Today we talk with Stephen Edelson, an entrepreneur that started an ice cream sandwich business from scratch. He’s a self-taught baker and ice cream maker. Steve tells us how and why he’s been successful dishing out homemade ice cream sandwiches to the local community mostly through social media and word of mouth. 

Stephen and Aaron share how they tried to find their career paths while they were in college and how they both knew that more traditional paths wouldn’t work for them. During the height of the pandemic, Stephen’s wife challenged him to stop talking about starting his own business and actually take the leap and do it. He had been talking about starting an ice cream sandwich business for year, even registering the domain name, but he never took action on it. When he finally made the leap, he took the lessons he learned from his medical sales business to make his new business run more smoothly through delegation. 

The ultimate goal for Smusht is for Stephen is to have something he enjoys that allows him to do good and give back. He aims for his ice cream sandwiches to become a retail success. He is open to finding fulfillment in whatever way it comes. Stephen talks about what scares and excites him about the potential growth of his business, something that all entrepreneurs can relate to! 

This conversation is relevant to anyone who is taking risks and going for big things. You won’t want to miss it!

“The difference between business and entrepreneurship is being willing to take risks.”Topics we cover:

-Stories from our days at Duke

-Getting a job out of college

-Taking risks

-The difference between business and entrepreneurship 

-Growing a food-based business

-Being open to shifting goals

-Moving from catering to retail

-Being self-taught

-Gaining traction on social media

Connect with Stephen:

Facebook 

Instagram

Smusht

Connect with Aaron:

Facebook

Instagram

CashPT Nation Facebook Group