I feel like pickles are either something you love or like — okay, I’m sure there are people out there who dislike them, but I think those who do love them more than make up for it. I personally fall in the former category and adore pickles; be it a dill beside a sandwich, gherkins in my potato salad, or bread and butter pickles completely on their own. So when I discovered Gordy’s Pickle Jar, offering handcrafted pickles and preserves, my mouth began to water.
What started as a celebration of a garden harvest has led partners in business and life, Sarah Gordon and Sheila Fain, to perfect the craft of pickling while staying true to themselves and satisfying their tang tooth. But Gordy’s doesn’t end with the mighty cucumber: Their exciting line of small-batch pickled products includes okra, peppers, chilies, and more. More than just a one-skew product, their business has become a lifestyle. Gordy’s reflects and accommodates how Sheila and Sarah live, from experimenting with a new recipe on their blog (which takes you on a culinary journey from a smooth Thai Basil jalapeño butter to the best Bloody Mary you’ll ever have using pickle brine), to sharing in and supporting their local DC food community and participating in myriad events. Today, Sarah is opening up about their business, the importance of asking for help, their willingness to make sacrifices, and setting goals that seem impossible to achieve. —Sabrina
Why did you decide to start your own business?
Gordy’s started at the end of 2011. At the time I was living in San Francisco and Sheila was still living in DC. We both had a similar passion for food and wanted to work together, so we started daydreaming. I moved back to DC because we knew it would be a great place to start Gordy’s. There was an appetite for our product and, at the time, only a handful of companies were manufacturing food products.
When you first decided to start your own business, how did you define what your business would be?
We knew we wanted to bring a food product to market, one that was a reflection of our ethos: handcrafted, high-quality, responsibly sourced/produced and beautifully designed. Our ultimate goal was not just to make the best-tasting products, but rather to create a thriving business that would give back and educate our local community on the importance of good food. We like to think that we are doing a small part in bringing people back to tasty, authentic flavors made with real ingredients.
What was the best piece of business advice you were given when you were starting off?
Set goals that seem impossible to achieve. We’re both big believers that anything is possible. That doesn’t mean we have to do everything, but it reminds us to be audacious and fearless in our pursuits.
What was the most difficult part of starting your business?
Moving into our current 1,200-square-foot space was a big learning curve. We have definitely learned more than we ever wanted to know about plumbing. In the short eight months since we moved in, we’ve had underground leaks, pipes bursting, water coming at us from all angles. But renovating the space was a lot of fun. We really wanted something minimal and clean, balanced and warm, and we think we’ve achieved that.
Can you name a moment of failure in your business experiences?
Not asking for help early on. People are always willing to lend a hand and it can make life a whole lot easier. Need help? Just ask.
What has been the biggest sacrifice you’ve made in starting your business?
Not enough quality time with family and friends. It’s taken us almost three years to find a better work-life balance and I think we could still use some work on that. Like most things in life, establishing this balance takes awareness and practice — we’ll get there.
Can you name your greatest success in your business experiences?
Doing what we love feels like a great success. And we’re pretty proud of our 2 Good Food Awards. The awards recognize food producers not just for making delicious products, but also for adhering to high environmental, social and ethical standards.
What business books/resources (if any) would you recommend to someone starting a creative business of their own?
We read a lot of magazines, but I would recommend reading as many books and articles as you can to learn as much as possible from others who have been down a similar road as the one you want to create.
In your opinion, what are the top three things someone should consider before starting their own business?
The biggest thing you need to consider (this counts as three) is your willingness to make sacrifices. Running a small business requires enormous amounts of sacrifices. If you are ready, dive in!
via Design*Sponge http://ift.tt/1ExIi8O From Sabrina Smelko
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