SHONTAY KIDD - Wut A Pickle

We have some kool Aid, cherry the red kind, some sugar, and we have some now and Laters. Yes, so I am a sugar junkie, Like I love anything sweet, the sweeter, the sweeter, the sweeter. I probably am addicted to sugar, okay, like hig chocolate and sugar. So seeing this dish, it looks like a fantasy, but it also looks a little scary because there's pickles. There's pickles on the table. There is pickles on the table. So growing up I would

always eat this dish. Um, I love pickles, And we started What a Pickle, So you're gonna experience something that I grew up eating and turned into a business. Now, when I think about women in pickles. I think of the stereotype of women being pregnant and you know, eating pickles or eating ice cream pickles or what have you. You're saying that this was like your go to dish as a kid, go to dish, never pregnant. Um, of course when I did get pregnant, I also ate them.

But way before I even thought about being pregnant, I was eating pickles. So you went to the candy store with your parents and you're like, oh uh, mom, dad, I don't want snickers, but I want a pickle. And your parents were I'm sure, like yeah, sure you can pickles. Definitely. Yeah. When she my mom, my grandmother, they kept jar of pickles in the house because they knew how much I like pickles. Yeah. Okay, well we have to before we even dive into this interview. We gotta like start the process.

Tell me what we're doing. I'm gonna stand. Okay, let's do. There we go. What a pickle? What a pickle? Onm in make what a pickle? Jokes with you? They you know what, No, they don't like the shawnte. What's up? I'm in one hell of a pickle? No they don't. But that's a good one. Um. So back then, when we ate a pickle, we would get this deal pickle right here. So if you want to do it with my hands, we can mess you today. So don't need to worry about it. Okay, So we we gotta pickle.

We're gonna put it in the bowl. Okay, Okay, you got your your red kool aid, I got my red kool Ai open it. Okay, here we go. And then we have our sugar. We have our sugar. One a little bit more sugar because you know you like a lot of Okay, you got all right for it in there were whole packet for the whole pack Oh dang, maybe I do need sugar, Okay, all right, No, I'm good. You don't have okay, yeah, here we go. So if you do want the sweeter, if you think you like

it sweeter, you can always add more sugar. Um. So, this this dish right here is a kind of a preference type. So if you want like the sweet but that tangy that's gonna touch you right here, you can have less sugar. Yeah yeah, yeah, but if you want it, you know, uh yeah, Okay, So we mixed the sugar and in a little dish, so sugar and cool aid and a little dish for all y'all listening. And then we got the pickle in the bowl. Yes, so you have to bite the pickle first, so you get that

pickle taste in your mouth first. You like pickles, right, yeah, I don't love them to the extent of pickle. That's that. Yeah, so um, after that you can either. So back in the day I used to do I'm not gonna do it right now. I used to literally put a hole with my finger. But it's okay. So what we're gonna do is just dip the I wanted to do whatever you was about to do. Okay, we're gonna do that with it now later though, So dip it, dip it. Let me see, look at this. Look at that o.

Yours looks better. It's so wet and it absorbed all the sugar. And take a bite. Now you might not get as much sugar as you want with this bite, but try it. You need a little bit more sugar. It's so tardy. This is good. It's extremely tardy. I kind of want to keep dipping it because I do love the sugar. So yeah, it's like dip sticks, but with pickles. I'm over here. Am I supposed to double up? Can I double down? That's your You know what? This is really good? This is I would have never thought

to do this. Yeah, you think right now? Women have considered this idea. Definitely. You said, I'm going to take another. Right, don't eat too much because we're gonna do that now later next. It's good, but has that tart? Okay? So I'm doing with me. I like mine on the sweeter side, like you, right, So I would definitely have more sugar with my kool aig. So even if we would have used like maybe a quarter of the pack or half of the pack, it probably would have been sweeter. So,

like I said, it's a preference thing. Some people just do it with no sugar. Can you imagine that those are like the people that eat like straight hot sauce. Yeah, definitely exactly. All right, So you want to try it with the now I'm excited. Yes. So we have a tropical and we have green apple. I want the tropical. All right, I'm gonna do green apple, reds, the oranges, and the pinks. All right, let's do it. Okay, you gotta open that now later Okay. So sometimes depending on

you know something. Now layers are softer than others. This one is pretty hard, so it might be able to go straight down that middle. Yep like that. Okay, oh, we're about to get it correct in the get it in there. That's because I've been I was eating this like I was gonna sound like it was thanksgiving them all right, So that's that's fine. So basically, when you put the now Later in there, you can't bite that top.

But what you're gonna do is you're gonna like suck it a little bit and you're gonna get all our listeners are gonna want to watch this episode. We're gonna because this this way, you're gonna get the pickle taste pusta now Later tastes. So the other way, of course, we were biting because of the kool aid was on there and it was marinating through. We can't bait this big old now Later, so just sucking a little bit.

M hm. Oh that's a different, that's a whole, that's a different, right, Yes, they should sell us as a candy. Is this what what a pickle is? So I'm sorry, yeah, yeah, mm hmm. This is Drake handy. Yes, this is bomb. So after after you know, you keep doing that a little bit, then you can start biting around the pickle and then because the don't know is in there and I could curse. This is freaking incredible. Who ever thought

you guys, You guys gotta do this, okay, go? Yeah? Yeah, So you know, as you do it, you just keep pushing it down in there. Eventually the now latter is gonna get smaller. Yeah. I was just about to say, it's gonna get smaller and softer where you'll be able to bite the now later and bite the pickle a little bit at the same time. You're doing a little bit too. My second went down their own pipe. I was sucking that pickles so m hmm. I sucked it so hard. I'm sorry. It was so good. I was

trying to suck and push at the same time. So if you want to do a little bit more, you know, if you had you can you can get a little bit up in the game. Yeah, so you can, you know, get a little bit of your sugar cool leg and put on there as well, and then it taste what that's going y'all. Honestly, I love this. This is I gotta be careful with my sucking right now, so let me get get a good get a little drink. This

is incredible. And you did this as a kid almost every day, almost every day literally before I went to school, a store across the street from me. I would go over there get a get a pickle. And back then they had the kool aid. It was in the pack and it already had the sugar with it, so it was already sweet because you know, like my mom, if I used to try to sneak some sugar, you know, back then, Mom like I need all my sugar. So I used to give me a little zip black bag,

put me a little bit of sugar in there. The kool aid. That's always been like a cool, reasonable price with that sugar. So I used to just put a little bit, you know, and just sneak on out the house. I wasn't about sixth grade, so probably what whatever, how are your parents a triumph? Actually? No, And it's it's weird because so as I got older and I started what a pickle, I found out this is a Southern tradition, so it's really popular down south. But like I said,

my mom is from Texas. My husband and mom is from Mississippi, but I didn't get it from my mom. It was just something that I used to do. So I would love to ask when was the last time you ate this dish? I know that you're you're besides, you know I always eat it while you are example of someone that loves their product always. This is this is now. If you guys see on the table we have water pickle, her the actual she's the founder owner

of what a Pickle? And can I see one of your containers as this is another red one tropical punch. I'm definitely keeping that one. Um. So you say from six years old you've been doing water pickle. Now it's so it's it's a business. This is a full time business. This is what you do and you enjoy eating this. Where did it go from? This is the snack that I eat on a regular so you know what, I think my homies would like to buy some of this. So it was crazy because me and my husband we

were just talking about like starting a business. I really really wanted to start a business. I had no idea what type of business. I went to school and got a degree in business, but I always thought I was gonna have like a daycare or something like that. But we were just talking and I'm like, I want to be at like one of these events, you know, selling something. But what's missing out here? So we started talking and

came up with pickles. I posted on I made one, like I said, so if you can see, like the product that we make now is already marinated, so you you you don't have to slice, and it's slice so you don't have to go through this process of getting the sugar, getting the kool aids, putting it on top, so it's already done for you. So I made something like that. I posted it on my Instagram, my personal instagram, and people were like, where you get that pigle from?

Like I made it, so that just gave me the motivation. They're like, okay, this is missing, you know. So then we started the business. Now I'm curious do people just drink the juice? You can drink the juice, So I kind of want to try one right now, but yeah, you might want want to try. I want to. We're gonna sample the product before the end. I want to

see if I can refill my cup with this. I have a question, have you have you guys have the one where you could like do it like dip sticks where you can have the sugar so um, they already they only come like that. But we do have something where we have like a it's called our what a mix, so you can choose different flavors. It comes in the container and we we put the now lators on top. We put the we crushed up jolly ranchers on top

because I was gonna get into that. So not just now layers can go in the middle of this, A jolly rapter can go in the middle, a peppermint stick can go in the middle, and it'll give you a totally different taste and they're all good. So definitely we have it like that where you know you can still

get that the o G kind of taste. Well, they all still taste like you know, like how we're eating right here, but you can get the now lators on top and the sour belts on top and belt you're like every like if you have kids, do I feel like your kids must room they love pickles? Oh yeah, yeah, always has a candy. But the crazy part is I'm not really a sweet eater, like when it comes to snacks and stuff, but this was always my go to snack. So you're with your husband. You're like, honey, boo, I

want to start a business. And he's like, well, baby, you've been eating pickles a lot. Maybe there's other people like so, where does it go from before you get to Instagram and post the idea? Um? I made well yeah, Like like you said, we were having the conversation and I'm like, what about pickles? You know? I was like, I'm about to make me a pickle, you know, and so and he was like we were just talking. I'm like,

I think we can start a pickle business. So I came up with all these names with my with my name like Shanta pickles. And he's like, no, we were If we're gonna start this, we're about to take it somewhere. So we don't want pickles. So he came up with what a pickle? So um From that day for the the the event that I wanted to do initially, the first ever event from seeing people out there and stuff, which was Tasted Soul is the first ever event that we did. And how do you guys do awesome? You

got awesome? Did you guys sell out? Because we'll stakes the soul is kind of overwhelming. So man, and you tried to prepare and then you're like, we're still done in about three hours. So the thing is, I had no idea how to prepare for it because all I know is when I went out there, I would see thousands of people. So I'm like, I don't know how

much to prepare. So I over prepared. But I'm like, I'd rather over prepared then sell out, because I mean, you know, like selling out, you're missing some money because it's some more people that want to come and get some bigs. So I'm like, I'd rather have more than enough than not enough. So I overprepared. I did not sell out, but we were giving samples out. We were giving all our business cards and from then we still have people that come to our store now that got

one from the Tast of Soul. So where's your store located. It's in North Long Beach on sixty seventh Long Beach, Blevar And you know how I discovered you guys. You guys are also in uplift us marketing. We are, yes, so we do wholesale. We're offlift us marketplace. We're in a throoit of a few other locations as well, and we're franchising now, franchising experience. Oh my goodness, it's an experience, um that I wasn't looking. I didn't know how you know,

everything was gonna go. But it's definitely a little bit overwhelming. Um, but we're getting through it, you know. So the process is it's a long process because it's a lot of legal stuff that we have to go through. But once we're done with that part, which we are now done with that part, Um, I just can't wait to see other just every state, every different cities. Like it's a lot of people right there. It's a lot of people

right there. So and like it started from this. So looking at your journey to like having what a Pickle, what would you say was like some of the hardest obstacles you have to overcome. Well, I think makes um more than I have a family, So I have two kids. I started what a Pickle when my daughter was nine months old. She's six. Now, that's very ambitious. I just had an eight month old, so you know, hard it started, Yeah, started started. And the crazier part is she was kind

of our inspiration too, because she loved these pickles. So when I first made mine, I did it the old school way with just putting it on top, you know, biden it. And she kept asking for it, kept asking for it, and I'm like, you can't have all this sweet. So I put it in the refrigerator and as it's setting there, I forgot it the next day. And then I went back to it the next day and it was in a bag and it had accumulated juice and it had set in that juice. So that's how started. Yeah,

I see that it changed cousin. So that's how that that part of it started because I was trying to hide it from her. So and then did you you obviously you sampled and you said that's red. Bout must still eat it? Oh yeah, No, definitely, because I know that it can turn red. Like if you look at George right now in the middle is probably a little bit red. So and that's just from sitting you know, a few minutes or whatever. So definitely. So did the

nine months old love the red pickles? Love them, still love them to this day. She caused every day like, um, can't bring me a pickle. She's six. Wow, So she's from nine months to six years old. You've had this business. What a crazy journey. Yeah, we actually opened our first our location on her fifth birthday, so we had her birthday party and our grand opening at the same time.

So she thinks she's just you know, the Picko Princess was entrepreneurship everything you imagined or was there like some Yeah, I didn't know this part of the job. I didn't know any part of it because I've always worked from since I was fourteen years old, so I you know, I was always kind of a hustler. Back in school. I used to sell I used to put um the sour belts in the bag and sell them at school a dollar. Hey, you know so and then at a

point we were selling pickles. We were selling you know, so you were selling pickles in school at school at schools and buying it, buying it but not not and like we would put um like a little baggy with a little bit of sugar, a little bit of cool laid in there, and you know, you get you get both. You just you know, poor in there. But yeah, but entrepreneurship is it's a lot. Yeah, it's really. I think that when you become an entrepreneur, you know, I don't

have to work as much. I'm gonna be my own boss. It's seven. It's totally different from me working my nine my nine five. When I clock out and I go home, I ain't gotta think about it no more regularly. Definitely, when you're an entrepreneur, I always tell people, like when you own a business, I always assume for every business I open, I don't really make my first checks a year three. Yeah, because you're you know, you're reinvesting, and

then you're fixing problems or challenges. I'd say, right. And then every time your customer gives you data I called data or like feedback. Why isn't it like this, You're like, that's brilliant, you know. Yeah, like with us with coming up with new flavors. We have over twenty one flavors. Now, yes, I saw, what are these other flavors? So we have green apple and a spicy mango, spicy mango. How do you make it spicy? It's a it's a secret. I don't want you to tell us. But spicy mango. I

love mango, and that's the spicy mango. The one you have was green apple. Wow, So green apple, tropical Punch and spicy mango are top sellers. I feel like if there's a is going on right now, like if I went to that circus, like I would totally buy this. If I went to a carnival like this would be it's like to go friendly. You can even probably if you're you know, you're just on the go, you're like, just throw a couple in the bag and let's go. Oh yeah, And it lasts a while and it doesn't

need to be cold. It does not. Some people like them cold, but some people don't, so we sell them like this, So it's your preference to go put it in a refrigerator. Some people put in the freezer. They like them, like, yes, yes, but so with that, now we make a slushy and we put pickles on top of our slushy at the store. Really yes, really, so when people walk into your store, like, what does that experience like? Baby like, especially if you're like a pickle fanatic,

it's like pickle him. Yeah, the girl from a Jersey shore I forgot snooky. Wasn't she like a big pickle? She probably she would love it. Yes, So we have like a wall of pickles, that's what we call it. So it's all of our jaws are so different color pickles. So you just see all the pickles right there. Then you see like all the pouches. So you when you walk in there, you know you're in a pickle store because you smell pickles. So yeah, they you know, it's

a it's experienced, definitely. It's long beach and we shipped nation wide, ship nation wide. Yes, So growing up, Like, tell me a little bit more about your upbringing in your background. So growing up, like you said, I'm straight out of Compton. Um. It was me, my mom and my two siblings. Um. And we grew up like living in the back of my grandma house. Um and you know, in the house behind her. Yeah. So but my mom she was like she never allowed us to see her struggle.

But you know how like you kind of like pick up on things, like she would get us what we needed, but she would go to the thrift store and buy her work clothes, you know. So it but I saw that, even though she wasn't saying it, like we saw that. So, like I said, I knew I probably can get things from her, but I didn't want to kind of bother her with him. So that's when I started, you know, selling the candy, and you know making my own money

or start going to work at fourteen. You know, it's because I'm like, I just kind of want to lift the burden from her a little bit. So now it was discussion. It was just it was never a discussion. Yeah, so um you know. Just and then with my brother, he was he's five years older, and I saw him, you know, doing the same thing with you know, just trying to make it on his not on his own, but just trying to lift the burden from my mom,

you know. So um yeah, and now it's like my mom is gonna be taken care of, like for sure, for sure we're on the way of mom. Here you go. Are you hearing up when I talking about my mom? I here? But no, definitely so um yeah. She just and then like she tells everybody she is so proud of us, like so so proud. If you're go on her Facebook or whatever, why is today crying? Then I

don't want to start anything. I'm sorry, I feel like coming. No, but like she she tells everybody, Um, when I say, she will come and get samples and give to people, like she let everybody know my daughter got this business. Y'all need to go over to here. Y'all need to support her. Y'all got to try it like she she does that, she does that, she's so proud. Wow, that's incredible.

I think as a child, you're always like I don't know, especially if your parents report you, Like I can't wait till I blow up and I buy my mam a house in a car. I'm still working on that. Mama, Mama car picked me. She's like, you made it. I'm like, well, what is it? It was like a black escalate, but like I said, my name on it. She was like, you made it. You've a right there. Like okay, I

want to be there. But I think as a kid, you're like I want to say thank you to know, definitely, especially when a parent is like really discreet about it, and it's like it's not a it's an unspoken spoken you know. Yeah, like I said, she never actually spoke that to us. She never ever. We we always had, you know, what we needed. She always cooked the meal for us and stuff like that. But I can see it, especially as you get older, so it's like, okay, I'm

not gonna ask her for too much. That's how I was like, like all the kids of school, like if you don't have nikes in Jordan's, they're like make fun of h but yeah, they make fun of you, but you knew, like if you went cold shopping with your parents, like they give you like whatever it was, but like

you don't say anything. You don't like you see how you see the nikes in the Jordan's that I save you from both Like it's okay, those payless sneakers over there, I got some shoes on my feet, right, Yeah, but I get that emotional like experience where it's like you get what your parents took going through. You know they're trying your best, but it's cool that it also inspired you to go out there and get your own money. Definitely, Yeah, especially like I said, as I got older, you know, um,

because you have you ever had any failed businesses? This was my first business. It's your first day surpass the

first year. Yeah, oh no, definitely definitely. But when I say I was hustling, I would meet people where every day were you didn't have a day job or anything while you're doing us not when not No, not when I first started, Um, I was actually out on disability because it just had but yeah exactly so um and like I said back then that the pouches were five dollars each, But I don't care if I had to drive.

I'm coming to meet you. You whether if you're buying a five dollar pouch or or started this, you're like almost selling them out of your car slash events. Oh yeah, oh yeah, definitely yeah yeah, So it didn't just happened. This was six years ago. So now six years sport we have a food truck and in a location. But no, back then it was I was popping up every single weekend and whoever was would you show up to yeah, say like football game? Yes? And what's your husband doing?

Want all this? Man, this is going on. He's like supporting you and back definitely supporting now he was right there is he working to kind of buy you time to your businesses fully off the ground when we when we first started, definitely he was. And now you're both now we're both full time in congratulate, Yes, congratulations, And you guys get along because I had sisters on this show, and I don't understand where all these people that get along perfectly fine or from. Oh no, it has not

always been. I'm not even gonna lie to you, because it's been nice where it's like I ain't cooking, I didn't clean it, but guess what I'm palking. I'm packing, packing these pouches. I'm flavoring these pickles, and you know, like I was doing that. So then as time went on, it was like, Okay, let's let's see how we can do this. Okay, I need you to label these pouches so then I can go in there and fry some chicken real quick, and then I can come back to that.

Then you're gonna seal these pouches while I go in here and get the baby together. So it's like we have to just kind of like you know, work it out. But at first it was like we was bumping heads. I think it's interesting and even on this show, I see so much different roles that the men play, and I really value that, and I value the men that appreciate their wives that are like, yeah, well I was

creating the product, she was labeling her. In this case, you know, this is your baby and he's coming on to support and most men aren't willing to even kind to do that, but he totally stepped up and he, I guess, learned how to fry chicken every once. In a while. Now yeah, so now it's we're like I said, six years later because then the first couple of years was like you know, but um yeah, so now he helps he we both work at the store. Um, we

both work on our the food truck. Um. So we just we just have to put it together because we know now like this is it? Like you know now I know since George Floyd, I feel like black owned businesses have gotten an influx of support about damn. Time sucks that that's what it took to happen. And it sucks that it took the end of the world to actually acknowledge it, you know, for lack of better word, happened. Um was it hard? I'm sure you had to get some type of funding, But was it hard to get

that funding? I'm getting pre George Floyd? So actually I have never got any funding ever ever, Oh my gosh. Ever, so how do you deal with the cash phone all that? So basically when we we hustle, we hustle and saved and invested, and we hust so and we say it and we reinvested. We're still hustling and saving and reinvesting right now. So like doing this franchise now, it's not cheat,

you know. So it's like we has anyone come along and said, oh well, you could just borrow and skip steps two and three, or you guys aren't comfortable taking that, Like I actually I haven't even put it out there or tried to get anything, and it probably would be easier to you know, skipping those steps to do it. But at the same time, I don't like own people. Oh yeah, I'm one of those people. I pay my

bills before they're doing. So it's just like, you know, if I now push come to shove and it's like, okay, I need this, if we get to that point, then you know, I can probably do those necessary steps. But God has been blessing where we've been able to just do it and reinvest. And yeah, so if someone wants to franchise, like when is it? When are they able to franchise if they wanted to do now right right now? So we have some cities and the works right now,

some states and it works right now. Um so right now they're able to crazy now is it one of those things? And you don't have to answer this question, but I'm pretty sure anyone that wants to get into the water Pickle franchise is going to be asking these questions, but like, is it one of those things where like I know it's seven eleven, you don't fully own it. It's like you do splits or is there like a heavy capital up front and then a split Like I don't.

So there's a franchise fee that you pay up front and then after that we get a royalty so every month, but you fully own it. But you still have to you know, by by um having these flavors. Yeah, all the guidelines so um so, just so that all the franchises can look the same, can offer the same. I don't want you to go to Atlanta and or to you know, Mississippi and it's we have different things. Now, is there like a McDonald's just like a water pick

McDonald's University. Is there like a water Pickle universe? There we have We're gonna we have a thick book and then we offer all the training everything from A to Z. Yeah that now for marketing purposes, have you ever thought about reaching out to the girl from Jersey Shore to like say, hey, um, I'm starting to do that now, but I haven't really. Um So a lot of people now are kind of like reaching out to me like and are tagging people like, no, y'all need to try

what a pickle? I feel like, yeah, definitely, yeah, you know so um so yeah. But like I think to even you know, to get it out there even more. Doing things like that will definitely probably you know, work, but I just haven't really had the time, you know, to sit looking on Instagram or you know, trying to figure out how to get it to these people. So that's the only reason. Now, how has COVID nightteen in facted?

So we actually opened our store during COVID. People have money during people had money during Hovid, but they couldn't go to stores. So with hours it wasn't a sit it's not a sit down restaurant, so it was a takeout. So we were able to still be open yet, but you wanted to pay the retail fee for that, like the store feef, because that's an extra overhead versus like just kind of I hate to say about singing out

your house. So actually we had our store prior to COVID, right, so we were still you know, doing all the construction and all that stuff. So we we actually we're doing was doing that once COVID hit, but we still open in November, so it was still during like you know, a prime time of COVID um. But it was kind of hard because, like I said, I had no idea about the permits I needed, and it was hard working

with the city. Now that was how that was hard during COVID because there because there wasn't open, so it was like we have to email, we have to wait. Um. So then it was like, uh, the contractor pull up the floor. Now we're waiting a couple of weeks because nobody is contacting us back to finish it. So it just you know, it just delayed the process of the city. Was that involved in a retail like that? Oh yeah they are are because ours considered a limited restaurant. So

I have to put a kitchen in there. I have to put a kitchen. Yes, do you need to kitchen? We have to, yeah, because we're slicing, we're flavoring and everything. So it's not like you know, we had to have So when I got the building, it was just an office space, so I had to dig a floor, I have to do plumbing. I had a big investment and yourself funded off your own business. Yes, let me just say that that's a big milestone. That's a really big milestone I have. Most of my business is the biggest

problem is cash. Cash what was my worst nightmare. I'm so used to cash f I have a fat ass savings account, savings because I'm trying to get like, yeah, I have to and I can't even do the roth I raise or anything because my cash fall was so ridiculously horrible that I'm like, yeah, I'm not gonna pay to unlock my money. Yeah, definitely, I have no retirement funds that savings account. But there's no interesting you know, cash was so bad, but you're able to build a business.

Like there's one thing when you have a business, you know, running out of your garage and you're like, okay, we're making it. But then you go, okay, I'm gonna get a food truck. Okay, that's the next level scary, and you're like, I'm gonna fund this off. Say the income that I made selling it out of Events are out the trunk of my car, Meeting up with people are

off Instagram. Right then you go, you know what, let me just add one more layer of hell to it, and let's just um, I know, we got these two babies and we're trying chicken in the kitchen every other night. But we're going over the store. Like, at what part where you like, am I getting a little There was no part of me that was like I'm a little scared. No, definitely I was scared, but I think it was more or less like I'm really stepping out and I'm about

to do this. Only so with the store, it was like I knew how I was doing with dropping off down the street, around the corner, meeting here, meeting there. So I was like, if I have a central location for all these people to come, I know the cash flow is gonna come even even more, you know. So it was more or less like I needed to do that, you know. So I was like, okay, I didn't save, let me do this. So then it was like, okay, now on the food truck. You know, in my mind

just be going now I want a food truck. And are you like, Okay, if we hit this goal, we can get the food truck. Is that how you're like? I want to know your mind process, Like what are you thinking when you're like, honey, I know business is doing great, and our problem mind was looking good, but I'm thinking just let's read in one more time, like, what what is your thought? My husband he'd just be

like okay, okay. But at the same time, it's like I'm like, look because he's more he's not really he's involved with the business, but I do like all the business, the money everything. So he like, he seen me selling, but he don't know how much money we gotta saved. He don't know how much, you know. So it was like the CEO, yeah, yeah, yeah, everything. So I'm like little perfect person for this franchise building. So I was like, look,

we saved this much. I want to get this building already called, already got to prove and I want to do it. So we did that. Okay, we have to build in a year before we even open, so you know, the first couple of months free, fine, but after that, you know we're paying and it's not even open. You're negotiating your least terms if you didn't hire a consultant or anything. Wow, And then before you start your business.

I'm just solely impressed by the fact that you a nine month old because I struggle with that and you decide I'm gonna start a business. But before that, like what is your background work wise? Like I was doing logistics so nothing with food, nothing, you know, I just like trucking. So you're trucking. Yeah, so I was getting things like clear for from customs to come. Yeah from that. Yeah, you're you're a boss. So now I get why you inspire so many women. Now how do these women know

your story? Though? So? Um? Just from interviews um or like when people come in, they the number one question is why and how what made you start this business? You know? So and then that leads into you know, different things. So you know, I kind of tell my story and they just be like wow, you know, never nobody ever would think off pickles, you know. So it's like I'm like and I tell everybody, I don't care what it is. If it's your passion, then you better do it. Like and you can do it now. Your

baby was nine months. I just became a mom. So I'm still fascinating by this. Now I have a twin and her kid is like in daycare and you know, you know, they have the support me my husband not so much. So I'm trying to I'm trying to gauge how superhero level you are or we like, you know, Chrystian, I can't stop you. Did you have a little bit of babysitting out for in the beginning? No, um, so it's your business grew. Oh yeah, definitely. I'm like, okay,

I gotta find a daycare. I gotta put her in something. And it was kind of like, okay, you're talking a little baby. Yeah, that's definitely down down. Let me just sell this people. And that's exactly how it was. So I'm like, yeah, so after you know, business picked up, I'm like, okay, i gotta put her in a daycare. But I'll only do it like half a day. I'm like, because he was so used to being with me, I'm like, okay, I'm putting there half a day and try to do

all that I can within that half a day. I wanted to know it was like you were selling pickles at one point with her in the back seat. That's all I want to know. She was in the back seat. Definitely. I have I have ed events, I have videos of her like pickos, get your pickus here. I love it. I love it. I think I totally see why women see you as such an inspiration to be a mom, opening a business and surviving a pandemic and scaling a

business with no funding. That's incredible. I know so many companies and for lack of better word, like I say, like white companies that can't do what you're able to do. And I hate to say it like that, but like, I don't know that many companies that have made it to the level that you have without funding and you're not, you know, And I feel like in the black community, I come across more entrepreneurs that do it self funding

and just so empowering. I think we don't have like the necessary resources to know where to go get this fun in or how to start the process of getting it. So you know, we're like, well, we do know how to do is tussle and say or if you really want to, you can say. But some people they can't even say. But I'm more of a I'm gonna say because I want to get this. I want to buy a cash like my food truck. I don't have a payment I have I have two trucks. I have a

smaller truck and I have a food truck. Both of them no no note, both of them wrapped, both of them. Like investors listening to this what a pickle? How can we how can we invest in water pickle? You know? Well, now you're gonna have to franchise. Yeah, yeah, yeah, definitely. Well, um, I know I sucked the heck out of my pickles, so uh. In the rating scale, now that I'm raising the dishes, I would rate this, I would say a

ten and I'm a raiding. I'm gonna tell you what I'm raiding it a tenant and what I'm basing it off of I'm basing it off of it. It's not necessarily a full meal, but it is like a fun, awesome snack, and I would raid it a tent also because technically, if you can't make this at home, you can buy it, so um, that's what makes this this pretty amazing. So now I know where to get my water pickles. They're sweet if you're a sweeter sweet person, and if you just want to randomly stop by the

store and pick up a packet. Now, ladies, can you get away with starbus not start Star Wars? Can you do Star Wars with this? You? I don't think so. I think it'd melt in there because the texture. Yeah yeah, yeah, but jolly rancher, you know, it's hard. You get my mind turned up what you can do with a pickle, But honestly, it's a pleasure to have water pickle in the building, Shante, and it was a pleasure to experience this, and I'm so thankful that what you contribute to the community.

And thanks for taking time out your day. Thanks for having me boy, and for everyone, Please, if you are curious how it tastes, go can you buy this online dm her and pick your flavor. She has flavors of water pickle, and honestly, like this is you got, at least try it once and obviously you'll probably be hooked, but at least try it once and come join the experience with us. But thank you, thank you, thank you.

Definitely try out the dish at home. Let me know what you think and tell me if my rating was on points out of ten and I'm gonna finish my dish and I ain't choking in front of y'all. For more eating while broke from I Heart Radio and The Black Effect, visit the I Heart Radio app, Apple podcast, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.