When Challenges Accumulate, Remember Your Why

In some good news, packaging was finally ordered at the end of last week! It was quite the rush to get everyone on the same page, especially during a holiday week, but we got the job done. Phew! Now, we’re waiting for the packaging to arrive at the manufacturer's facility. This will take about two weeks, then we can then hit the production line.  

 

Right when you think you get past one obstacle, another unexpected turn of events occurs. As I was asking about production dates, the manufacturer said they are moving to a new facility in July and August. It seems like that would’ve been important information to mention sooner…

 

At least now I can understand why they’ve been slow to respond lately. We can only hope that this doesn’t affect the timing of production. This week, I'm supposed to find out our tentative date for the trial production. I say tentative because everything hinges on the packaging arriving on time. 

 

As you can tell, prepping for this first production run has taught me a lot. Whether it’s ingredients, packaging, or production, everyone needs to be aligned. 

 

Yesterday, I met with another female founder in the food space, Lisa from Ms. P's. You may have seen her granola at Whole Foods or Mariano’s. It’s helpful talking to other small business owners who’ve faced many of the challenges I’m navigating. It also provides a reality check knowing these things happen to other food founders. 

 

I learned A LOT from Lisa's 8 years of building her business. She’s been through it all - farmer's markets, accelerator programs, working with distributors, getting into big retailers, etc. 

 

One topic we discussed was how the grocery stores set the price of your products. If you see the same product with one price at Whole Foods and another price at Mariano’s, you can thank the store. The brand has no control over the price it sells for in stores. Unknowingly, I was blaming brands for their prices, but it isn’t really their fault. They offer the retailers a suggested retail price, but the stores then decide what to sell it for. And that price can change whenever a store chooses. 

 

I always knew the food industry was tough, like really tough. But, I’m learning new reasons why every week. Then again, starting and running a business in any industry will have its own set of challenges.

 

At the end of the day, I’m in this space because I so badly want to make tasty, healthy snacks that consumers can trust. To me, that’s worth the pain and suffering that goes along with building a company in the food industry. 

During the tough weeks, I find it helpful to come back to my why. 

1. Why did I start going down this path in the first place?
2. Why do I care?
3. Why am I spending all my time carrying out this mission? 

Returning to my why keeps me motivated to persevere through the ups and downs. 

 

When you face repeated challenges at work, go back to your why. This will help you remember the plot to the story you're creating.