Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Peter Rushford, founder, and CEO of Shār Snacks, located in Austin, TX, USA.

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

Shār (say it like care, fair, dare. oh, and bear) is a 3 1/2-year-old earth-first, innovative premium snack company passionate about supporting active lifestyles with healthy ethical snacking. Our impossibly good trail mix showcases nine incredible ingredients responsibly sourced from small family farms. There are no preservatives, stabilizers, or sweeteners of any kind, just clean organic ingredients grown the way nature intended. The Good Food Foundation has recognized us by naming shār an Award Finalist in 2021 and Winner in 2022. Equally important,  shār shows love for our planet by moving away from single-use-headed-for-the-landfill plastic packaging.

Named a 2021 Outdoor Industry Design & Innovation Award Finalist, the reusable, recyclable, and biodegradable shār tube is the first snack in a plastic-free refillable format. Refill your tube with the 11 oz or 2.5 lb compostable bags - it's called sustainable snacking. Eat. Refill. Repeat.

Tell us about yourself

In 2013, I wanted to change up my fitness routine from just running all the time. I chose CrossFit & Yoga. At the same time, I started a paleo diet and found myself constantly hungry. I needed a go-to snack I could graze on all day. That was an easy one because growing up in Vermont and as a former professional skier, trail mix had always been a snack I preferred. The problem was the versions I found in stores either weren't healthy or didn't taste good, so I started mixing my own.

Before creating shār, I spent the past 37 years working in the outdoor industry, helping young startups like TEVA, MERRELL, and UGG grow from thousands to millions and millions to billions in sales. I had a ringside seat and played an integral role in helping those young startups become great brands by being the best in their respective categories.

I leveraged this experience as I set out on a mission to create the world's best recipe for trail mix. It was time for someone to disrupt this snack category. I spent three years perfecting it, creating an orchestra of flavors and texture profiles. After 900 hours and 52 iterations, I landed on nine incredible ingredients. But it also had to be healthy, so I spent another year hunting down the best of each ingredient, responsibly sourced from small organic family farms, ending up with this truly unique recipe. There are no preservatives, stabilizers, or sweeteners of any kind – just clean organic ingredients grown the way nature intended.

What began as mixing batches in an antique wooden salad bowl on my kitchen counter quickly led to scaling production in our Austin, TX Headquarters. Shār has caught the attention of buyers from the country's best retailers, including REI, Erewhon Market, and Whole Foods. One of the things that drew these amazing companies to shār is their shared passion and commitment to sustainability and conservation.

We're an earth-first company. With a mission to help the planet by moving away from single-use-headed-for-the-landfill packaging, we are proud to introduce our shār-tube. Plastic-free and made from paper, it's recyclable and biodegradable. More importantly, it's the first snack in a refillable format. I've been using mine for over one year.  Buy our 11 oz or 2.5lb bulk bags for easy refilling. It's what we call "sustainable snacking." Eat. Refill. Repeat. Shār has a passion and commitment to the outdoors, pledging 20% of our annual net profits to The Conservation Alliance, is a member of 1% for the Planet, and is Climate Neutral Certified.

Finally, what's in a name? It took four years and 1,200 names to find shār. Our #1 message is connection. Shāring is caring. It is the most fundamental way all 7.7 billion humans on our planet connect. We plan to shār our healthy, delicious, and ethical snacks with the world. #ShārtheEarth

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

  1. Climate Neutral Certification.
  2. Landing REI, Whole Foods, and Erewhon.
  3. Finding high-quality and passionate team members.

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

Finding and retaining quality staff.

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

  1. Your idea needs to be first, best, or different.
  2. Be prepared for a long, hard journey. It will take a lot longer than you think it will.
  3. The number one rule of business is 'stay in business.'

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

I'm having more fun doing this than anything I've ever done!

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://sharsnacks.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sharsnacks/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shar.snacks/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/shar_snacks
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sharsnacks/

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.