We were lucky to catch up with Meredith Kong recently and have shared our conversation below.

Meredith, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

For me, I’m not so sure I can pinpoint an exact time but more of a feeling that I never wanted to work for someone else. I always knew I was a little bit different and never really knew what that meant until I graduated high school and hated being in a corporate setting. Once I had my son, I started making all of his food, including his dessert! When I got an ice cream maker as a wedding gift and started making ice cream for him, that really sealed the deal. I quickly fell in love with making flavors that nobody else was making in the Indianapolis area and the rest is history!

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 Meredith Kong and I started Lick Ice Cream with my sister back in 2010. 14 years later, we hold steady to our philosophy of only using real ingredients. What that means for us as an Ice Cream business is never using artificial dyes or flavors, never using any kind of stabilizer or preservative, and also supporting local businesses whenever possible to obtain our raw ingredients.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

I think so many small business owners saw the pandemic as a real turning point for their business. I remember vividly during the first few weeks of the lockdown having to pivot our business model in such a huge way. While everyone else was hunkered down at home we were busy producing as much ice cream as possible, and taking orders for delivery. Our sales actually went up in the first few months of the pandemic because our diehard customers were so supportive of us!

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

For me, the most rewarding aspect of being a small business owner is seeing this tiny idea turn into the way I support my family. Also employing an amazing team of creative, incredible people is so special. I always say I have the best job in the world because I get to see people at their happiest. Nobody is sad when they are eating ice cream, and I feel so lucky that I get to bring happiness to people every day.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://Lickindy.com
• Instagram: @lickindy

Image Credits

Credit: Jana Astrouski