Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Alison Mountford, founder and CEO of Ends+Stems, located in Rumford, RI, USA.

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

I help busy families learn easier habits around mealtimes. I've been a chef for 20 years, and families constantly ask how to make dinnertime, snacks, and lunches easier. I teach online courses and workshops with cooking skills, eating habits, how to shop, and how to work with picky eaters. Ends+Stems is also a subscription-based meal planning app. Members will get a new menu with recipes each week; one-click generates a grocery list which you can simply shop and follow to cook. Planning out meals is time-consuming and exhausting for home cooks, but Ends+Stems will do it for you AND help reduce food waste.

Tell us about yourself

I began my career in San Francisco, where I was a personal chef and owned a catering company and also a prepared meal delivery service. I love helping people figure out how to enjoy mealtimes together, inspiring them to cook a bit more, teaching about reduced food waste and environmentalism in our home kitchens. I love what I do because it's so varied, and I get to work with real people, solving their real problems. Also, there's lots of good food around me all the time! I started cooking for fun because I like assembling things and crafting tangible products. Over the years, my business has grown and changed based on what my customers are asking for.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

On a grand scale, I once was able to have my headshot and business listed on the Nasdaq billboard in Times Square, NYC. That was incredible to see. But, less flashy and perhaps more real is the fact that I've been able to pivot, grow, and survive as a business owner for 20 years. I've sold a large variety of products and services (all aimed at helping busy people get dinner on the table), and I get to keep doing this every day. I'm really proud of that.

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

Staying motivated, focused, and taking action on your ideas day after day when often you're the only one in the room who cares as much as you do. All of the drive to succeed and keep going is in you alone, and that can be exhausting and confusing.

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

  1. Done is better than perfect. Don't wait until you have a perfect website or logo. Just get going, find someone to pay you for your work, and grow as you go.
  2. Do your best to map out a smart financial plan and stick to it, so you don't run out of money. This might mean using savings or just starting a side gig at first. Estimate what you need to live, run the businesses, and what you can sell. Adjust as you go.
  3. Get clear early on WHY you're doing this? Owning a small business can have perks, but it's hard and not for everyone. Make sure you know why you want to start a business because you'll have to rely on that "Why" often.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://endsandstems.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EndsandStems/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/endsandstems/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/endsandstems
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alisonmountford/

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.