Where Are They Now?

	We’d like to reintroduce you to Shana and Laura of The Sweetest Bean, our 2022 Year-End Amber Grant winner.

What advice would you give to a new business owner in your industry?

It’s okay to make mistakes and learn along the way. Entering the food industry, coming from a service-based business before, there were and still are, so many things to learn. Don’t be afraid to partner with other like-minded businesses owners you think would make a great collaboration and someone who has been in the industry for a longer period of time. Learning from others and making strategic decisions to help you grow your business will help you in the long run.

What was the most important lesson you’ve learned in your business?

One of the most important lessons we have learned in our business is to prioritize where to spend money and plan for the areas of growth that you think will make the most impact and help to propel you forward. It is really easy to become overwhelmed by all of the things you want to do, but it’s imperative to understand the areas that will help you to increase production and efficiency which will in turn allow you to increase sales and acquire new customers.

What part of your industry was the hardest for you to overcome? How did you do it?

In the vanilla sector, we are competing against businesses that have been passed down from generation to generation and have a long history and established presence in stores. One of the hardest things we are trying to overcome is differentiating ourselves from others. Why purchase vanilla from us, versus a brand you are familiar with that is tried and true? With the help of the funds from The Amber Grant, we rebranded in 2024 and that has made a huge difference! We know our vanilla is some of the finest and we wanted our brand to represent what is inside every bottle. We are continuing to come up with new and creative ways to increase awareness, navigate new sales channels and drive repeat sales. There will always be something to overcome, but taking one step at a time has been our motto.

Can you share industry-specific resources and/or professional organizations that you’ve found helpful?

In 2024, we became a women-owned certified business through WBENC. Being recognized as a certified women-owned business has become more and more important today. Other businesses want to support women-owned and it provides validation for all of our hard work. It also opens more doors for sales and new distribution channels. In 2025, we participated in their WeThrive program. For any startup, rising business or even businesses that are thriving, it is a tremendous program. You learn a great deal about operations as well as your mindset on how to treat your business and yourself.