Frustrated by years of not finding work that was a fit and perpetually being short of funds, Mellisa Mills took the $500 she received from selling a painting, and started her side hustle…making and selling dips!

 

Not being able to afford a car, she began making deliveries by bicycle and even public transit.

 

Through a lot of hard work, tenacity, and a passion for good food, today Mellisa’s company Spread’Em operates out of a 20,000 square foot facility, boasts revenues of over $3 million dollars, and her products are available in over 2,000 stores.

 

You’ll hear honest conversation about,

 

• what it took to grow the company,
• what she sees as fatal mistakes made by aspiring entrepreneurs,
• what keeps her up at night,
• how she plans to double revenues

 

You’ll learn from,

 

• her stories of times when things didn’t go as planned,
• her experience of dealing with the 3 tiers of grocery store ecosystems you can get into,
• why striving to get your product into the big chain stores may not always be your wisest move

 

Be sure to catch the end of episode takeaway for inspiration to do the tough stuff you know needs to be done for your side hustle.

 

What You’ll Hear:

 

05:08 Maybe “cardiac technician” isn’t the best career choice for an artist

06:52 The birth of a side hustle

09:26 Melissa’s new company drew on her top talents and passions

10:58 One of her paintings sells unexpectedly and funds her new dip venture

12:01 Her product started flying off the shelves

13:25 People have tried but have been unable to recreate her product

14:12 Mellisa is driven by wanting to do good, have fun, and to contribute

14:37 Spend time figuring out what you would truly, deeply, like to do

16:19 First stores were 5 in her neighbourhood

16:55 The reasons they still sell at farmer’s markets

18:40 Mellisa didn’t know how to start and grow a business, she just took it one step at a time

20:40 Commissary kitchens - how they work

23:22 A discussion of profit margins

26:10 The benefits of starting small and growing as demand grows

26:44 She made their first $1 million while still in the commissary kitchen

27:39 What has kept Mellisa up at night

30:04 How she got her Spread-Em products into Whole Foods (which is now owned by Amazon)

32:04 Fatal mistakes made by aspiring entrepreneurs

36:18 Sometimes what we deem to be a negative event, turns out to be the best thing to happen

36:30 Carrying 50lb bags on the bus to make deliveries - what are you willing to do for the success of your side hustle?

37:42 Ep: 51 Poncho’s Tacos is a great example of bootstrapping and not overspending

38:32 Mellisa had 60 stores and was still doing the deliveries herself

39:56 She felt like she had a real product once Save On Foods signed on

40:30 3 tiers in the grocery store ecosystem (independents, small chains, big grocery chains) - differences, pros, and cons

44:34 Advantages and disadvantages of having a distributor (fees 26%-33%)

47:14 Did not hire any help until year 2 or 3

48:09 Growing slow can be the best approach

50:17 Next big growth will come from the USA market

51:04 Dips are now in over 2,000 stores in Canada

53:20 Current revenues are $3 million, with a goal of $6 million in 18 months

53:56 Advice Mellisa would give herself if she could go back to the startup days

Takeaway:

56:02 What are you willing to do to ensure your success?

56:36 “If you do what is easy, life will be hard. But if you’re willing to do what is hard, life will eventually be easy.”

 

Connect with Mellisa:

LinkedIn

Instagram

TikTok

 

Connect with Joan:

https://www.instagram.com/joanposivy/

https://www.facebook.com/posivy/

https://www.sidehustlehero.com/about/

Be on the show!

https://www.sidehustlehero.com/guests/intake/