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

Kelly , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today So, naming is such a challenge. How did you come up with the name of your brand?

Pixie Pop began as Wish Pops. In September 2021, I entered a contest sponsored by Dallas’
The It Crowd Marketing Agency.
They created a campaign called “The Heart Behind It”, to assist a small, local business free for 90 days. My business won!
One of the first things the It Crowd team worked on, was creating a name that would better fit the brand I wanted to create. All of the names were great, but Pixie Pop and the accompanying moon & fairy logo, evoked the desired fun and whimsical feel As soon as I heard the name, I knew it was the perfect moniker for my business.

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?

Like countless others, my industry of corporate meetings/events was greatly affected by Covid. When the pandemic began, I was looking for something to keep me busy & possibly make some money. The year before, I had started experimenting with creating flavored popcorn. With the encouragement of family & friends, I started the business.
My very first flavors were: CALI – chili avocado lime infused, Pop Rocks, Sweetie Cheeze and Tuscany. Eventually, I added more, and now I have seasonal flavors featured on the website as well. I also offer a very tasty & interesting version of the chocolate truffle. It is a truffle studded with popcorn, so I call it a “Puffle”.
There have been personal challenges along the way. In May of 2021, my husband had bypass surgery & due to complications, he spent nearly two months hospitalized. During that time, I put my business plans on hold to focus on his care.
Then something truly fantastic happened! At the end of September 2021, I entered “The Heart Behind It” contest, created by Dallas’ The It Crowd Marketing Agency. My business won, and Pixie Pop was born.
I received 90 days of free marketing & technical assistance – they created my incredible website, and manage my social media marketing. The wonderful It Crowd team – owner Lyndsey, and Micah, Hope & Kelsee, involved me in every step of rebranding. They came up with amazing ideas, but always made sure that it fit my style and what I wanted to achieve. They even kept my original tag line
” Made on Earth, Tastes Like Heaven.”
The new website went live in early January, and with everything reopening, and people again hosting celebrations & events, I am getting busy!
From hosting wine & popcorn tastings, corporate meetings, fundraisers, employee appreciation events, weddings, popcorn orders local & out of state, promo pops & so much more, it is an exciting time!

I truly enjoy introducing people to Pixie Pop, and seeing how much they enjoy the various flavors.
Being even a small part of someone’s celebration and/or milestone, and the happiness it brings, is so rewarding!
www.pixiepopcorn.com

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

Embarking on a new business venture, especially during a pandemic, is enough of a challenge on its own, but personal life challenges can also interfere. Resilience has taken on a new meaning for me since May 2021.

As I mentioned earlier, my husband Stan had heart surgery last year. He underwent a quintuple bypass.
He has been dealing with health issues since that time. On February tenth of this year, he fell and suffered cardiac arrest. Although he lost 22 minutes of oxygen, he miraculously has NO brain damage. But, he is dealing with other health complications stemming from that fall, and he is still hospitalized in an ICU.
I visit with him in the hospital everyday in between filling orders, doing events & taking care of daily life. There are days when I am beyond mental & physical exhaustion.
But, my business has become my lifeline. It propels me to find the joy in life on days when joy is in short supply. The people I meet inspire me, and give me a reason to hope and keep me going.
Pixie Pop keeps me going.

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

In their mouth and word of mouth.

What I mean by that is by having people taste the popcorn, they in turn tell others, and that has led to new business.

Getting the popcorn in front of them, and letting them taste the various flavors, has been the best way for me to gain clientele.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.pixiepopcorn.com
• Instagram: @pixieispoppin
• Facebook: @PixiePop
• Linkedin: Pixie Pop