Mom Invented

Beth George's story touched me and I think you will feel inspired too. Beth was unwilling to accept the host of diagnoses and psychotropic drugs doctors recommended to deal with her son’s unpredictable behavior.  Instead, she was determined to figure out the cause. After years of struggling, she discovered that her son was allergic to a common wheat and certain artificial food additives. Once she removed these ingredients from her son's diet, miraculously his symptoms disappeared. This inspired her to start a baking company, Spelt Right® Baking, that only uses organic, all natural materials with no artificial ingredients of any kind in their products.

Here's her story:

Why did you start this company and when?
My husband, Tim Kane, and I started the company out of a home kitchen in 2007.

As a younger child, our son was diagnosed with a host of neurological disorders and behavioral problems, including pervasive developmental disorder, sensory integrative disorder, Asperger's Syndrome, and ADHD.  As an attorney who had worked for 10 years with children in crisis, I was alarmed at the rising number of children exhibiting a pattern of behavioral issues. The standard recommendation of the professional communities to respond with psychotropic drugs. I was very skeptical of the diagnosis that my son received because he did not consistently meet the diagnostic criteria of these disorders. Some days he was perfectly fine, and other days, he might be completely distraught, bright red ears, flapping hands, disengaged, or hyperactive. I was convinced that something was triggering these reactions, but I was just not sure what. It took years of investigation, but finally, one of the most obvious, but overlooked causes, became abundantly clear. He was nutritionally imbalanced and had a significant sensitivity to common wheat and to certain artificial food additives.

Once we removed common wheat and artificial additives, the changes in his life were profound.  He no longer experienced the unruly behaviors, disengagement, or physical manifestations.  He is not on any medications and he is doing well physically, behaviorally, emotionally, and academically.

Having found the solution for our son (which is an on-going process), we needed to find kid-friendly foods he could eat without having a negative reaction. Through tests, we learned that he was not gluten intolerant, but definitely had a reaction to common wheat.  We found spelt to be a great alternative for him, but could not find "kid friendly" spelt products. We searched in grocery stores and on the internet. In 2006, I started asking local bakeries if they would bake in spelt and they all refused indicating that the grain was much too difficult.   At that point, I knew that I had to take the matter into my own hands, both figuratively and literally.

Therefore, I launched Spelt Right® Baking specializing in the ancient grain, spelt, which traces its origins more than 5000 years ago to the Fertile Crescent.  In addition to its depth of flavor, spelt is high in protein, complex B vitamins, fiber, complex carbohydrates, and other nutrients. Although spelt is not gluten free and therefore not appropriate for people with a celiac condition, many people who are sensitive to common wheat find they enjoy spelt.

I asked my son what he was really missing. His first response was bagels. So, I set out to make the best spelt bagel I could make. It took several months to perfect, but when I finally made one that not only resembled a bagel, but tasted pretty darn good, my son gave me a two thumbs up.

The bagels varieties are named after our children and friends: Simply Spencer (plain spelt), Outrageous Olivia (cinnamon/raisin), Everything Emma, Sesame Mucho, and Maddie's Choice (100% whole grain spelt)

We knew that we were on to something and decided that we needed to market these products.

What were your initial goals?
Our initial goals were to create a unique product line of all natural and organic spelt baked goods that were nutritious yet tasty, and to build brand awareness in Maine.  Our ultimate goal is to become a premiere spelt bake house in the Northeast and perhaps nationally. Of course, we also seek to become a profitable entity that provides equity for our family in the future. We now have a dual mission:  to make the best tasting nutritious spelt baked goods while also doing educational outreach on the connection between diet and behavioral health, especially for children.

In June 2007, we tested our bagels in two local cafes and a local health food store. By August 2007, a local college was ordering hundreds per week, and shortly thereafter, the Whole Foods in Portland, Maine picked up our products.   By September 2007, we moved our bakery into a larger established bake house, but within a few months realized that we would need to move into our own facility if we were to grow the business in the direction in which we anticipated.   By July 2008, we built out a facility in a historic mill in Yarmouth, Maine which is powered by water.

Describe yourself and your family. What is your background and how does it relate to your company?
I am 45 years old, the youngest of 5 children having been raised in a small family business (a natural spring swimming pool and day resort) that my parents ran jointly from 1950 until my father's death in 2002.

Our first child, Emma, was born in 1992, just as I was graduating from law school. I have been practicing law since 1992. During 10 of those years, I represented children in crisis, through the criminal justice, special education, and human services systems.   During those ten years, we had two more children, Spencer, born in 1997, and Olivia born in 2002.   We started Spelt Right in 2007.  I continue to do some contract work as an attorney in products liability defense as we build this business.

My family business background, along with the encouragement from my mother who is now in her eighties, has given me the courage to start my own business.   My work with children in crisis motivated me to seek answers and solutions regarding the increase in behavioral and learning problems that we are witnessing with children.  My desire to build equity in an enterprise, rather than being tied to an hourly wage, led me in the direction of starting my own business.  The combination of all of these factors led to the creation of Spelt Right.

Have you ever experienced an epiphany that changed the direction of your life?
Absolutely, when my husband and I realized that we had to find solutions for our son outside of what the standard medical and educational establishments were telling us.  Once we trusted our own instincts instead of relying on the advice of professionals, we forged a new and positive direction for our son and ourselves.  During this process, we also realized that we had an opportunity to create something that did not previously exist in the marketplace, and we knew that we had to seize the moment.

What process did you follow to develop a prototype?
The recipes were started at home were tested on our children. Now that we are in the bake house, we are testing new recipes on a regular basis. The challenge has been, but we have learned the solution, to ramp up a recipe from 3 dozen to one thousand or more at a time. Also, bread making is a very dynamic process. So much depends upon the ambient conditions, the crop for the grain, and other environmental factors.  We have created formulas, but constantly need to tweak them based upon atmospheric and weather conditions.
We also had to create packaging that keeps the product protected in the freezer, while also reaches out to the consumer to buy it. The packaging carries with it a whole host of issues, from design planning to regulatory requirements. Packaging is a significant expense and needs to be printed in large quantities 10,000 - 20,000 minimums so it is important to be precise with the details.

What process did you follow to find a manufacturer for your product?
At first, we tried to find a co-packer for our product, but soon realized that the grain was so specialized that few people know how to effectively work with it.  Also, there is a real issue with cross contamination when dealing with specialty foods that focus on food sensitivities and allergies.

What was the biggest learning curve in terms of developing your product?
Keeping the product consistent going from making 36 at a time to making 1,000 at a time.

Through what markets are you selling (retail, wholesale, internet, specialty sales)?
We sell wholesale to health food and specialty food stores, cafes, schools, and colleges.   We have several distributors.  One brings us to stores, co-ops and buying clubs in Maine; another brings us to the same types of venues throughout New England and eastern New York, and the third is exclusively for the natural food section of a large food chain.  We also sell online, through a local farmer's market, and wholesale direct from our bakery.

What secrets have you learned in terms of publicity and marketing your product?
We have learned that people are really interested in the story, and that many can relate to our story on one level or another. We have also learned that we need to promote our products as well as our story, and that it is important to reach as many venues as possible.

What was the biggest learning curve in terms of marketing your product?
Marketing is a 24/7 endeavor. We never turn it off.   Also, it is important to know your audience.   We may market differently to a school, as we do a mainstream grocery store. Our product also takes quite a bit of education. Many people are unfamiliar with the grain spelt. We are redesigning our packaging and were just told that it would be advisable to put a statement on the packaging describing what spelt is.  Also, spelt is more than 5 times the price of regular unbleached wheat flour, so it is a challenge explaining the price differential between the spelt and wheat grains.

How long did it take to get your product from idea to market (conception to product launch)?
It took us about 9 months from the point that we thought of the idea to actually start selling it to local cafes.  We needed to incorporate, get proper licensing, and refine our recipes.

How have you managed to juggle the roles of business owner and mom? What falls by the wayside (laundry, work-out, etc.)?
Juggling is a challenge. I have some really great partners in this endeavor. My business partner, co-founder, and husband of almost 22 years, Tim Kane, is as helpful as he can be, though he works a full time + job as a vice-president in a local art college.  He helps me with ideas and with most of the accounting. He also encourages me when I start feeling this is just too much. He gets the kids off to school most days. I prepare dinner, but he does the bed-time routine for the six year old.  He is very attentive to the children - ages 16 to 7. They are very lucky to have him.

My mother, Helen, who is 83, has been a great cheerleader and mentor. She ran her own small business for more than 50 years and keeps reminding me that she had many ups and downs, but that perseverance is the key to success. I still work part-time as a lawyer to help with some home finances, and the owner of the firm has been incredibly flexible. I have no set schedule, but instead do work often late at night on research projects and always meet the deadlines.

My biggest concern is that I do not have enough down time with my children. There always seems to be something to do for the business. I need to spend more time playing games with the kids. Laundry is getting done..., but housework is faltering.   This is where the kids could be more helpful. I can't compromise on meals, though, so every dinner is homemade, wholesome, wheat-free, and all natural.   Our meal times are times when we all sit and talk about our day.

The reality is that I don't sleep much.

What kind of support system do you have in place personally and professionally?

The best support that I have is my husband. Also, the State of Maine offers free business counselors to business owners and entrepreneurs, and I find that I call them often for advice.  I also call my lawyer friends when I have a pending legal question. And, I have met a host of small food producer entrepreneurs and we serve as resources and sounding boards for one another.

How did you finance your business?
We financed our business from some of the equity in our home, personal money, investments from close friends and family (3 to be exact), loans from banks, and some credit cards.

How much money have you invested so far? How do you feel about that?
Some of our equipment was incredibly expensive - like a $20,000 oven, so the total investment, with fit out (gas, plumbing, electrical installation) of our bake house and trademarking of Spelt Right, was in the $100,000 range.

What is your company's current financial picture and what are your projections?
Although we started out of a home kitchen in June 2007, we consider July 2008 as our starting date as that is when we moved into our own bake house. We have more than doubled our sales since July 2008, and that figure does not include the new business that will be coming with the 85 stores. We hope to be in at least two more grocery chains by the end of 2010, and expect our growth to quadruple by that point. Our goal is to continue to build our Maine recognition, expand into regional distribution, and ultimately to have national recognition, brand awareness and presence in the organic and spelt baking marketplace.

What has been your greatest success or "high point" in the process?
There have been some great highpoints. One is that we are reaching so many people with our message about healthy eating and the impact that this makes on children. We have been featured in several newspapers and magazines, including receiving a "Best of Maine 2009" designation by Down East Magazine, the Magazine of Maine. It has also been validating to get our products accepted in national food chains, and to see them sitting on the shelves next to national brands. The real success, however, is the reality that we have helped our son so much by focusing on his diet as a trigger for the problems he experienced when he was younger.

Have you experienced a "low point" and if so, how did you rally yourself to get back on track?
Yes, I experienced a significant low point when we were building out the space. I made a huge mistake by buying an older oven on faith from the seller (another business owner) that it was in working condition. This was a $5,000 mistake, but the mistake became worse as I relied on an unscrupulous contractor who told me he could fix it and get it in running condition. Needless to say, more money was lost in the process, as was my faith in the trustworthiness of people. This was also during the time when gas prices shot up past $4.00 per gallon and it was costing us thousands of dollars every time we needed a piece of equipment delivered.  It was my mother and husband who kept reminding me that we had a great idea and great product and if we could get around those bumps, we could soar.

This experience also reminded me that haste is not prudent. It is critical to investigate your purchases and expansions with utmost scrutiny even though you may feel pressured to get the process going as quickly as possible.

And, despite learning from these mistakes the hard way, it is really important to let them go or else they can consume you.

Who has been your biggest source of inspiration? What keeps you going?

My biggest source of inspiration is when I look into the sparkling eyes of my son each day, knowing that our efforts have changed his life for the better, and that he now has the tools to continue the work that we started with him. On a more general level, I want to teach my children that hard work, passion, and belief in what you do can and will pay off. That there is more to life than just making money, but that making money is not a bad thing either, and that it is wonderful if you can find a way to make money that also inspires you.

Did anyone in particular help you along the way?

Yes, yes, yes.   We have received help in so many ways: business advice, financial assistance, moral support.
Maine has some really great entrepreneurs who have built incredibly successful businesses.   It is also a very small state so it is easy to get know all sorts of people. I am friends with  Bob and Julie Carter, who founded Fresh Samantha Juices, with their adult children. Fresh Samantha was sold to Odwalla (and then to Coca Cola). They have been a good source of advice for me. Also, Tom Chappell, who founded Tom's of Maine (which was recently sold to Colgate), with his wife Kate, has also offered great advice.  He has met with me several times and provides advice when asked via email communications. I attended an institute for entrepreneurs, the Saltwater Institute, that he founded. My brother-in-law is a trademark attorney and has helped us with legal matters. I have numerous friends and colleagues who have been supportive by brainstorming on names for the business and ways to market the products. It really does take a village.

What advice would you offer other moms developing their products/ideas?
I would start with two pieces of advice that were given to me. The first was from my father when I was in high school. He said, “Don't let the fear of failure keep you from realizing your dreams. Failure sometimes is the best thing that can happen because it teaches you that you can and will survive that episode and ultimately that you may very well be smarter, stronger and more resolved as a result.”    The second piece of advice is one that I received from Bob Carter of Fresh Samantha Juices and that is if you have an idea and want to pursue it, "you just do it."

Is there a resource that proved to be invaluable that you would like to share with other moms?

I think it is important to look to your individual state economic development programs. Many of these programs provide counselors, guidebooks and step-by-step answers on how to start the process for building a business, whether it is going to be a locally run operation or one that involves international trade operations.

What surprised you about this process?

I am always pleased at how many people are thrilled with the products and the concept behind the baking company.  I was surprised that we recently won two awards -- one Best of Maine from Down East Magazine and the other an honorable mention for Best New Specialty Food at the New England Products Trade Show.

Is there anything else you would like to add?
Starting a business is a big leap.  There will always be ups and downs, but I think that passion and inspiration are two key unquantifiable factors that will help make any endeavor more likely to succeed.   Yet, along with the passion, you need to be looking at the numbers, analyzing the facts, and setting the groundwork to build a foundation upon which to perch that dream. The heart and the mind have to be equal partners in an enterprise in order to balance that passion with the fundamentals of building a successful business.

Thank you Beth for sharing your story!

Tagged as: featured mom, food business, mom entrepreneur, product business, success story, woman entrepreneur, women, women in business, working mom