We were lucky to catch up with Amber Burr recently and have shared our conversation below.

Amber, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?

The Unexpected Joy of Daddy’s Homemade All-Natural Syrup: A Tale of Family, Food, and Fun

As a mother of three young kids and a proud small business owner, I never could have imagined that creating some homemade syrup for our breakfast foods for our family would lead to the creation of Daddy’s Homemade All-Natural Syrup. What began as a simple experiment in our kitchen has blossomed into a heartfelt mission that resonates with families far and wide.

Our journey started when my husband developed health issues causing us to take a closer look at ingredients we were consuming. Little did we know that this was only the beginning of a spark of creativity and a passion for sharing moments of joy through food.

Our mission statement, “From our family to yours, we inspire the joy of creating kitchen memories through food, family, and fun by producing high-quality, all-natural homemade syrups and ready-to-blend breakfasts while supporting sustainable packaging,” summarizes much of what we hold dear.

Our all-natural syrups are more than just delicious toppings for breakfast foods; they symbolize the love and togetherness that comes from spending time with family, friends and community. We believe that cooking and enjoying food together fosters a sense of unity and belonging that’s truly priceless. As parents, we understand the importance of building lasting memories with our children, and our syrups have become a catalyst for cherished moments that will be remembered for a lifetime.

But Daddy’s Homemade is not just about our products; it’s about the experience. We’re passionate about inspiring creativity in the kitchen, encouraging our customers to explore new ways of using our syrups and sharing their innovative recipes with us. It’s heartwarming to hear stories of families, friends, and communities coming together, trying new recipes, and bonding over the joy of cooking and sharing a meal. From tantalizing cocktails that feature our syrups as a key ingredient to inventive salad dressings that add a unique twist to greens, our customers continue to surprise us with their creativity in the kitchen.

So, whether you’re indulging in a stack of fluffy pancakes, adding a dash of sweetness to your morning yogurt, or crafting a culinary masterpiece that surprises and delights, know that Daddy’s Homemade is more than a syrup; it’s an invitation to explore, create, and savor the endless possibilities that come from a single, beautifully versatile bottle.

In this journey, we’re not only committed to delivering high-quality, all-natural products but also to supporting sustainable practices. We believe in taking care of the environment, which is why we’re dedicated to using eco-friendly packaging that aligns with our values.

As our small business grows, our family’s mission remains at the core of everything we do. We invite you to join us in celebrating the joy of creating kitchen memories, embracing the connection between food and family, friends and community, and spreading the love of togetherness. Daddy’s Homemade All-Natural Syrup is more than a product; it’s a symbol of the love, warmth, and happiness.

We’re excited to see how our customers infuse their own stories, memories, and flavors into each bottle of Daddy’s Homemade All-Natural Syrup.

Thank you for being a part of our journey, and here’s to many more delicious memories shared together.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

In a world filled with mass-produced products, Daddy’s Homemade is quickly becoming a household favorite; filled with handcrafted goodness. My husband, Dannie has been a stay-at home dad and after discovering some health issues he had; he was on a quest for a syrup that was both delicious and made with all-natural ingredients; which led him on a culinary adventure right in his own kitchen. We are a small family business based in Evergreen, Colorado, and have taken the syrup game to a whole new level.

Daddy’s Homemade was born out of a desire to provide healthier breakfast options for our children, especially during the most important meal of the day. With the support and encouragement of Dannie’s mom and the approval of our pickiest eater, our daughter, we realized we had stumbled upon something truly special. What started as a mission to create a healthier alternative quickly transformed into a passion project that engaged the entire family. From our heartwarming story of how we started right before the pandemic and our oldest daughter hand drawing our original labels to our all-natural products, Daddy’s Homemade is a true delight for the taste buds.

Having a business degree and owned my own business before, I was excited to support Dannie and let my entrepreneurial side come out. My kids and family are my biggest motivator in doing what I do daily.

Daddy’s Homemade takes immense pride in handcrafting our all-natural syrups. With a meticulous multi-step process, each batch is created with love and attention to detail. Dannie carefully selects the finest ingredients, expertly mixing and matching flavors to achieve the perfect balance. From classic flavors like Dark Maple and Cinnamon to unique creations like Raspberry Habanero and Orange Cream, every syrup is a testament to our commitment to taste, quality, and authenticity.

What truly sets Daddy’s Homemade apart is the genuine passion and dedication that goes into every aspect of our business. From creating the labels to taste testing, the entire family is involved in the process, infusing each bottle with a personal touch. This not only ensures the highest quality but also creates an extraordinary connection between our products and our customers. Daddy’s Homemade understands the importance of family and values the joy of creating kitchen memories through food, family, and fun.

Our syrups are not limited to traditional pairings like pancakes and waffles. With Daddy’s Homemade, you can add a tasty topper to just about anything, from French toast and oatmeal to yogurt parfaits and even savory dishes like roasted vegetables or grilled meats; coffee and cocktails. The versatility and flavor combinations are endless, inviting you to explore and unleash your creativity in the kitchen.

Imagine replacing several of the products you use on a daily basis with just one; Daddy’s Homemade!

We love working in our community and helping where we can. Sometimes you can find our products at local charities’ silent auctions, sponsoring schools and other nonprofits, or find us organizing food drives at events for local food banks. Our most recent project is spreading the word about the Teddy Bear Patrol for Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children and sponsored by Kosi101.1 and CBS4 News. Our son received a teddy bear when he was in the hospital a little over a year ago and it was a huge comfort. He loves that bear. When I heard about the project; I immediately jumped in to try to help. (We might even be a part of this project more in the future!)

Although we sell some delicious syrup you can use for just about anything and our pancake and waffle mix; we really thrive on inspiring others and setting an example for our kids that despite the chaos of the world; there are still good people and sometimes the smallest of things can have the biggest of impacts.

From our family to yours, we inspire the joy of creating kitchen memories through food, family, and fun by producing high-quality, all-natural homemade syrups and ready-to-blend breakfasts while supporting sustainable packaging.

What else should we know about how you took your side hustle and scaled it up into what it is today?

After my husband Dannie developed some health issues; we started taking a closer look at the ingredients in products we were consuming and realized how much high fructose corn syrup was in the big jars of syrup we used to buy from the store. Dannie decided he could make something better for our family. Friends and family kept tasting it and convinced us to sell the syrup. Being pregnant with our son (third kid) and working full time; it was a slow start. Our oldest daughter always came home from school with drawings of our 3 kids, so we asked her to hand draw our first labels. We bought 6 hexagon jars and sold them the first day of a garage sale we had. We kept buying more jars and we kept selling them. We officially turned it into a business Feb 2020 just a few months before the pandemic.

Over the next couple of years; we added more farmers markets and events on weekends while I still worked full time. Each year we have more than doubled our sales and have grown to be a mountain favorite. We even started experimenting with it and instead of just using it as syrup for our breakfast foods, we discovered it is amazing in coffee, cocktails and mocktails and all kinds of beverages; on top of meats and vegetables; popcorn and snacks; baked goods and desserts and so much more!

November of 2022 I was laid off from my full time job in the transportation logistics industry. This was the only source of income for our family of 5. My husband and I had been building our small business, Daddy’s Homemade for almost 3 years on the side. Before we could make any decisions, we received a website inquiry from an executive chef at the American Express Centurion Lounge at DIA. He had seen our syrup on social media. He talked to American Express and they ordered 5,000 of our little sample jars for an American Express customer appreciation event. We knew if I tried to take any other job we would not be able to make the deadline. While we were working on this order; we just kept getting more orders and our product was selling out on our shelf locations. We had our busiest season yet. We decided it was now or never and we are now running our business as a full time career. We continue to crush last year’s sales, are working with the state and county on several small business accelerator programs, have been featured in Edible Denver magazine and will have FDA approved labels in the near future which will be getting rolled out as we start working with a co-manufacturer to make our products and help keep up with the demand.

For the first time in our lives we are not relying on someone else to provide the income for our family. As scary and uncertain as it can be, it is also an incredible and exciting journey and one we are so grateful to be on. It has helped us become more a part of the community in so many ways and helped inspire other people, small business owners and build something our kids have been a huge part of from the very beginning. They are our inspiration behind everything we do and hope to be their biggest inspiration as they grow.

We have gotten so much love and support from so many and can’t wait to see what the future holds for Daddy’s Homemade.

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

Sari Kimbell and Colorado Food Works were referred to me through the City of Denver Economic Development. After listening to several free podcasts with Food Business Success; I joined the program and it has made a huge positive impact not only in increasing our sales, but expanding and scaling up our small business. Sari and Food Business Success has helped pull me out of the daily grind to get more of a birds’ eye view of our business that we need to be able to not just succeed but thrive as a small business, especially in the CPG industry. It has changed my entire mindset both in our small business and entrepreneurial thinking, but my personal life as well. Before; I was stuck in the daily operations just helping get the product out in the world. Now; I am doing things behind the scenes to set our business up to expand and grow into a successful, profitable business that will thrive for years to come. Sari not only has some incredible resources but is a certified life coach to help with the mindset piece, which is HUGE in entrepreneurship. This has inspired me even more to enjoy the journey we are on and understand that it’s not about me thinking I can figure it all out. My favorite thing Sari says is that owning a small business is not about figuring it out by yourself. It’s understanding that if you want to grow; you can’t do it all. Learning “who to help you with the how” has been vital for our small business. I now know that in the case of entrepreneurship; if you want to grow; it’s just not possible to do it all yourself. This is not only ok, but is the best thing for any successful business. Getting help from people who have done it before makes all the difference and I never would have thought of it that way without Sari and Food Business Success!

https://www.foodbizsuccess.com/
Key Ingredients: How to Turn your Passion Project into a Profitable Business by Sari Kimbell

I have also learned a lot from reading E-Myth Revisited by Michael E. Gerber. It really puts things into perspective about the process our brains go through as entrepreneurs, the constant back and forth battles inside our heads as we try to figure out all kinds of new things when starting, growing and scaling up a business. It also gives great insights and ways to think about things from new perspectives.

Key Ingredients, E-Myth Revisited and Food Business Success are highly recommended. They changed my life!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.daddyshomemadesyrup.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/daddyshomemadesyrups
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/daddyshomemadesyrups
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/daddy-s-homemade/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@daddyshomemade8715