Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Claudia Paganin Newlands, Founder of RioGood (RioBitz, LLC.), located in Bend, OR, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
We sell vegan and gluten-free Ch-easy Bread Mixes, which are based on traditional Brazilian cheese bread but better for your health and for the planet. We call our products Ch-easy because they are 100% dairy free and super easy to make.
Our customers are people who want to eat healthily and care about the environment. Did I tell you that we use compostable bags? Also, we cater to families with allergies, especially parents who are raising their kids dairy free and are always looking for a healthier and more accessible option. Food for all! That’s our motto.
Our product is a vegan, gluten-free, allergen-friendly alternative that gives you space for creativity in the kitchen. You can make it your own by adding a little shredded cheese, beans, or green chili – like some of our customers have shared – or you can bake them the quick and easy way: just mix them with water and oil.
Tell us about yourself
I am originally from Brazil, and I became vegan about 6 years ago. One of my favorite savory treats as a child was the Brazilian cheese bread, which is available just about everywhere. When the pandemic hit us, I spent a lot of time in the kitchen playing with the ingredients of the traditional recipe, wanting to come up with a vegan alternative. After a lot of trial and error, I woke up in the middle of the night with the idea of trying different variations and giving samples to friends and family, along with taste surveys. I kept fine-tuning the recipe until I had the perfect combination of plant-based ingredients, which took me about a year and a few months of experimenting. Today, my returning and new customers, especially moms, keep me motivated when they tell me how thankful they are for finding a product like ours.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
My biggest accomplishment is starting a business after 50. In a way, it’s an advantage to have the extra life experience, and also, your expectations are very different from when you are in your 20s. I am very proud that I came up with a product that is a healthy alternative and is sold in compostable bags instead of plastic. I love it when people get excited about our plant-based products and compostable bags.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
One thing that is very hard is the fact that you don’t have set hours to work. I am constantly thinking about or working on my company. I’m getting better, though, and I’ve been making myself go on walks and hikes with friends and talk about anything but work. But the hardest part of being a business owner is finding ways to make your company known. People slowly find you organically, but getting the word out about your products is constant and hard work.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Talk to other small business owners, smaller and bigger than you. There is always something to learn or share. Every business is different, but everyone goes through the same struggles in navigating a new environment.
- Take advantage of every opportunity. Some of them may seem unimportant, but you never know who you are going to meet or what door could be opened later on.
- Grow slowly. Mistakes are going to happen. It is easier to fix the mistakes when your company is growing and still small. You have time to fix them. I had a hard time with that, being a perfectionist. It is a big lesson to learn.
- Think about your successes more than your failures. We tend to focus on what didn’t happen or what we couldn’t get. Try to think about what you would do differently next time.
- Look how far you have come since you started your business. Every time you think about quitting, remember where you were when you first started. You would have given anything to be where you are today.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.riogood.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eatriogood
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eatriogood/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/claudia-paganin-newlands-147306227/
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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