Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Rebecca McDonald, founder, and CEO of Little Mighties, located in Glen Rock, NJ, USA.

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

Little Mighties’ mission is to make it easier for kids to get the nutrition they need every day while taking away the stress of food prep for parents. We sell a range of delicious, highly nutritious foods that are fast and easy to serve. They are designed to meet kids’ development needs and to make life a little less hectic for parents and caregivers.

Our customers are parents and caregivers who intimately understand the daily hustle with kids. They are trying their best to make sure their kids get the right nutrition every day, but they don’t always have the time to make it happen.

I founded Little Mighties on the idea that if you could serve your kids just one super nutritious food a day, you can feel better because you know they got at least something good in their tummy.

Tell us about yourself

My love of food came from my chef mom. Originally from England, I watched her build a business around her passion for food and the belief that things can always be made easier in the kitchen. Our lives revolved around food, and I inherited my passion from her.

After I had my twins in 2016, that passion for food was rekindled. I had an always-on job in advertising which I enjoyed and didn’t want to give up. But after the kids, I suddenly found myself doing some major life juggling. Even with our chaotic daily schedule, one of the things I refused to compromise on was food and nutrition for our kids.

While my babies were born at a pretty healthy birth weight for twins, they were still small. I was determined to help them grow healthily. Childhood nutrition became my passion. I didn’t like what I saw in stores; food that could sit on shelves for years just didn’t seem right. However, trying to juggle a full-time, busy job while preparing nutrition-dense, healthy foods (mostly at 10 pm at night) was also not sustainable. I realized that if even I, a passionate foodie, was getting fed up with food prep, then there had to be many other parents just like me. So, that began my journey to find alternatives that could work for parents like me.

What motivates me every day with Little Mighties is the fact that we live in a world where we have more access to good food and more knowledge about our health than ever before. Yet, we find ourselves short of time to do anything about it. My belief is that there has to be an easier way to get kids the nutrition they need, particularly in the early days of their development.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

I think taking the leap out of an almost 20-year career to do something on my own and something so different is my biggest accomplishment. Case in point is that it took me about four years to research and get qualified, hone and refine our recipes, and then feel confident enough actually to take the leap from first having the idea.

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

I enjoy learning but finding yourself in the situation where you are literally having to learn something new every day has been a challenge! On that same note, asking for help when you really can’t figure it out has been fun but also humbling.

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

If you have read any books about being an entrepreneur, these will all sound familiar, but now I am here and living it; they all ring so true for me.

  1. Make sure you are doing something you truly feel passionate about, with a mission you are fully behind... because there will be hard days when you feel like you are out in the wilderness. A strong purpose will help you survive the wilderness!
  2. Be open to feedback. You might not always like what you hear, but listen. The good news is that at the end of the day, you are running your own business, so you ultimately decide what to do with the feedback.
  3. If you are not naturally a risk-taker, quickly get used to the feeling of everything seeming like a risk.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

Nothing I read before starting Little Mighties really talked about patience. My biggest frustration, in the beginning, was how long everything seemed to take me. It does take time; try not to stress it!

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.littlemighties.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/littlemighties/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/little-mighties/

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.