Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Dina Dicenso, Co-Founder of RIND, located in Brooklyn, NY, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
RIND is a highly innovative vegan cheese company that makes cheeses that are nearly indistinguishable from dairy versions. We create vegan cheeses for anyone who loves cheese.
Tell us about yourself
I always loved fine-aged cheeses, but those just didn't exist in the market, so I started playing around with them at home. A mutual friend brought some of my cheese to my co-founder, Joshua Katcher, who also recognized the market gap.
We decided to fill that gap. The vegan cheese industry is still in its early stages, so the excitement of contributing to its growth and shifting consumers to healthier, cruelty-free options without sacrificing their cheese experience is what keeps us going.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
RIND has received several accolades and a ton of high-profile recognition in a very short amount of time for our cheeses. Especially since we're an extremely small team—we've never had more than four people at the company at any given time—we operate at a level that makes it seem like we have at least ten employees.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
The hardest part of being a business owner is that when you leave work at the end of the day, the workday doesn't really end. The business also changes how you view the world around you. Everything you see, read, and experience is suddenly viewed through the lens of the business and how that information might be beneficial to the company's growth and strategy.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
The most important question to answer honestly do you have a passion for the product or service you want to turn into a business. The business will be with you constantly and consume a lot of time and energy, so if it's not something you feel strongly about, it will be an albatross.
The second important question to ask yourself is how much of your time and current lifestyle you are willing to dedicate to your new venture. If the thought of potentially giving up vacations and free time seems unrealistic, the time might not be right to start a business.
And finally, even the most well-thought-out plans can be foiled by the universe, so the ability to identify issues and adapt very quickly is crucial.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.rind.nyc/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rind.vegan.cheese
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rind.cheese/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/rindcheese
LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/dinadicenso/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/rind/
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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