Welcome to the Autism Advantage podcast! I’m your host, Tom D’Eri, the COO and co-founder of Rising Tide Car Wash. In case you’re not familiar with what we do, we employ a fantastic team of individuals with autism, allowing us to empower our staff while offering a fantastic experience to customers. We believe that individuals with autism are an incredible untapped resource for many business, and this show is dedicated to proving that employing these people can create real competitive advantages.
Ray Steffey, along with his son Joe, founded Poppin’ Joe’s Gourmet Kettle Korn. We’ve had the opportunity to share Ray’s story quite a bit in our Awakening the Autism Entrepreneur workshops, and the reason behind the company really resonates with the people who have come. As you’ll hear in this episode, the company’s story begins when Joe was in high school. Ray was told that Joe has no attention span, can’t say on task, would probably never hold a job, and would likely live in a group home for his whole life.
When he heard this in April of 2000, Ray knew that he had to prove these predictions wrong. On a cruise to Alaska, he saw a booth with a constant line, and discovered it was selling kettle corn. He watched the process of making and selling the corn, and realized that the multiple tasks involved might be perfect for Joe. They bought used equipment, and on October 1, 2000 -- less than half a year after that fateful conversation at Joe’s school -- they had their first event.
They sold several hundred dollars’ of kettle corn that first weekend, and have been developing their business ever since. Joe became the owner of the kettle corn business in April 2005. Since then, the business has grown so much that he’s selling over $70,000 in popcorn every year.
In terms of daily functionality, Joe doesn’t like to repeat one task over and over. The other workers in the business know that Joe is the owner, so when he approaches the station where they’re working (such as the bagging station), their job is to go to the station he just came from (such as the mixing station).
You’ll also learn in this episode how Joe is able to handle being at large venues with tens of thousands of people even though he doesn’t like being around more than a handful of people at a time, how the business is staying in the family across several generations, Ray’s advice to people who are considering starting a business, and much more!
In This Episode:
[00:58] - Ray talks about why he started Poppin’ Joe’s, sharing the story of the moment he knew that he had to prove people wrong and ensure Joe would have a productive, fulfilling life.
[03:27] - We learn that diving into the business was fairly straightforward because the people who sold Ray the equipment already had dates for sales lined up, so they just had to call the venues and finish getting everything lined up.
[04:46] - Ray talks about where the funding for Poppin’ Joe’s came from, and how successful the business is today.
[06:32] - Going into the process, did Ray think the business would definitely succeed? Did he know that Joe would gravitate toward the work? As Ray answers, he shares some information on the practical details of how the business runs.
[07:48] - Joe doesn’t like to be around a lot of people, and tends to disappear at family gatherings, for example. Ray talks about how this has played out when the business has been at a festival with thousands of people.
[09:26] - Tom points out that Ray couldn’t have known for long that this was going to be the path for Joe, since he only discovered kettle corn during that trip to Alaska. At what point did Ray figure out that this was what they would do for Joe?
[11:30] - We learn about how Ray helps Joe make the connection between the work he does and the positive things he gets to do with the money he earns.
[12:17] - Joe is 30, and his parents are in their 70s. They put the word out that they’re looking for a co-owner for the business to ensure it moves forward once Ray and his wife aren’t able to be as actively involved, and now their oldest grandson has indicated interest.
[13:50] - Tom shares his perspective on involving multiple generations in an autism-involved business, and making it endure.
[13:38] - What would be Ray’s advice for people who are looking to start a business?
[16:38] - Tom points out that what Ray is describing is a full and fulfilling life, and the ideal small business entrepreneur’s lifestyle.
[17:50] - We hear Tom’s thoughts on Ray’s point about feeling like ordinary folks who decided to do something and ended up going on a great journey.
[19:37] - How would Ray advise somebody who wants to figure out what their son or daughter with autism is interested in, with the goal of starting a business around it?
[21:59] - Ray lists some ways that listeners can get involved with the business (other than buying their kettle corn!).
Links and Resources:
Poppin’ Joe’s Gourmet Kettle Korn
Poppin Joe’s Kettle Corn on Facebook
Awakening the Autism Entrepreneur
University of Miami-Nova Southeastern University Center for Autism & Related Disabilities
Denise Resnik has had a truly remarkable entrepreneurial background and has been in business as a marketing communications consultant for 30 years. Her projects include the Southwest Autism Research and Resource Center (SARRC), First Place AZ, DRA Collective, and, most importantly for today’s conversation, the remarkable SMILE Biscotti.
Denise is also the proud mother of a young man with autism, Matt, who was diagnosed at age 2. She was told to love, accept, and eventually institutionalize her son, which she found unacceptable. Instead of following that path, Denise used Matt as her source of inspiration, and together they created SMILE Biscotti. Ever since, they’ve been working to find a better way for Matt and others like him.
Originally, SMILE stood for “Supporting Matt’s Independent Living Enterprise.” As the company grew, though, it evolved; the name now stands for “Supporting My Independent Living Enterprise.” The company’s true goal and mission is to help other families build employment opportunities and a sense of community for those with autism.
The company’s very first order was for 1,500 biscotti for a special event in late 2013. Now, it’s extremely successful. SMILE has sold over 160,000 biscotti, and the product is a top seller at a local branch of a major coffee chain.
In our conversation today, Denise emphasizes the fact that the work isn’t just about making, packaging, and selling biscotti, but also about truly creating a community. The employees experience this community when they shop for ingredients from people who know about the company, when they make deliveries to devoted repeat customers, and even when they go to the bank. Tune in to learn about all of this and much more, and maybe to get the inspiration and knowledge you need to take the next steps with your own autism-supporting venture!
In This Episode:
[01:27] - What inspired Denise to start on this journey, and what continues to motivate her?
[02:02] - We learn more about why Denise and her husband, Rob, founded SMILE Biscotti and how their goals have evolved.
[03:39] - SMILE Biscotti started with Denise’s grandmother’s recipe. They experimented with it and found that they were able to create a twice-baked product with a long shelf life.
[04:56] - Tom steps in to clarify for listeners that Denise essentially took an existing skill and pre-sold it, rather than raising capital first. Denise then brings up a few other points, and emphasizes that it has been a feel-good business rather than a feel-sorry-for message.
[06:42] - What did Denise learn from the feedback from early taste testers of the product? This process, she explains, is how they settled on their four flavors: Cinnamon Vanilla, Mocha Magic, Double Chocolate Chip, and Butterscotch Bliss.
[07:37] - Denise raves about how great it’s been to start a family business with children, parents, aunts, and uncles all involved in different ways.
[09:44] - There’s a misconception that entrepreneurship is about you against the world, and a sense of rugged individualism. Tom points out that this is completely wrong, and it’s all about mentors and community.
[11:18] - Denise expands on Tom’s point about supporting each other, discussing how Matt and his coworkers support each other and create efficiency.
[12:52] - How has building this business affected Matt? Denise lists some of the incredible benefits that Matt has seen from the project.
[14:28] - Matt and Denise have been baking together for most of his life, so he already had a lot of experience before the business opened.
[15:54] - Denise discusses how the project has impacted her perception of how capable people with autism are. She also explains how successful their biscotti has been locally, and touches on the role of autism in their marketing and messaging.
[18:19] - Denise goes into more depth about the way that the packaging talks about autism.
[19:37] - What does Denise feel the business implications are that she’s learned from building SMILE?
[20:42] - Tom points out that the messaging is able to talk about how the person is able to realize their own goals, and SMILE is helping them get there. He then points out that at Rising Tide Car Wash, they have the huge advantage of not needing to pay for advertising.
[22:58] - Denise has been seeing that advantage as well, and mentions the loyalty that they see from their repeat customers.
[24:33] - What’s Denise’s vision for the future of SMILE? In her answer, she talks about her perspective on growing the company.
[26:15] - The best way for listeners to get involved with SMILE is to reach out to them through their website. (Another option, of course, is to support the company by buying some of their delicious biscotti!)
Links and Resources:
Southwest Autism Research and Resource Center (SARRC)
University of Miami-Nova Southeastern University Center for Autism & Related Disabilities
Welcome to the Autism Advantage podcast! I’m your host, Tom D’Eri, the COO and co-founder of Rising Tide Car Wash. In case you’re not familiar with what we do, we employ a fantastic team of individuals with autism, allowing us to empower our staff while offering a fantastic experience to customers. We believe that individuals with autism are an incredible untapped resource for many business, and this show is dedicated to proving that employing these people can create real competitive advantages.
Wendy Kohman is one of our favorite Awakening the Autism Entrepreneur workshop participants! We did a series of ten workshops across the country in partnership with the University of Miami to inspire people to start businesses supporting people with autism. Wendy had already founded the incredible Katie’s Snack Cart, but participated in the workshops anyway, and we were delighted to have her there!
When Wendy’s daughter, Katie, was in middle school, they began the transition process with Katie’s school. They evaluated what Katie liked and was good at, and what she could offer in the working world. Using her strengths and interests, they figured out that giving her a good and meaningful life after high school would likely involve food, being on the move, and interacting with people. After a lot of thought, strategizing, and creativity, they came up with the idea of a food cart selling great alternatives to vending machine junk.
They started things off by borrowing a cart from Katie’s school, buying some healthy snacks, making banana bread, and going to the two places that they knew would be safe to try out the concept: their church office, and Wendy’s husband’s office. They found that people enjoyed the idea (and their food!). From there, they’ve had the luxury of being able to expand at their own pace while learning what works and what doesn’t.
In addition to going into more depth about all this, Wendy talks about some of the things they’ve learned throughout the process so far, what their goals are for Katie’s Snack Cart, how Katie has done with the process and business, how customers have responded to the venture, and much more!
In This Episode:
[01:25] - Wendy starts things off by telling the story behind Katie’s Snack Cart, and explaining how they settled on the idea of starting a food cart.
[03:35] - Tom draws out some of the interesting things that Wendy explained during her story about starting the food cart.
[04:01] - How has the experience been so far? In her answer, Wendy explores how they started testing the idea in a limited environment to assess whether it might work.
[05:49] - Wendy talks about some of the most important things they’ve learned so far in the process of running Katie’s Snack Cart. She points out that because this is not their main livelihood, they have the luxury of being able to go slowly.
[07:56] - Tom points out how well Wendy has done the prototyping process, and why it was so important. He points out that the path leads from unconscious incompetence, to conscious incompetence, to conscous competence, to unconscious competence.
[09:22] - How has the business gone so far? In her answer, Wendy talks about their growth so far and their anticipated growth in the future.
[10:59] - The immediate goal for Katie’s Snack Cart has always been to give Katie a meaningful life. Wendy expands on this, and their secondary goals. Tom then points out that this is a legitimate business filling a real market need that they’re weaving Katie’s strengths into.
[13:16] - We hear what Wendy has learned about what people want and need from this business.
[15:16] - Before starting the business, Wendy went on an assumption that people wanted things other than typical vending machine fare. Beyond that, she has learned everything since doing it, and points out that you can’t just go on assumptions.
[16:01] - Wendy talks about how Katie has done with this whole process, and how her cart helps her handle new environments.
[18:09] - Tom points out that they were nervous about how employees would respond to the chaos of a car wash, but they too found that the employees were successful once they had familiarity with the process of what they’re supposed to do.
[18:58] - Wendy has hired two other young adults (one with autism, and one without) as bakers.
[20:31] - Every single comment that Wendy has received from customers who already know them has been very, very positive. People at locations where people didn’t already know them were a bit standoffish at the beginning, but have now warmed up and enjoy Katie’s presence and business.
[22:31] - How can listeners get involved with Katie’s Snack Cart?
Links and Resources:
Katie’s Snack Cart on Facebook
Awakening the Autism Entrepreneur
University of Miami-Nova Southeastern University Center for Autism & Related Disabilities