Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Sasha Earle, Chief Administrative Officer of Tomato Bliss, located in Galien, MI, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Tomato Bliss is revolutionizing the American tomato industry with a rainbow medley of delicious heirloom tomatoes in every jar. Our internationally-inspired and locally-made soups and roasted tomatoes deliver consumers a choice beyond industrially-grown tomatoes and summertime flavor all year round.
Tell us about yourself
We love heirloom tomatoes! Their natural sweetness, umami flavor, and their rainbow of colors deliver taste and nutrient diversity that can't be beaten. We started Tomato Bliss because we couldn't find a single item in the grocery store that included heirloom tomatoes on its label. Turns out, heirloom tomatoes, like our farmlands, are at risk of extinction. Our mission is simple: save heirloom tomatoes, source only from biodiverse farms, and create the most delicious and nutritious tomato products to be enjoyed all year round. Our motto is: "We can serve a greater good if we come to relationships asking what we can give and not what we can get." This keeps us open-minded and curious. The relationships we've built have made the path to achieving the dream of creating healthier, tastier pantry foods that can support farmers who aim to reverse climate change.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
Keeping our commitment to build and connect with the community. We guarantee the purchase of surplus heirloom tomatoes from independent farmers committed to regenerative ag practices. We’ve built a state-of-the-art holistic farm in southwest Michigan where we test and prove the effectiveness of biodynamic principles. We regularly conduct farm tours and work with farms interested in learning these practices. We’ve partnered with a family-owned co-packer in an underserved area of central Michigan. In 2021, we were able to purchase a new co-packing facility with the support of our co-packer and secure a grant from the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development for further automation for that facility.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
Being simultaneously realistic and optimistic about your business's potential.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Stay nimble.
- Solve a problem.
- Understand your supply chain.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://tomatobliss.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TomatoBliss/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tomatobliss/
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.