Delicious Treats for Your Kitchen!

Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Chelsea Goucher, COO of Foraged & Found, LLC, located in Ketchikan, AK, USA.

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

Foraged & Found creates sauces, salsas, and pickles from hand-harvested wild Alaskan ingredients like bullwhip kelp and sea asparagus. Our customers are foodies that value sustainability, support local foods, and don't mind a bit of help with throwing together quick dinners!

Tell us about yourself

I am a born and raised Alaskan who absolutely loves getting outdoors to camp, fish, hike, and of course, forage! My business partner, Jenn Brown, founded Foraged & Found in 2018. I joined her at the end of 2019 because I was tired of corporate life and felt called to give entrepreneurism a try! Each day I am motivated by the thought of educating consumers about sustainable, alternative food sources that can help reshape our food system.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

My biggest accomplishment as a business owner is hearing from our foodie fans about how they used our products at family functions, large gatherings, or as gifts for birthdays or holidays. We love how much people love to eat our tasty kelp creations!

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

One of the greatest challenges of being a business owner is balancing the business' needs with personal needs. Running a business can be time-consuming and doesn't pay much (at least in the beginning). This means a lot of hustling is required, which can be taxing.

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

The top tips I'd give someone looking to get into entrepreneurship are:

Be prepared to be in it for the long haul--nothing is an overnight success!
Do A LOT of market research. What may be wildly popular locally or with tourists may not necessarily take off right away in the "mainstream."
Have fun, be willing to change gears, and be flexible. Things will NOT go according to plan, but remember that YOU have control over your reactions to the unexpected!

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://foragednfound.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ForagedNFound
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/foragednfoundak/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/foragedandfound/

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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