Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Katy Flannery & Gwen Burlingame, Founders of Beckon Ice Cream, located in Boston, MA, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Beckon Ice Cream is calling people back to REAL ice cream that is unbelievably delicious and surprisingly lactose-free. Founded (and led by women!) on the belief that no one should have to miss out on premium ice cream, we created the first-ever clean label premium lactose-free dairy ice cream on the market. With fresh milk and cream, no gums, no corn syrup, and no artificial stabilizers, Beckon adds the lactase enzyme to bring the good life back to the 25% of Americans who are lactose intolerant. Now everyone can enjoy the creamy, drool-worthy treats they grew up loving without the aftermath, one scoop at a time.
Tell us about yourself
Katy: I grew up loving ice cream. It was something that my family always shared together, but when I was in high school, I became lactose intolerant and couldn’t enjoy the treat I loved. Before starting Beckon, I was an RN in the Pediatric ICU at Boston Children’s hospital. My nursing education helped me understand what lactose intolerance is, what my body was missing, and how lactose-free foods could help solve this problem. I was able to leverage what I learned in chemistry, anatomy, and physiology classes to help create Beckon’s patented process.
Gwen: I have always been a foodie, a huge ice cream lover, and interested in entrepreneurship. When Katy first approached me with the idea of starting Beckon Ice Cream, I was working in marketing for a beauty company. Our shared passions provided that extra push and (wo)man power to get the idea off the ground.
Like most start-ups, our everyday tasks vary and can fall far beyond what we predict. Whether that’s pulling all-nighters at the plant to pack ice cream, hand-delivering ice cream for marketing campaigns, or trying to learn Tik Tok dances (all of which have happened multiple times), we never know what the day will bring us! Not only are we on a mission to bring back REAL ice cream to all, but we also want to inspire women and girls that when they see an obstacle or issue, to feel empowered to try to change it or create a solution.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
Most recently, we have been so excited to bring our newest creation to the ice cream aisle, our snack cups! This concept started as an idea that has caused us to step out of the box and think about our product in a completely different way. We had to re-imagine our equipment and the structure of our production timeline in order to bring this idea that we loved to reality. After overcoming these challenges that come with a new stage of growth, we were able to accomplish what we set out to do, which was to bring these fun lactose-free ice cream cups with tasty toppings to our Beckon customers.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
Being a women-owned business comes with its own unique set of challenges, especially when it comes to raising capital. When it comes to female-founded companies, less than 2% of those businesses even make it to $1 million in revenue, and this is a problem that has not changed in the last 25 years. These challenges have inspired us to work even harder as a team to bring Beckon to our customers. One of the important parts of owning a women-owned business for us is having the responsibility of not only wanting to succeed for ourselves but also wanting to succeed in order to set the stage for other women in the industry.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Don’t be afraid to ask for advice - it is always important to surround yourself with intelligent people who can help teach you things in business. Sometimes all you need is someone in your corner who can help you see something from another perspective.
- Take the time to learn the different strengths of your team members - every person has something different that they do well that will make the team succeed, so harness those strengths!
- Celebrate successes of any size - there will always be times when you have to overcome challenges in business; it is important to celebrate both the bigger and smaller wins.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://beckonicecream.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/beckonicecream/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beckonicecream/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/beckonicecream
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/beckonicecream/
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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