Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Kailey DeRubeis, Co-Founder and CEO of STAC(S), located in Toronto, ON, Canada.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
STAC(S) is a food and lifestyle company that is focused on creating positive change. Our current product line includes a pancake mix that is delicious and unique in design, look, and feel.
You can find us in independently owned and operated shops, mostly in the Greater Toronto Area. We cater to anyone who loves pancakes.
Tell us about yourself
I have two amazing business partners, and together we make a pretty unique team. Our backgrounds are in hospitality, marketing, and retail. The idea for STAC(S) really started with a love of pancakes and a desire to give back. It's meant to get people moving intentionally and thinking positively in the morning so that they start their day on the right foot. Our belief is that the best pancakes are made with love and patience, and if you approach much of what you do the same way, wonderful things can happen.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
A portion of our proceeds goes directly to community events and non-profits that support food, youth, and the arts. The fact that we've been able to give back to several non-profits in our city since we launched in February 2022 is one of our biggest accomplishments. It's why we started in the first place!
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
Anyone can own a business, but just because they can doesn't mean that they will. There are some people who just aren't cut out for entrepreneurship. It can be overwhelming to keep creating, never mind spending time, energy, and money on something that may not pay off for a long time. The courage to go through the journey doesn't mean you won't be uncomfortable, but you have to be comfortable with that very idea to keep going.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
I don't know that there are only three tips I can give. Once upon a time, entrepreneurship was reserved only for the most risk-taking and innovative minds. Now, more and more people realize that their ideas can become a reality even if it doesn't solve a specific problem. In our case, we weren’t trying to reinvent the wheel (or pancake, for that matter). We saw an opportunity to do something good with something really simple, and it’s this ethos we’ve carried with us. It only takes an idea to spark change.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.stacsoriginal.ca/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stacsoriginal
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stacsoriginal/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/stacsoriginal
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/stac-s-inc/
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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