We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Alyssa and Ray Wyatt. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Alyssa and Ray below.

Alright, Alyssa and Ray thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Owning a business isn’t always glamorous and so most business owners we’ve connected with have shared that on tough days they sometimes wonder what it would have been like to have just had a regular job instead of all the responsibility of running a business. Have you ever felt that way?

We often joke what it would be like to have weekends off… holidays off… sicks days or even vacation time. Ok, maybe not joke, we are super envious of those that pack up to go the beach on the weekend whilst we pack up our ice cream cart and get into our VW Bus to go to our next event.

But guess what?
That’s OUR choice. Our lives have led us up to this moment of creating such an incredible and fulfilling purpose, The desire to be successful and work harder then we ever had in our lives gives us meaning beyond what we have ever had in a ‘regular job.’

For example, we have worked with Boss’ that have had a lack of boundaries when it comes to their management team. We have found ourselves working just as hard for someone but with far less purpose as we lose sight of who we are within the project as we are always answering and pleasing someone else above us.
Now that we own our own business, we have found ourselves again. We answer to ourselves and we have never been so happy.

Sure, what we wouldn’t give for a 2-day weekend. But those ‘Sunday Scaries?’ The Corporate world can keep them. ;)

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

As the journey of where we got to today is strictly because of our 1971 VW bus named Diva- it would only make sense to start right there… She will always be the star in this story and equally as high maintenance.

In 2011 (pre #vanlife) we decided to take a leap of faith by renovating an old bus, selling all our belongings including our house, and taking off on a world trip where we traveled 3 continents total. We shipped the bus to Europe and eventually drove to North Africa. In-between our VW bus travels whilst we gave ‘Diva’ her well-deserved beauty rest, we had the opportunity of running a yurt resort in Spain, a tented lodge in Tanzania, and a luxury safari lodge in Kenya over a 5-year span.

In 2017- we found ourselves in Myanmar, where we helped build and run a high-end island resort for almost 3 years. When Covid struck the world early 2020, the county closed its borders and we found ourselves stuck for 55 days on this small remote island in the middle of the Mergui Archipelago! This gave us ample time to dream…

But…’Why Ice Cream?’

We can only tell you that it was when we finally were able to travel out of Myanmar on a relief flight in June 2020 and spent 6 weeks in England visiting Ray’s family the idea struck. As we were biking along the seaside town of Hastings, we noticed multiple ice cream trucks and saw that it was not only Covid friendly, but it created so many smiles!

After working abroad and traveling for nearly 10 years, we found ourselves back in the U.S. driving Diva from Minnesota to Florida in search of a new life with ice cream dreams ‘churning’ in our minds. It was when we drove down Gulf Blvd in St. Pete, FL that we felt that this was ‘our spot.’

Little did we know it wasn’t the end of the journey for Diva the bus, either. We searched high and low for old-school ice cream trucks to travel to events and markets with and carry our ice cream cart. It was just never quite right… Until we looked at each other one day as Diva sat smugly in the driveway and we thought, well- our ice cream truck is right in front of us!

So, it all began… And now, just over 2 years later- we have our own Production Kitchen, proud owners of 3 PacoJet Swiss Ice Cream machines, the opportunity to have our ice cream in 8 retail locations, catering private events all over Tampa Bay, and creating OODLES of smiles.

What sets us a part?
The Head Chef (Ray) of this team of 2 – is that he has worked all around the world for over 30 years in Executive Chef/Culinary Instructor positions.
“You dream it… We can make it -” Is our tagline as Ray can make any ice cream flavor a customer desires.

In fact, we many of the restaurants we work with we are able to create signature ice cream for their menus. We are currently working with a Japanese restaurant where we have made Miso Salted Orange and Caramel inspired ice cream for their menu! Or even a Sticky Toffee Pudding inspired ice cream for a British Store line we stock here in St. Pete!

Can you tell us the story behind how you met your business partner?

My business partner is actually my husband of just over 20 years. We met whilst I was traveling abroad in Australia in 2000. Ray is British and was traveling through as a Chef and we met in a place called Surfers Paradise.

The past decade + before we started our Ice Cream business, we ran resorts around the world in Kenya, Tanzania and Myanmar, We are used to working in each others pockets and we make a really incredible team because of our past experiences.

For those that work with their partners in small businesses, you already know how very special and how VERY complicated this can be. It can make or break you.
My advise?
It is imperative you both have the same drive and passion for the business or you/and or the business will fail.
And you have to laugh…. LAUGH a lot. :)

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

Social Media has helped us thrive. It is the #1 way for our customers to find us, follow us and book us for events/order ice cream/etc It is our everything. We are so fortunate to have this tool, when used correctly.

However, I have learned the best way to increase your social media is to be as authentic as possible. Meaning, do not buy your followers. SUPPORT your followers.
The more you like/comment and share others posts and stories- the more it will come back to you.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://linktr.ee/churnedicecream
• Instagram: @churned_icecream
• Facebook: @churned_icecream

Image Credits
First image of LOVE with the red bus and Ray on the piano is done by Photographer: Klea Prendi The rest on the following page are all by us.