Today we’d like to introduce you to Benita Mitchell.
Hi Benita, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
I was lamenting over a previous business venture that fizzled out because it was a “fad”. I had been praying for an idea, something I could draw from for years to replace my fizzled-out business.
On the morning of June 25, 2019, that idea was divinely downloaded and I jumped up and got to work on the aesthetics (logo, labels, overall look). I wanted to roll things out immediately. It was something that I already had at my disposal.
I was already making Gawja (the “southern” pronunciation of Georgia) toffee Krak for friends and family gatherings, pot lucks, and luncheons. I was not calling it anything in particular. Everyone who enjoyed it began calling it “that stuff you make.” The quality of the ingredients is what makes it taste delicious. I needed a little something extra to take it to the next level so I took “that stuff I make” and started investing in it to make it more marketable.
I bought a few professional baking pans and tweaked the recipe and made it into what is now called Gawja toffee Krak. The packaging that was decided on lends the “southern look” appeal I was wanting to convey.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
The road has not always been a smooth one. Like any small business, money was an issue. Not only did I need money, but I also needed exposure.
One of the early obstacles I had to face was changing the packaging. I wanted to convey an elegant southern look.
The original packaging was glass, clip-top jars. The jars were keepsakes for later use. After initial sales, I realized that I needed to focus on portability. Refocusing on the packaging was a setup for the next obstacle, I was going to have to face.
Soon after changing the packaging, I received an offer to have my product sold at a local coffee shop. This helped a lot with exposure and sales, which were steady and customers had an actual place to purchase from instead of me selling out of my car. However, not long after my partnership with the coffee shop began, the coffee shop closed. I was back to selling my product straight from my kitchen and out of my car.
I needed to take my business to the next level and I knew that leveling up would take baby steps. Sometimes the baby steps moved me forward other times a took a few steps backward. For example, I decided to apply for a Georgia Cottage License. This particular type of license allowed me to run a food service from my home kitchen… step forward! Then the pandemic happened.
Everyone and everything was on lockdown. Including my sales, my ingredients, my supplies, and my license… step back! With a hopeful spirit, I completed the virtual interview and was granted my Georgia Cottage License. I was beginning to feel like things were getting back on track. However, when customers started buying again I could only get a limited supply of everything I needed.
Despite all the odds, I began accepting vendor opportunities, which did help with exposure. One opportunity turned out to be a total bust! I bought hundreds of dollars worth of supplies and ingredients to prepare for this event. I baked Krak for weeks in order to have enough product for the event. Two days before the event, the event was canceled. I was beside myself.
How was I going to sell all this Krak and pay for the things I had bought with my credit card? I called a friend and was venting about how things just went left. She was able to take some of the Krak to work and got rid of over half of my inventory. I was able to sell the rest from Instagram and Facebook orders.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
This year is my 21st year as an elementary, public school teacher. For the past few years, I have been one of seven Gifted Specialists in the school district where I work.
I am most proud of seeing my students begin to take pride in their work. My classes are heavily involved with active learning where students take personal responsibility for their learning.
When the time comes for the students to “show what they’ve learned” they are really proud to show off their abilities and knowledge with the products they create. Being proud of your work was something that was drilled into me by my parents.
Being able to pass on such a great character-building trait is a blessing.
What matters most to you?
The thing that matters to me most is “To thine own self be true.” You can lie to everyone else. Everyone else can lie to you. Who you see in the mirror when all is said and done is who you really need to be honest with. Your business does not exist without you and you need to have some integrity.
Being honest with yourself when trying to start and/or run a business is also applicable. People will ask you to do things that are unethical or compromise yourself or your product. People will do things to you that you were not expecting that is just not right.
Take a beat and figure out if you can live with the compromise, can you recover your reputation if it is lost? Can you bounce back from doing something unethical? Can you really compromise your product on purpose and still take pride in your work? Can you face yourself the next day if you do ________?
Pricing:
- A Lot $20 approx. 16 oz
- A Smidge $10 approx. 10 oz
Contact Info:
- Email: gawjatoffeekrak@gmail.com
- Instagram: @gawja_toffee_krak
- Facebook: Gawja Toffee Krak
Image Credits
Bennierm
