Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Emily Kim, co-founder of The Pastry Project, located in Seattle, WA, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
The Pastry Project is a social enterprise that provides a free baking and pastry job skills program to individuals with barriers to opportunity. We fund this program by selling pastry products, like take & bake cookie dough, soft serve during the Summer, pastry kits to bake at home, and more!
Tell us about yourself
We (the co-founders) met while working for an ice cream company in Seattle. I was the social impact Director and worked with nonprofits to try to offer entry-level jobs to people in the community. Heather was the Head Chef, and together they found it hard to offer pastry kitchen jobs to people with more experience. There were no entry-level pastry jobs, so they created a free training program to bridge this opportunity gap!
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
Our biggest accomplishment has been opening our brick-and-mortar kitchen, which has become a true community kitchen in Seattle. We not only host our student program here, we teach public classes and host a pastry residency program! We also have a free pastry cookbook and equipment library that people can borrow from!
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
One of the hardest things that come with being a business owner is really trying to figure out what to lean into and what to let go of as you grow the company. It's also really hard when it's just us co-founders trying to figure out the right time to hire employees and for what jobs.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
The top three tips we'd give people starting and growing a business today. Have a mission and values that you live and grow by. Work with someone that has a complementary skill to yours, and that can fill in the gaps you may be missing. Try everything and then narrow it down to the things that not only work but that make you the most happy and proud. We also love the saying done is better than perfect.
Is there anything else you'd like to share?
We hope that we can be encouraging to businesses as a social enterprise model. We think that giving back and doing good in our community is the most important thing. The fact that we can own a business and be nimble and creative in our revenue streams to fund everything is amazing!
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.thepastryproject.co/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thepastryproject_/
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.