We recently connected with Tiffani Neal and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Tiffani thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Risk taking is a huge part of most people’s story but too often society overlooks those risks and only focuses on where you are today. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – it could be a big risk or a small one – but walk us through the backstory.

In 2018 I was in a successful career as an Account Executive with a fortune 500 Healthcare company. Loved my career but I wanted something different. I knew that I could be successful at what I was doing because I had been great at it. As a top performer and best selling sales representative something was missing, I wanted more.

At heart I’m an entrepreneur, always have been and always will be. In the early 2000’s I leaned into my entrepreneurship skills with the launch of a boutique. The boutique specialized in women’s clothing and accessories. Like many other entrepreneurs I have endless stories and experiences of hustling as a child from selling candy to always thinking of the next BIG idea. Seeing a need and finding a solution has always been a part of who I am.

What’s also been a huge part of who I am is my love for food. Always in the kitchen mixing up something and gathering people to taste and try new recipes. I had the wild idea to go into the food business but I was struggling with what the offer would be. Would it be a product or service like catering. One day I made breakfast for a friend, pancakes, eggs, bacon.

The pancakes were a hit! Something about the response lit a fire in me and I was obsessed with the idea. In an effort to research the industry and make sure that I was approaching the start of the business in a healthy way I enlisted coaches and consultants. We had to pivot from our initial go to market strategy. To my surprise I was met with immediate caution to stop before we even got started, not to leave my job, one person even asked how long I planned to “keep this thing up”…hashtag the nerve!

Somehow I knew that I was on to something and took the risk. A few years ago I walked away from my corporate career of 10 years and decided to bet on myself. Since then Barlow’s has been featured in mainstream media from the likes of QVC, Peacock, Revolt TV and FOX.

Our products can be found nationally with a heavy concentration in the Southeast Region. We were awarded the 2023 product of the year by UGA and The Flavor of Georgia Contest. I took a leap and so happy that I did!

Tiffani, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Hello y’all I’m Tiffani Neal founder of Barlow’s the Southeast’s leading 3 in 1 pancake biscuit waffle mix and line of seasonal syrups. It all began in my home kitchen. A morning habit, making breakfast turned into an ah ha moment. Inspired by my grandfather’s legacy of farming and my passion for food I created a food brand that all started with pancakes!

At Barlow’s we make breakfast better and easier. Our original mix is made with better for you ingredients. It’s aluminum free and made with unbleached organic flour, unrefined sugar and Himalayan salt. Our mission is to provide an option to enjoy delicious southern staples but better for you. Our goal is to show people that you have choices when eating real good food. Before you opt for the strict harsh dietary changes, start with your ingredients and moderation. Everything begins there!

More than anything we lead with and are most proud of our story. My grandfather Barlow worked day in and day out without the luxury of passing down the skillset or monetary benefit of farming. I made it my mission to honor his legacy and bring his hard work full circle all while keeping farming and ingredient sourcing at the root of what we do.

Have you ever had to pivot?

Entrepreneurship is often over glamourized. Don’t get me wrong entrepreneurship is a great vehicle but it’s a lot of hard work and every day is different until it isn’t. You have to be comfortable with being uncomfortable. Luckily I have a sales background where uncertainty was common.

In business you will always have to pivot. We’ve had to make immediate changes from marketing, staffing to packaging and product roll out.

When we debuted on QVC fall of 2022 there were endless challenges. We planned and had a system in place to ensure fulfillment was executed timely. As luck would have it, the supply for a specific product needed to complete orders would not arrive in time so we had to find another supplier literally weeks from going live. Which meant upping staff and changing processes last minute to make sure that we were able to meet the deadline. In the midst of it all it was madness, we could have asked for a new date or negotiated an extension but we made it work with a successful debut selling out in record time.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

We are still in the infancy stages, but it’s so exciting to see people recognize and have preference for Barlow’s. I think that our reputation is being built and it’s off of a combination of things. I think that many have seen our journey from the idea stage to now. Being able to get in front of our customers and really talk with and engage with them has been huge for us. We do this with local markets and ongoing customer communication.

I really believe that people just want good food, there are so many trends nowadays where it’s like you have to fit into all of these boxes just to eat.

At Barlow’s we meet you where you are, there is so much versatility in our products from the 3 in 1 pancake biscuit waffle mix to our syrups. The ingredients are real, simple and you can taste it! I think that people just want REAL delicious food on top of everything else.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.barlowsfoods.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/barlowsfoods/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BarlowsFoods/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tiffaninealceobarlowsfoods/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@barlowsfoods

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