost, which I love. And because we were SO well fed at the event itself, our guests were able to take home the INCREDIBLE slaw from Slawsa as well as the meal-making spice from Gnarly Pepper, both of which my family raved over.
The food they brought in was amazing, some of the best I’ve ever tasted… BUT, the stories behind these companies… even MORE compelling. Here’re are few words of wisdom from our WOW-worthy food sponsors. Visit them. TRY their food. You will NOT go back to “food as usual..” not at home, not at events.
Moon Cheese provides #ketofriendly #snacking options. Their VP of sales and marketing had the following to say about their success: “The biggest thing I’ve learned is to be passionate about your product and be responsive to the trends in the industry, and when required, adapting your product or messaging accordingly.”
Find Moon Cheese here: mooncheese.com
Instagram – @mooncheesesnacks
facebook – @mooncheesesnacks
twitter – @mooncheesesnack
“My inspiration was simple, I wanted to make it easier for people to eat healthy,” said Lorissa Link, founder of Lorissa’s Kitchen. “We all live very full lives, juggling careers and our families, and it’s important to have healthy snack options to sustain us through the day. When my husband and I started having children, I began paying closer attention to food labels and noticed the unnecessary ingredients being added to shelf stable products. I knew that we could craft better recipes, which is why Lorissa’s Kitchen is dedicated to offering delicious, protein-rich snacks using high-quality meats that support everyone’s full life.”
“Through this journey, I’ve learned that it’s important to stay true to who you are,” said Lorissa. “We started Lorissa’s Kitchen on several key principles that dictate every decision we makeabout the meats that we source, the ingredients we use, and the recipes we innovate. This means starting with only the highest-quality meats to make delicious protein snacks that don’t compromise on nutrition or taste.”
Instagram + Twitter: @LorissasKitchen
The biggest lesson that they have learned so far is that even when people NEED your product, they’re still average consumers. The laws of marketing, PR, etc. all still apply.
Their Instagram handle is @theallergychef, but I honestly believe they should buy “BEST COOKIE EVER.com” because that is EXACTLY what they sell.
Julie Busha, The Founder of Slawsa, actually worked in sports marketing for over a decade (having built the agency of a champion athlete) but her job required 20+ weekends on the road. That was not very conducive to a balanced family life. Given that Julie had such a passion for food, she felt there was a void in the grocery industry for her healthier and cabbage-based relish with heat undertones, which is DELICIOUS… even if you — like me — didn’t think you LOVED “slaw.”
Julie Says,”Slawsa is really so different from anything else, but deliciously so. I really took a huge leap of faith by leaving a very secure industry to invest my life’s savings into the new business, with no guarantees. I started the business with a passion for food, and while the journey is not always easy, the voices of our customers helps me keep those sleeves rolled up. Greatness does not come without sacrifice.”
Julie Busha says, “I’ve definitely learned some hard lessons along the way as there are many opportunists in business that may not be directed by a moral/ethical compass. As someone who likes to see the glass half full, that can be a dangerous outlook to have. Spotting the opportunists early and making marketing decisions driven primarily by ROI parameters have been my biggest lessons learned. In an insanely tough industry as grocery where the major manufacturers dominate, start-ups have a very high attrition rate. Our industry is based off of volumes, not margins, so you learn to have to be very focused with every marketing dollar you have.” Find them on Social: Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube, Instagram: @slawsa
Sara Gotch of Gnarly Pepper sat and watched her grandma make chicken salad and seeing the amount of mayonnaise and sugar added, she wondered instantly; “WHAT IF? What if we could create a healthier alternative for this mayo based sandwich that many people assume to be healthy…and yet — it’s really not!” Aside from the chicken salad, Sara began to swift through her families recipes, looking into her favorite condiments, and noticed how many times mayo, cream cheese and sour cream are called upon for a base. She had developed a love for plain Greek yogurt and with it being the HEALTHIER option, she dabbled with formulations to make the plain Greek yogurt mimic Mayonnaise. After doing so, she added the Onion and Veggie Dips to the retail line. FREE THE GUILT when using Gnarly Pepper, the healthier option for your traditional dips and condiments.
The biggest lesson Sara Gotch has learned is that — if you’re waiting, you’re losing. (Sounds like a Women Who WOW member, yes???) Sara Says, “Many times I have put my trust in those that know the food business or have a contact for me. With high hopes I had waited in the past for the email or phone call — which is just WASTED TIME. Some of these contacts have helped, don’t get me wrong — but more often than not, the flame dies and you’re left in wonder. I have learned NEVER stop, don’t pause and SELL SELL SELL.”
SARAH, have you been reading our Women Who WOW posts? SELL SELL SELL… YES! YES! YES! Sara continues, “Be yourself! Those who do help you, either love you or your product — there is no guessing and wondering in that type of relationship.”
Find @gnarlypepper on nearly every social media platform and try some for yourself. Buy here: https://www.gnarlypepper.com/shop
