If you’ve stopped by a local San Diego farmers market over the last few years, you’ve probably seen us, Kieran and Jacklyn. We’re usually seen pouring samples, chatting with our amazing customers, and sharing our handcrafted hot sauces. Your early and enthusiastic support proved our recipes were a hit. But behind the scenes, keeping up with that initial success was taking a serious toll.
Like many passionate entrepreneurs, we had fallen into the classic “Founder Trap.” We were doing absolutely everything: mixing, bottling, packing, working weekend events, and handling the daily business management. While San Diego Pepper Company was thriving, the company was entirely dependent on our constant physical presence. We were stretched so thin that we lacked the breathing room to think strategically or plan our next big move. We were stuck in a rut, and we knew we needed a major shift.
That’s when we discovered Mission Edge and joined their Impact Lab.
Partnering with the Impact Lab was the turning point our brand desperately needed. The program provided us with the targeted financial coaching and structural tools required to build a foundation for sustainable scaling. Instead of just telling us to work harder, they taught us how to work smarter. We did a comprehensive deep-dive into our pricing and Cost of Goods Sold (COGS), analyzing exactly what our margins needed to look like to successfully transition from farmers market stalls to wholesale and retail environments.
Most importantly, the Impact Lab taught us the power of delegation. They helped us create a realistic roadmap to gradually step back from the daily production line and shift our focus toward high-level business development.
The results have been incredible. Thanks to this strategic shift, we’ve successfully landed our hot sauces on multiple retail store shelves and are actively developing new regional sales routes. We are no longer just surviving the day-to-day; we are fired up and focused on the future.
We are incredibly grateful to Mission Edge for helping us reclaim our time and our vision. You can read the full feature on our growth journey over on their website!
Read our full success story on the Mission Edge Impact Lab blog!