Thanks to the launch of p.o.p. candy co, Rachel and Bill’s business partnership transformed into a flourishing life partnership. p.o.p. candy co. was named after Santa Monica’s Pacific Ocean Park, and though the brand was born in this beloved beachtown, Rachel and her team have since upgraded to a larger kitchen in nearby Culver City. Each batch of her signature Butter Crunch is handmade with zero additives or preservatives, using only the finest spices, nuts, and all-natural extracts. Available in cozy flavors like Whiskey Cordial and Rum and Vanilla, these decadent and buttery bars are softer than brittle and richer than toffee.
Recently, we caught up with Rachel to learn more about their journey and hear her advice for fellow entrepreneurs.
1. Why did you start p.o.p. candy co.?
It’s a mashup of a classic story, a compelling quote, and diving in!
Butter Crunch was my go-to for the holidays—family and friends got it (and loved it!) after I spent a few nights of flipping butter in my kitchen. However, it wasn’t until my then-hairstylist told me (after two years of gifting it to her) that I should take the idea of starting a business with it seriously. “You should be selling it THERE,” she said, pointing straight at The Peninsula Hotel in Beverly Hills. After the second time she mentioned it, I remember thinking, this woman is a self-made entrepreneur who’s built a successful life and business. Why would I NOT take her advice to heart?
Then came the compelling quote. I spent several years in the nonprofit world developing and running projects and programs that others had created. I was driven and I worked HARD, but always within boundaries that others had set. The timing was perfect when, after a long day, I caught a quote from Rachael Ray while flipping through a magazine. It read, "If you're going to work that hard, it should be for something with your name on it." It was a clarifying moment and so true!
After that, I saw opportunities to put p.o.p. in motion. I asked a friend if I could carve out a corner of her booth at a local farmers market to see how people responded to the idea of trying and buying the product. I nervously asked Bill, a 30+ year pro in the food and restaurant business (not yet my husband at the time), if he would partner with me in getting things underway—finding a commercial kitchen (no Cottage Food Law at the time), scaling up the cooking, creating a small flavor set, packaging and branding, and more. If it hadn’t been for his know-how, I’d still be cooking pans one by one! Between the two of us and our respective skill sets, we were able to dive in pretty quickly.
We started with 4 flavors (our “p.o.p. classics”), sold out at the farmers market despite it being a rainy day, and were offered a booth of our own before we had even folded our table. We said yes and, shortly afterward, officially launched.
2. What obstacles did you face along the way?
What we’ve learned is that a small biz will take EVERY resource you have if you let it—time, money, energy…and it always wants more! We’ve learned the hard way that, while growing a business that we’re proud of and that’s clearly an extension of who we are, we can’t let it be ALL that we are. Finding time away together where “biz talk” is off limits is truly a treasure. Physical and mental breaks are also critical, no matter how demanding things can get.
As a self-funded small business, we’ve learned to be patient while keeping our eye on the prize. We get so much validation from customers about what we’re doing, and sometimes it’s hard to accept that we can’t build out the business as quickly as we’d like. More flavors, more social activity, and more availability are all to come as quickly as we can make them happen!
3. What lessons do you have for other entrepreneurs?
- Never underestimate the importance of good customer service.
- Diversify your revenue stream so you can ride out unforeseen waves that come along and keep your business rolling.
- Be adaptable and learn to pivot.
- Mentally prioritize your relationships over your business. Then, with that clarity, work on giving your business 120%.
- Forgetting to sleep catches up with you
4. What’s on the horizon for p.o.p. candy co.?
Expansion. We live on a “p.o.p. cocktail” of retail presence, live shows, and online orders. Each is a different way of meeting customers where they are, and each provides ways of being accessible and staying connected. We want to grow each segment and make sure we identify the right resources to make that happen.
5. How do you keep work/life balance? What drives/inspires you?
What drives us is knowing that we’re putting out something meaningful to the world that brings people genuine pleasure. Just this past weekend at a live show, after a husband and wife tried different flavors, the wife asked him to pick his favorite and he told her, “They’re all great and so different. It’s like trying to choose your favorite child!”
How cool is that? When what you’re doing is so personal and has that kind of impact, it’s a gift and a privilege we never take for granted.
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