Rising Stars: Meet Shannon Frei

Today we’d like to introduce you to Shannon Frei.

Hi Shannon, so excited to have you on the platform. So, before we get into questions about your work life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today. 
Growing up, my Grandma Fox would make homemade chocolate candies during the holidays. Each year, my siblings and I would fight over her chocolate truffles; they were the best! Fast forward to our adult years, my grandma stopped making the truffles because of how labor-intensive they were. I asked for her to cough up the recipe, and I personally started making them for friends/family around the holidays. Everyone always loved them! 

My career history was with corporate America. I worked for 15 years with AT&T doing project management, even though I carried a teaching license. I was laid off in 2019 from AT&T, immediately recertified myself and secured a teaching job for the upcoming fall. After 2 weeks of teaching and a lot of tears, I quit! 

Not sure what to do with me next, my neighbor says to me, “While you’re figuring out what to do, why don’t you come to help me at my store and get out of the house for a few hours a day.” My neighbor owns the store in the Great Lakes mall called Seasons on the Lake. It’s a beautifully decorated Christmas store with a positive vibe, just what I needed. 

As I got busy getting into the spirit, I made a batch of truffles for this beloved neighbor. The next day, she comes running to me and says, “Shannon, make these for the store! Figure it out! I ate the entire container; they are amazing!” 

That’s when my wheels started turning. Telling the story to my sister, my sister thought for a second and says, “You should call them F-Bombs!” We laughed so hard. This was perfect. My last name is Frei, Grandma’s last name is Fox, but the hilarious part for us is that Grandma Fox is super tiny, super classy, fun but proper, we have NEVER heard her swear so it was comical to blend the class and sass as I say. That moment I declared, “I’m doing it!” 

The next day, I got to work. 

We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The hardest part for me was getting out of my own way. I started growing and would bang my head against the wall, trying to figure out how to maximize my time and be productive; this was and still can be one of the most difficult tasks. Grandma would tell me, “You can double a recipe, but you can’t triple it!” 

The truth is there are always obstacles and factors that change, some you can try to prepare for, but then others you have no idea it could even possibly be an issue until it happens. For example, the effects from covid and the supply chain. There were times a year or so ago I didn’t know if I would be able to receive items needed for packaging due to the fact there were cargo ships not able to port, along with minimal workforce to unload them. Often times the prices of random baking products will skyrocket. The market does wacky things, and I do my best to bob and weave through it all. The goal is no matter what issue pops up, it needs to quickly be resolved all while maintaining the integrity of the product and not passing on the costs to the customer. I like round numbers, and I like consistency. 

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am founder and co-owner of F-Bombs, homemade chocolate truffles! I specialize in knowing a good thing when I see or taste it and learning how to trust my instincts. 

I am most proud of my relationships I have established along the way of creating F-Bombs. I LOVE my owners of the stores F-Bombs are in. They are precious to me. I am proud to put those stores on my website. I stand by their missions and customer service. The receiving people, bakery managers, and employees have become my work friends. I work hard at what I do to make their jobs easier. These positive relationships help maintain a fruitful working environment for everyone. Being professional, reliable, and positive are 3 solid traits I keep consistent and that I am very proud of. My follow-through and decision-making sets me apart from others. Some things you just can’t teach! 

What are your plans for the future?
My plans are to expand and to figure out how to effectively manage that. I’ve worked hard to get the name recognizable in Northeast and Mid-Ohio. This has mostly been done by word of mouth. Word of mouth is a powerful marketing giant of its own, and it will soon be time to grow beyond my radius from Mentor, OH. 

Pricing:

• $15/box for 1 dozen truffles per box weighing under 1 pound

Contact Info:

• Website: FBOMBS.net
• Instagram: @fbombsbyshannon
• Facebook: @fbombsbyshannon