Erica Liu Williams is the founder of Gr8nola, a “delicious, low sugar superfood granola.” A two-time Olympic time-trial swimmer who’s married to a former-NFL football player named “Tank” Williams, Erica first created gr8nola as a crunchy snack during their annual food cleanse. Erica shares how she started her business as a “cottage food operator,” baking trays and trays of gr8nola in her kitchen and selling at a local farmer’s market. As sales grew, there was a lot that she needed to learn in order to grow her business. “Once I started doing my second farmer’s market and selling online, I needed other certifications and of course, an official nutrition label. It took me tons and tons of phone calls and networking with other food entrepreneurs to figure it all out. There’s no step-by-step guide.”
In our conversation, Erica shares the story of growing gr8nola, pivoting during Covid, and expanding her sales channels. Erica offers advice on how to start your own business, from the earliest stages of kitchen production and hiring to figuring out how to scale and build brand awareness. We also discuss Erica’s early influences and the decisions that led her to a career she loves. Plus, we find our what led Halle Berry to share her love of gr8nola on her IG page!
Episode co-hosts: Willow Older and Polina Selyutin
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