21 minute read
8 Courageous EDGE Entrepreneurs
from MOSO Spring 20
COURAGEOUS EDGE ENTREPRENEURS
Living the Business Life They’ve Imagined
Toula Argentis 1
2B Whole Gluten Free Bakery
EDGE alum since 2011 Business Strategy & Preparedness Courses Consultation/SBA Women’s Business Center EDGE Shared Kitchen 1st Annual Shared Kitchen Conference
Toula, Founder & Owner, and her amazingly delicious, European-inspired 2B Whole Gluten-Free Bakery and Eatery in the heart of historic downtown Alpharetta! Her second location is set to open in the Summer of 2020 in Decatur, GA. spent 20 successful years working in the corporate world in Canada, the U.S., and France. She reached the top tier as a CFO, but she wasn’t happy. She wanted to make a difference in the world, to help people. Being of Greek descent, Toula grew up cooking and baking Greek foods before dabbling in recipes of other cultures. She fell in love with the art of creating good food, and she realized its power. She truly believed good food could make someone’s life better. And then, she became a mother. Her children were born with food sensitivities, including sensitivity to gluten. When Toula’s children’s dietary restrictions were diagnosed over ten years ago due to food sensitivities and allergies, it forced her family to change their eating habits and when she
saw how these changes dramatically improved her children’s overall wellbeing she became passionate about wanting to help others dealing with food allergy challenges. Finding the glutenfree market limited, Toula rose to the challenge. With patience, support, and experimentation, she created desserts and breads that her children could eat and enjoy. When you take one part loving and devoted Mom in search of good nutrition for her child with food sensitivities and allergies and mix in one part of her love of baking and cooking, then blend with her family’s heritage steeped in both Greek and French Canadian cultures and cuisines, that’s where you will find Toula Argentis, Toula began her experimentation of her gluten-free goodies at home and
at farmers' markets and then became a client and a member of the EDGE Shared Kitchen in Kennesaw, GA.
She says the “EDGE” provides startup businesses with a team of experts who will listen to you and your dream. They provided business planning help and asked you the hard questions that will help you determine if you are on the right track. Above all, they have a team of experts (staff and volunteers) who believe in what I want to do and that alone gives a startup or growth business the encouragement it needs to get through the rough patches and hurdles.”
After two and a half years of working in the EDGE Shared Kitchen, she opened her first retail store in Downtown Alpharetta and began selling to the general public as well as wholesale markets. Toula continues to win in the local gluten-free space and is the hopeful example of the everyday entrepreneur. With her over 20 years of baking experience and her personal inspiration for wanting to prepare clean food for family meals and desserts, Toula created 2B Whole – an extension of what she provided to her own family. She launched 2B Whole in 2011 at local farmers’ markets and welcomed customers to her current bakery in 2014. To purchase 2B Whole’s Gluten Free Goodies please visit her website 2bwhole.net or pop into her Alpharetta, GA location for all kinds of freshly baked gluten free goods.
28 COURAGEOUS EDGE ENTREPRENEURS
Dan Silverio
The Patty Wagon Food Truck PattyWagonATL.com BigHouseBBQAtl.com
EDGE alum since 2012 EDGE Shared Kitchen Business Plan Course BP Startup Cash Award Circuit Rider Program IDA Program WorkSource Cobb
Eight years ago, Dan had an idea to deliver bar-b-que to individuals. The name for that business was Q2U Delivers. Today Q2U is the parent company for his restaurant, 3 food trucks, an ice cream cart, and a full-service catering business. Things have changed from his original idea, but then everything took off. Dan says, “I’m most proud of the fact that I’ve built something from the ground up within 8 years of company launch. I’ve had the great pleasure of watching the whole company build and grow, and I do live and breathe it all the time, but it's very rewarding”. Dan doesn’t just get up every morning and go to work, it’s a lifestyle he’s created for himself and his family. Dan was able to build his business without going into debt and was intentional about not taking out any loans.
“Places like the EDGE are there for support and guidance, but if you don’t have the motivation – it’s not going to happen.”
Dan leveraged the EDGE’s IDA (Individual Development Account) and won a startup cash award through one of the EDGE’s Business Plan competitions. He was first introduced to the EDGE through WorkSource Cobb and completed the business plan
class – Plan for Profit and it helped him refine his ideas. He also was able to have full utilization of and create his food favorites in the EDGE Kitchen.
They also provided access to a business coach – they called her a Circuit Rider, it was the best thing I could have ever experienced, and it was a critical resource to my business success.
The EDGE was instrumental in Dan’s success in the beginning stages of his business ideation and startup. It was all I had at the very beginning. EDGE connected me to a wide array of resources, people and fostered strategic arrangements and I was able to grow quickly.” My goal now is to scale the business, gain more corporate catering clients and create awareness for the Q2U brand of food business. So, make sure you visit us online and find out where our food truck will be stopping by next!
3Sheenica Smiley
A Blind Vision Studios Photograph
ENBIZ Magazine Premiere Issue Featured Photographer EDGE alum since 2019 Business Plan Course Graduate Consultation/SBA Women’s Business Center Active Duty Military
If you don’t know by now, my name is Sheenica Smiley and I’m a Visual Artist. I’m originally from Alabama (often mistaken for being from up north because of my “accent”) and I’m the oldest of 5. I’m also a mother of 1 and family is everything to me. I’m a Creative by nature with a passion for all art forms to include drawing, painting, music, writing, photography & filmmaking. There’s nothing like coming up with an idea and then creating something real. Art is a reflection of you and it’s a blessing to be able to share it with the world.
As long as I can remember I’ve been obsessed with arts & colors. If it had anything to do with color pencils, markers, and scissors, I wanted IN! There wasn’t one school year that went by where I wasn’t enrolled in an art class and Lisa Frank school supplies was all I ever needed in my life. During my Junior year in high school I joined the yearbook committee and that’s where my love for photography began. I studied journalism and photography basics to include composition & lighting. After graduating high school and a 2 year stint at Popeye’s, I joined the United States Air Force in 2004 at the tender age of 19. My first duty station was RAF Lakenheath, England where I took my first photography class and learned how to develop film. I purchased my first DSLR Canon camera in 2007 and started my professional photography & entrepreneurial career by doing my very first boudoir photoshoot September 1st of that same year and before the year ended I was a published photographer and the rest is history! I’ve been professionally creating ever since.
I have since obtained my B.A. in Film Production, currently finishing my Masters in Entertainment Business, and have worked with celebrities such as Kountry Wayne, Tink and J. Holiday. Although I have branched off into other entrepreneurial ventures, to include real estate investing and teaching leadership & team building, art will always be my first love. Art is my anchor and I am blessed because of where my work has taken me and excited for what is yet to come. This is only the beginning.
MY EDUCATION > Associates of Science in Financial Management, 2014 > Bachelor of Fine Arts in Film Production, 2015 > Masters of Science in Entertainment Business, 2019 > Ph.D, Organizational Leadership, Current
MY ACHIEVEMENTS > Published Photographer December 2007 > 15 years of military & managerial experience
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Rachel Willis
The Ripe Juicery theripejuicery.com
EDGE alum since 2016 City of Kennesaw Partnership Business Plan Course Consultation/ SBA Women’s Business Center
Can you tell me how you were introduced to the organization? I found out about the EDGE program through the City of Kennesaw. I gained so much instruction and mentorship from the program. Everyone at the EDGE helped me understand the steps I needed to take to take The Ripe Juicery from just an idea to an actual business.
Okay, is there anything you wish you knew before you started your business? Ha! That is a never-ending question! I wish I had known how much joy would come from the really, really, hard work. I wish I had known how much pride I would get from solving the hard problems, and from seeing my little business make people smile. I had no real idea how happy it would make me to bring what we do to our community. What has been your biggest lesson/ challenge since you started your business and how did you overcome it or what did you learn? Unfortunately, as a business owner, I am my own biggest challenge. I take too much on. I try to do it all. I think I need to figure everything out. I can only do what I can do, and that means I don’t get to do a lot. I have tried to start delegating and outsourcing more so that I am more efficient.
To learn more about Rachel and her deliciously fresh creations and food truck locations please visit The Ripe Juicery.
So tell me the name of your business and when you got started? Any inspiration behind the choice of the name you chose? The Ripe Juicery, established in 2016, we served our first smoothie March 3, 2017. The name was inspired by old produce labels and fruit boxes and wanting to convey a happy and fresh feeling.
We all know that businesses begin or become an idea in our minds when we want something and we can’t find it for ourselves -- we create it, tell me about that process? I saw the need for a local juice and smoothie bar, and as a mom I hated the lack of quick and healthy food options for my family, so I decided I should open something that met that need. I launched a kickstarter campaign to see if people would get behind my idea, and quickly found local support!
Tanya Bryant 5
Just Lovely Cosmetics
EDGE alum since 2017 Army Retired Veteran Business Plan Course Consultation/SBA Women’s Business Center She’s Next Collaboration with Visa 2019 MogulCon
Tanya, tell me about Just Lovely? How long have you been in business and what is the inspiration behind your brand name? Just Lovely lipstick is a multi-use moisturizing lipstick line handcrafted with natural oils. October 4th will make 6years of officially launching the Just Lovely brand.
I was inspired by my mother's words when I came up with the name Just Lovely. Whenever she saw something beautiful, she would say, “Just Lovely.”
How did you start your business? What was your inspiration? The lipstick phase of the business started during a grieving process of unexpectedly losing my mother in 2014. While my mother was in the hospital, I started to think of life nuggets she imparted in me. I thought about the last time I saw my mother. She told my sister and me to grab her basket of lipstick filled with every shade of red.
She said, "never leave home without your lipstick because you never know who may be checking you out." This thought process was the beginning of the Just Lovely brand. Red was the first color I wanted to make in memory of my mother; I named it Red Glory because of her name, Gloria.
How did you find the EDGE and can you tell me how that relationship with the organization has made an impact? I found the EDGE through a women veteran's program V-Wise. They had recommended some other veteran programs I could tap into to help build my business. Boots to Business was the first program I signed up with through the Edge. This course gave me the ability to focus on what was working well in my business and readjust the things that were not working. I receive a lot of specialized attention from the instructor and the Edge staff. I later received a scholarship for Plan for Profit. During this course, I was able to dive deeper into my business plan, which gave me a clear direction for the future of the business.
What has been your biggest lesson/challenge since you’ve started the business and how did you manage through it? My biggest challenge has been running the business on my own. I have learned over the years; I can be creative in building a team, whether it's a virtual assistant or hiring interns to do some of the operations. I have also been shifting my business model from oneto-one to one-to-many by focusing on wholesale accounts and larger events, which helps with overall efficiency.
What’s your vision for Just Lovely over the next 5-10 years? Considering the reason why I started the Just Lovely brand, I never thought about selling it in the future. I now realize I must have an exit strategy. Therefore in 20 years, I see the Just Lovely brand owned by a larger company which merges smaller companies that have inspiring stories.
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Can you tell me what kind of company you have? What is it that you do? I have a sewing and embroidery business. Sewing is my passion. I’ve been sewing most of my life. It has become a part of who I am at my core.I’ve done quite a lot. If I were just to name a few things: custom draperies, custom furniture covers, automobile upholstery, evening and wedding gowns. I’m dabbling now with custom hand-bags and I’m pretty good with it too.
How long have you been in business and what is the inspiration behind the name of your business? I started the business more than 25 years ago. I probably was sewing for longer than that and just didn’t call it operating a “business”. I named the business S.L. Design and Manufacturing. SL are my initials, designs and manufacturing speaks for itself.
How did you get into business? What was the motivation? Since I’ve been sewing for so long, I started making prom dresses for my classmates, friends and family in high school. I knew I was on to something (I was good), I just wasn’t sure earlier on what that something could ultimately be.
What was your inspiration? I come from a long line of seamstresses so I got it honest! My Mother (Millie), Grandmother (Beatrice), Great Grandmother (Parthenia) and my great Aunt (Lillian) were and are all seamstresses. I came out of the womb sewing with all that energy. It’s like kids who can just sing, because their parents had gifted voices. I was pretty much destined.
How did the EDGE play a role in the development of your business? I was watching a community program on television and learned of a new program that was being launched in Cobb County in the 90s, the EDGE. I had just moved to Atlanta during that time so I was looking for programs and opportunities to help me settle in. I became involved when the program launched and the EDGE became like a second family for me and my children. In the beginning days of the EDGE, it was more than just writing a business plan – it was life survival skills training. My son also followed in my footsteps by utilizing the resources offered by the EDGE.
What has been your biggest lesson/challenge since you started your business and how did you overcome it or what did you learn? My biggest lesson has been not having a clear understanding of my financials. It’s
Shundra London
SL Designs & Manufacturing
EDGE alum since 1999 Business Plan STEM Tech Training Circuit Rider Program IDA Program Business Plan Startup Cash Award
one thing to create a business plan when you have help, but for the long journey you really need to have a strategy for every stage of the business and having the skills set for sales strategy (how to get customers) how to budget for the short-falls, while still being a single mother, running the business and managing personal and business expenses. It’s a lot and not to be dismissed as a business owner starting out.
Tell me your vision for S.L. Designs & Manufacturing over the next 5-10 years? I would like to see S.L. Designs & Manufacturing step into new areas of business, like teaching a Master Sewing Course for beginners and advanced learners online and I would also like to expand my casual wear hand-bags for the everyday woman.
If you are interested in learning more about Shundra London’s work and a beautifully detailed and crafted handbags, give her a call or email her at: 404-259-6751, sldsign@yahoo.com.
7Anna & Justin Holladay Sweet Grass Weddings www.sweetgrasswed.com
EDGE alum since 2013 Business Plan Course Consultation/SBA Women’s Business Center BP Startup Cash Ward Give me a little background about SGW, when you got started? Any inspiration behind the choice of the name you chose? Sweet Grass Weddings has been in business for over 4 years. Our name comes from the sweet smell of fresh-cut hay on a crisp morning. That smell fills us with a feeling of endless possibilities and we want our clients to feel like that on their wedding day. We have passed that feeling to over 80 couples now. We all know that businesses begin or become an idea in our minds when we want something and we can’t find it for ourselves – we create it, tell me about that process? We planned our own destination elopement in the North Carolina Mountains. We thought that an intimate elopement would be easy to plan. Let me tell you, it wasn’t! Finding vendors whose quality and style you trust can be very overwhelming if this is not what you do on a regular basis. It was all confusing and was very stressful. After our wedding, we saw a real need for an intimate wedding service in Atlanta. How did you find the resources of the EDGE? We came across the EDGE while searching for a business incubator in our area that could help us from the ground up. We had the drive and will to start our own business but had zero knowledge of how to do so. The EDGE offered us the foundation of what we needed to get started. From initial planning to planning for our future, by the end of the classes, we had a full business plan. Okay, is there anything you wish you knew before you started your business? Your business plans are continuously evolving and will often take a direction of its own. You have to be flexible with your offerings, but constantly weeding out what doesn’t work. You put it all together, but along the way, your clients will tell you where you should focus, and that can be places you haven’t imagined yet. What has been your biggest lesson/challenge since you started your business and how did you overcome it or what did you learn? Quitting our day jobs and going ‘all in’. We have always been working toward putting all of our energy to Sweet Grass. It’s heart-pounding to think about not having the safety of a 9 to 5 job. We have made a LOT of progress on this one, though this is a lesson that we are still learning to overcome. How do you envision Sweet Grass Weddings 5-10 years from now? We imagine having many different locations of Sweet Grass Wedding over the southeast. Continuing to develop relationships with quality people and venues will allow us to continue to grow.
Daisy Latimore
The Chocolate Box thechocolateboxconyers.com
EDGE alum since 2016 Business Training Consultation/SBA Women’s Business Center
My business is handcrafted gourmet chocolates. I have been in business for seventeen years, first as a gift basket maker. Then as a chocolatier. The Logo is what actually inspired the name. It is a brown box with a blue bow on it. The Chocolate Box. Simple right?
The business idea came when I was asked to create a gift basket for a fellow church member because she was out sick and shut-in. One Sunday evening, after I had already delivered the gift basket, the church member’s husband pulled me to the side and said: “my wife got a lot of gifts while being out sick, but your gift basket was the most intriguing”. She would call him at work and said did you know there was a bell in this basket that I can ring for service? I can't ring it because I don't want to open it. It's so beautiful. He told me she called him several times as she discovered the different items I had curated for the basket. It was the very first gift basket I ever made. I was so inspired I went to work the next day and said to my officemate I am starting a gift basket business. I told everyone – you just tell me what they like, and I will make them a basket. My officemate said that her mother-in-law likes to garden, read mysteries and smoke Winston’s cigarettes. She said my mother- in- law likes to garden, read mysteries and smokes Winston's. That was the day my business started. I found the EDGE through a program they created for crafters through a partnership with Esty in 2016. Interestingly enough though, I knew the EDGE CEO, Rachel Davis. She and I go way back. It was easy for me to connect to the EDGE community and the resources they provide. When you start in business you need support and you need knowledgeable professionals who can help guide you to success. I have gotten a lot of great advice from through the EDGE program and some really good contacts for growing my business. It is a great resource for women-owned businesses as well.
The one thing I can say I did not know is that starting a business by faith takes a lot of faith. My biggest lesson I have learned in this process is that I have a lot of faith. My biggest challenge has been letting go in order to grow my business.
Here is how I see my business in 20 years. The Chocolate Box is going to be the talk of the town. The place where you always get great customer service and exceptional sweet treats. I want it to be a staple that people look forward to and realize it is a pleasure for us to be a part of your day or event. Stop in for a treat!
WHERE WOMEN LEAD
It takes an army to remain the No. 1 State for Business six years in a row. And Georgia is a place where women are leading the charge.
• No. 2 in the U.S. for growth in total number of women-owned firms • Top 5 in the U.S. for total number of women-owned firms
Visit Georgia.org/SmallBusiness to connect and become our next success story.
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Georgia Department of Economic Development
BUILDING A BETTER COMMUNITY
