What are some challenges she faced on her journey to success?
There are a lot of challenges in building an idea from scratch. The first one was in regards to starting a business in the middle of the pandemic. Given all the closures and delays in government, getting our licenses, certifications, registrations all complete was a huge challenge.
Secondly, they launched in 2021 when the majority of the USA was still dealing with the effects of the pandemic. Many households were still working and schooling from home. With this in mind, they capitalized on zoom events and virtual baking, but she knew that this was not going to last much longer. As restrictions lessened and they all started going back to our normal daily routines, they had to ensure they were still adding value to their customers.
“It required a lot of innovating internally, coming up with unique recipes and experiences that you cannot find elsewhere. Finding product market fit for any company is a challenge in itself, but finding it while the world is going through major shifts is a whole other challenge that they had to face”, she says.
Lastly, but the list of challenges never really ends, and that is the fun part of building a business; never a dull moment. Another challenge is consistently and constantly adapting based on the needs of their customers and the market. When one project is over, there are always another 3-4 things that need work. Juggling all the moving parts is a daily challenge.
How did she overcome them and the lessons learned along the way?
Overcoming challenges is just part of the journey. The way to overcome it is to be sharp and driven, and motivated by your passion for the project. There is really no other way.
“You have to want it bad enough that you face the challenges head-on and push through every single day”, Shelley says.
One important lesson that she learned along the way is that sometimes it is okay to remove that “mask” and be real with your team, your advisors, and investors. It is impossible to always be “on”, and it is okay to not always be the most positive person about what might be going on at that moment. Those are the moments that allow her to get back up because she loves what she does and learning is part of the process.
What advice she wish she knew when she was starting out and that she would like to share with aspiring entrepreneurs?
Entrepreneurship is hard and it will test you every single day. It might seem glamorous from the outside, but it takes grit and drive, and a lot of blood, sweat, and tears. Her advice to aspiring entrepreneurs is to jump in full force and enjoy the journey. Even with all the stress and hard work, it is so worth it!
If you would like to get in touch with Shelley Gupta or her company, you can do it through his – Linkedin Page
