Five years ago in my home, with a 5-month-old on my hip and 1 kid in grade school, I created Grateful Grahams. Can you believe it?
As a mom, woman, dreamer, community builder here, I was in my house putting together the biggest step I had ever taken. Step, let’s go with a LEAP! I was jumping in with both feet on an idea. It was my daughter Rosalee who was 5 months old and who would become my middle child and only daughter. I remember the day when she was born, and it was then that a passion awoke within me to make a difference. I knew from that moment as her mom I had to show her that, no matter what, you can create your biggest dreams.
My biggest dream was a company with integrity and a mission to change the world through the message of gratitude. So there I was in my house, baking baking baking. I called my friend Dan who owns Park + Vine, a green general store in Cincinnati, Ohio, and said “Dan I am starting this company and I need a chance, can you please carry my grahams” He placed an order and we participated in Earth Day at Sawyer Point that same weekend. We sold out at our event and the week after Dan called placing another order, he had sold out. For me that is all it took. I knew it would work and that we needed to keep baking. A few months in we moved into a commercial kitchen (Valerie of Five Star Foodies rented space and taught me so much, answering every question I asked). I was in awe of the support. We soon moved into another kitchen and then finally in January 2013 we moved into our own kitchen.
People asked me this same question from day one and still today, what’s your vision for Grateful Grahams? My answer has always been “To change the world, to be in retail stores across the country, and in every state.”
This story has taken me 5 years to build. There is more coming but truly from the bottom of my heart THANK YOU. You reading this has gotten me here. I have never done this alone. I have done it fully supported by a community pieced together of friends, family, and foodies.
We will be posting more of our story here, so check back and know we are grateful for you!
Photo is courtesy of Gina Weatherby. Here we are in the kitchen with Ellis, the baby of the family when he was less than 6 months old.
Happy Birthday – here’s to many more!