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

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

Foraged & Found manufactures delicious pantry staples from wild-foraged ingredients from our remote Alaskan island home. We are currently focused on utilizing aquatic plants such as bull kelp and sea asparagus, creating salsas, sauces, and pickles from these nutrient-packed superfoods. We are a women-owned business in a rural community focused on revolutionizing our food systems into sustainable agricultural practices and diversifying rural economies. All while making delicious snacks the whole family can enjoy! Our customers care about whole-body health and supporting causes they care about with their purchasing dollars -- but don't want to skimp on flavor.

Tell us about yourself

I started Foraged & Found on accident -- During an extended sabbatical from my career in corporate marketing, I moved to Alaska to be a chef on yachts that cruised the Inside Passage. I became intimately acquainted with the wildlife and the wild food that was found all over the oceans and forests in this beautiful area. I started playing around with these ingredients as a hobby -- I ultimately wanted to find a way to share these flavors with my family out of state in a way that wouldn't scare them off. I soon had a glut of jars of sauces, pickles, jams, and syrups. I decided to sell these at the Blueberry Festival's annual maker's fair in Ketchikan. The product's response was so positive that I realized I might be onto something beyond a fun hobby. My marketing brain kicked in, and after some market research, business planning, financial modeling, and compliance training, I had a company concept that was ready for the marketplace!

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

Providing opportunities for my community and loved ones. I fell in love with Ketchikan after my first summer in Alaska. I never thought once about returning to my corporate career after that. The people who make up the community are so welcoming, warm, and supportive. I wanted to find a way to give back to this wonderful group of people using whatever talents and skills I had. Though we are still growing, I have been able to bring jobs in varying capacities to the community. We have pulled together an incredible team of talent that makes me so proud. I have been able to provide opportunities to other friends and family in a way that supports their goals and dreams and also helps grow the business. It's so gratifying to be the leader of an organization that helps others use their natural talents and gifts to full capacity, knowing that we're doing something also to make the world a better place.

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

Needing to be the one who makes the tough calls. It's not always hugs and smiles as a business grows, and sometimes difficult decisions have to be made. And ultimately, it's on me to make those decisions. I've had to learn to be the one to hold people accountable and to be the one who enforces consequences when expectations aren't met. I'm grateful for the experience and training my years in the corporate workforce gave me to navigate some of these situations, but they are much more intensely personal and emotional when you are working on a cause and with people who are so close to your heart.

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

  1. Learn how to take a punch -- there are going to be a lot of obstacles that come your way, and if giving up is an option, you probably won't make it.
  2. Surround yourself with the right people -- vet the people you bring into your inner circle. Make sure they are aligned with you and your vision and inspire you to be better. A great mentor can change everything.
  3. Trust your intuition -- You will be scared, you will be afraid you will fail, and you will have to do things that don't always make sense on paper. But when you KNOW what you need to do, don't talk yourself out of it. Your gut always knows.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

Eat kelp -- it's delicious, and it just might save the planet!

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 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.