Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Bethany Suarez. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Bethany thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Risking 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.

Starting Barn Cat Jam Co. felt like such a big risk at the time. My husband and I knew it was going to be a big investment upfront, and that’s always scary when you don’t know what the end result is going to be. Developing recipes, purchasing equipment, and spending so much time making the product when you aren’t sure how it’s going to be received feels really daunting. I’m really grateful for my husband, David, because of how supportive he has been through all this. For me, I was thinking “What if I put in all of this work and no one wants to buy what I make?” But we’ve met so many people who have supported us and valued our products, and it has really helped show me the value in what I’m doing. Knowing that I have a product that people enjoy and that people want to buy is so rewarding!

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

My name is Bethany, and I am a scientist by profession. I worked in plant biotechnology for a while, and now I’m currently working in cancer research. Being in the laboratory often feels very similar to being in the kitchen, so I think it’s common for a lot of scientists to be drawn to the food industry. I’ve always loved cooking and baking, and I love making food from scratch. There’s just something really satisfying to me about being able to make something with your hands and have a product to show for it that you brought into existence. My dad taught me how to can jam when I was younger, and I really liked being able to reduce food waste and save food at its peak flavor and quality. When I was thinking about getting into the food business and selling food, jam and preserves felt like a great way to connect with local farmers and make a delicious product out of produce grown right here in the Carolinas. I think what I’m most proud of is that we’ve been able to start this business without necessarily having all the knowledge in the beginning. We have learned so much in the little while that our business has been operating, and I feel really proud of myself for having done the work to start my own business.

Have you ever had to pivot?

When I first started making jam, I was just doing it for fun. Making food for others has always been a bit therapeutic for me. At the time, I was in a place where I wasn’t feeling very fulfilled, and I just really wanted to start doing something that I enjoyed. I shared jam with friends and family, and they encouraged me to look into starting a business. I think that having others believe in me really gave me the push to actually take the leap and start the business. It felt like a huge pivot from my career trajectory, but it also made me feel like I was getting to do something that I loved to do. My products were really well received, and that was such a great feeling to know that I was making something that people enjoyed.

How did you build your audience on social media?

Barn Cat Jam Co. has an Instagram page, and I’m so pleased with how much it’s grown since we started it. It began with just family and friends following the page because they wanted to support us, and I always get so excited when I get new followers who are customers who enjoyed the product. I would say that if you’re selling at any pop up markets and you’re just starting out, make sure that you either have a printed or digital business card that you can share with people! A lot of times people are intrigued about the product, but for various reasons don’t want to buy anything in the moment. If you can make sure that people have your info and know where to find you, you’ll grow your audience on social media faster!

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @barncatjamco