Today we’d like to introduce you to Danielle Edwards.
Hi Danielle, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
My name is Danielle Edwards. I am a wife to Dr. Kevin Edwards, OB/GYN, and mom to Zoe (8), Izabel (6), and Kevin (2). For the first 10 years of my career, I worked as a strategy and technology consultant, supporting fortune 500 companies in defining their organizational strategies and solving their most pressing issues. I then became a Vice President at Teach for America, leading a Talent and Operations team and contributing to a mission that is near and dear to my heart education equity and excellence for communities that need it most.
Throughout my career, I have been drawn to entrepreneurship, something I specialized in during my MBA program at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. When I first tried a traditional paleta or ice pop, I fell in love. The flavors were so unbelievable — fresh, delicious, unique, I mean — who has an avocado, blueberry lavender, or raspberry hibiscus ice pop? So, when there was an opportunity to build a business with my family we dove right in, together.
Each family member plays a unique and necessary role, my mom Madonna leading sales and catering; brother Ray leading Operations; brother Mike leading Production, and me serving as the General Manager. Together we approach the business with care and love, mostly because we love each other and value the gift that this business has given each other — an opportunity to build together and create moments of joy within the lives of so many.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
There have been so many challenges.
– First, finding a commercial kitchen. The world of food production is very competitive, and we found early on that getting started there weren’t many people who were willing to help us figure things out — not because they didn’t want to, but because the people who are in positions to help are so busy themselves building their own businesses.
– Gaining access to the right networks and circles to participate in events and sell at venues. There are “gatekeepers” of larger venues like the Dragons Stadium, Fraze Pavillion, etc. that have long-standing relationships with bigger brands, making it very difficult for a small company, especially a Black-owned company to gain access to sell products. In lieu of the access, we have celebrated our participation at 2nd Street Market, Oakwood Farmers Market, and all of the hundreds of customers that we partner with throughout the year.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
At Sweet P’s Handcrafted Ice Pops, we make more than 300 flavors, including fruit-based, dairy-based, sugar-free, and poptails. All of our ice pops are made in-house by our team, using real ingredients — no additives or powders; we are always incorporating local ingredients when possible and always using as many organic ingredients as possible.
Every week, we are juicing lemons, limes, oranges, and grapefruits and cutting strawberries and watermelons. We are simmering our dairy products and making the best ice pops you will find anywhere in the world.
I am most proud of creating products that have no additives or stabilizers and I love for my kids and family to eat them.
There are other popsicle companies, but they aren’t creating the ice pops themselves, or they aren’t using real ingredients; they are using powders.
Every week, we are also talking to customers and joining corporate, family activities, weddings, and graduation parties. We get to be a part of life’s happiest moments, and we are thankful for it!
Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
Take your time, this is not a race, and your experience won’t be like anyone else’s. So, understand your strengths and weaknesses, in addition to those you are working with, and lean on those strengths.
When we started there was so much that I didn’t know, but every day is a learning experience. We now take time to step back and reflect on our experiences and allow those moments to inform our future plans.
Pricing:
- Standard Ice Pops are $4
- Standard Ice Pops in catering orders of more than 10 are $3.50
- Poptails are $6
- Catering for Reunions, Graduation Parties, Weddings, and etc are $50 for drop-off orders or $100 per hour for a member of the team to join onsite with a commercial freezer and serving.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.sweetpsicepops.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sweetpsicepops/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sweetpshandcraftedicepops
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/sweet-ps-handcrafted-ice-pops-dayton?osq=sweet+ps+ice+pops
