Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Janessa Bookout, Founder of Fifty Skies, located in Huntington Beach, CA, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
I provide premium quality eco-friendly single-serve coffee and tea systems with 100% compostable paper pods and compact energy-efficient brewers. My customers seem to fit every demographic as I ship across the United States to various people who love the convenience, quality, and sustainability of my Fifty Skies coffee and tea products.
Tell us about yourself
I have a long history of working in the service industry as a barista, server, and bartender. I had transitioned into full-time art gallery management and was working as an artist and partner in my surfboard company when the pandemic hit. That was when I was forced to pivot from my usual coffee shop habit in order to make coffee at home. That was when I found this line of products and decided to share them with others and built my online business to provide better options for affordable gourmet coffee and tea at home with a simple single-serve system and zero plastic waste.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
Building a loyal following in my local community was the first big step, and now I am happy to say I am shipping across the nation to people I have never met who find my products online.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
Being the boss and only main employee means managing the financial stresses that come up and doing all the daily work.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
Make sure you can do or at least understand every aspect of your business before hiring someone else to do it.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://fiftyskies.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fiftyskies
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fiftyskies/
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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