Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Sam Rockwell, Co-Founder and CEO of Happi Foodi, located in Secaucus, NJ, USA.

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

Happi Foodi is a house of brands that makes chef-inspired eating convenient, with a variety of ready-to-heat meals, pizzas and veggie side dishes that deliver on our brand’s promise, “Indulgence Without Compromise.” The core value & mission of our company’s family of products is to support a health-forward lifestyle by offering accessibility to flavorful, convenient meal solutions at an affordable price for all.

Tell us about yourself

First and foremost, I’m an avid consumer. I love seeing what foods are causing a line down the block. I became an entrepreneur because I wanted to do something that allowed me to control my own destiny. I combined these two facets of my personality to co-found Happi Foodi – which allows me to do both. With a consumer-first mindset and a passion for bringing new things into the market, I am always out trying the newest hot food items and figuring out how to make them available to everyone.

One of our key goals at Happi Foodi is to answer the question, “how can we make an impact?” We strive to achieve this goal by creating delicious, value-add products that are part of everyday life.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

Taking the first step to get going is a huge accomplishment for any entrepreneur. For me, building authentic relationships across the industry, from suppliers to retailers to like-minded business owners, and learning from them along the way has been the most valuable. These relationships, paired with the confidence and persistence to take risks on opportunities that other people may not see, have led to some of our most successful pursuits.

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

Being a business owner is like being on a never-ending roller coaster. Every day you have to figure out how to leverage the momentum of the good while managing the challenges and risks you encounter daily. The good days are empowering, but it’s hard not to become stuck in the low moments, to be motivated to navigate out of them, and to manage a successful team along the way.

Currently, as a CPG company, we’re dealing with a very dynamic environment, which creates new challenges. It would be impossible to count the number of creative pivots we’ve had to make at Happi Foodi just to keep high-quality products on shelves. Getting comfortable in the uncomfortable and understanding that every challenge can turn into growth is one of many keys to success.

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

  1. It is easy to build a business on a spreadsheet… go out and make it happen.
  2. Power through the downs and run with the ups. Running a business is like being on that never ending roller coaster. There are ups and downs, and things move quickly. Just know that it's not all up, and with effort, passion, and belief, it’s not all down.
  3. Never ever give up. The easiest thing to do is to quit.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

Being a business owner is not easy… if it were easy, everyone would do it. The Happi Foodi story, and many business stories, are defined by progress and incremental forward movement. Remember that at times along the way, it might be five steps forward and four steps back, but that single step is one step closer to where you want to end up.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://happifoodi.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HappiFoodi/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/happifoodi/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/happifoodi/

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.

Turn your craft into recurring revenue with Subkit. Start your subscription offering in minutes and supercharge it with growth levers. Get early access here.