Great Herbs Make Great Tea - Sacred Blossom Farm

Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Anthony DiMaggio, Owner of Sacred Blossom Farm, located in Mondovi, WI, USA.

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

I have a farm that specializes in growing herbal teas. My teas are sold online and in about 120 grocery stores.

Tell us about yourself

I got a summer job (as a fluke) on a vegetable and berry farm when I was 21. I loved the work, so I kept coming back each summer for 6 years and ended up managing the place. I know the economics of farming all too well and really resisted becoming a career farmer. I spent years studying grocery store shelves, trying to figure out what I could produce better and cheaper than the entrenched competition, and that's how I came into the world of herbal teas.

I am motivated by knowing that what I spend my time and effort doing is good for my health, the health of the people that consume Sacred Blossom Farm herbal teas, and good for the health of the planet. I love the rural farm lifestyle. I like every aspect of the work, but my favorite part is collaborating with friends and neighbors on projects.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

For the first six years of my business, our primary goal each year was "don't go out of business." I started with zero money (and the number one cause of startup failure is not having enough money), so that was hard, but we did it and slowly built the knowledge and capital equipment needed to really succeed.

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

They say an entrepreneur is someone who works 80 hours a week to avoid a 40-hour-a-week job! Seasonally, my job might find me up a couple of times in the middle of the night to stoke the greenhouse stove - during that time of year, I can hardly leave the farm for 15 minutes!

Another hard thing is that you have to be exceptional at the core area of your business (for me, that's farming herbs), but I also have to be proficient at EVERYTHING. Marketing, accounting, tractor mechanics, building, electrical, equipment design, package design, HR, sales, and a million more activities - the variety is astounding, and it all needs to get done well.

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

1. Everything takes twice as much time and costs twice as much as you think it will.
2. Value your time. Make sure you are getting paid for your labor.
3. Look at other people who are doing similar things to what you want to do and evaluate if you want to be in their situation. They are probably smart, hard-working people too, and if it isn't working for them, ask yourself why you would do so much better.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.sacredblossomfarm.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SacredBlossomFarm
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sacredblossomfarm/

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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