210 From Foster Care to Founder | Mellisa Mills of Spread’Em Kitchen is Changing the Food Industry
Tune into my episode with Mellisa Mills
Today on the show I am sitting down with Mellisa Mills who founded a Canadian Plant-Based Cheese Empire.
That empire is called Spread’Em Kitchen and they make the most delicious plant-based cheeses, ever!
Made with a base of cashews, Spread’Em cheeses make for a healthy and much more delicious alternative to typical Cream Cheeses or Cheese Bricks.
Personally, I am obsessed with the Chive & Garlic Cream Cheese, The Classic Greek Inspired Cheese Block, and the Spinach Cashew Dip.
Every single product that they make contains the highest quality ingredients that you can feel good about putting into your body.
Spread’Em Kitchen exploded across Canada in 5 years and grew from $500 in sales to almost 4 Million in a short time.
From ‘home kitchen’ to building her own 20,000 square foot facility in Richmond B.C, Mellisa also has a small team of people helping her spread the goodness and she is on a mission to give back to the community.
My conversation with Mellisa is real, honest, and transparent. She speaks openly about her humble beginnings and about the work it took to get to where they are today.
Let’s just say from having $500 and a small farmers market stand to today being a multi million dollar per year company - a lot has changed in Mellisa’s life and you’ll have to tune in to the episode to learn all about it.
If you want to try SpreadEm Kitchen be sure to use their Store Locator which can be found at https://spreademkitchen.com
Connect with Melissa and Spread’Em:
SOCIAL MEDIA HANDLES
https://www.instagram.com/spreadem_kitchen/
https://www.tiktok.com/@spreadem_kitchen?
WEBSITE
Click the image below to tune in to this weeks episode 🎙️
Image from https://drinkrally.ca/
Here’s a sneak peak at my prep notes for the show…
The beginnings:
Taking it back ten years, you were working at Whole Foods in Vancouver, stocking shelves in the produce department.
In those days, did you ever dream about one day having your own product on the shelf
Have you always been entrepreneurial
You came to a crossroads in your life at some point and didn’t know what direction to take with your life and career - so you went traveling
Tell us about that experience: why you went and how it worked out for you
The idea / the lightbulb moment
What were some of the first few steps you took when you got back in order to bring the idea to life?
I’m sure the early months were messy - what type of mindset did you need to have to move through the highs and lows that are inevitable in the early stages
Did you have a “why” at the beginning? What kept you going?
Anything that almost derailed you?
Starting at the Farmers Markets
How long did it take from idea until you made your first sale?
What’s in a name - how did yours come to be
Spread Em Kitchen:
What’s your role and what are your superpowers when it comes to daily operations?
Talk about your product line today and what type of distribution you currently have
Since launching 2015, you’ve seen immense business growth. For context I think I read that in 2015 you started out making just $128,000 in sales in the first year, to $2 million in 2019 - to what do you attribute such rapid growth
Spread Em seems to be a very mission driven company and you regularly donate to these causes that are meaningful - why is this such an important part of your vision and of your company
Is there a milestone that you’ve reached that you’re proud of and want to celebrate with us here?
Business Tips:
You believe we all have an entrepreneurial spirit - we just have to harness it. How can someone start harnessing their entrepreneurial spirit if they don’t have a business yet, but aspire to one day start one
What qualities do you possess that make you a great entrepreneur
When you feel stuck, unmotivated or stagnant - how do you reset?
Do you have any daily routines or rituals that keep you sane?
What’s one thing you’re geeking out on or learning more about, right now?