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

Alright, Mistye thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What sort of legacy are you hoping to build. What do you think people will say about you after you are gone, what do you hope to be remembered for?

Legacy: A gift by will (especially of money or other personal property) what you leave behind: loving service

I pray my legacy will be one of respect, integrity, success, financial security, innovation/one of the firsts, and of someone who dared to dream. I always think of my children first, how do I want to inspire them? I have four sons and a daughter and when I think about legacy I feel that showing them that you can do, be, have and create whatever it is you wish to do, be, have, and create…even experience is everything! I’ve always done more than one thing in my careers. I’ve simultaneously taught dance, coached gymnastics, was an educator in Atlanta Public schools, a wife and a mother, and most recently successfully grown Buttafly Kisses, our Vegan Baking Company here in Atlanta, GA from the ground up, which I know is my greatest legacy at the moment.

I just want ones to know that you can do it. I pray to inspire ones to go for what they feel. Set clear goals and work steadfast and consistently in the pursuit of said goal. I pray my legacy will be known as one of the women who did the damn thang! Who dared to dream, who created a space for food makers, food producers, entrepreneurs, and business owners to be seen and successful and who will be an innovator and visionary in this lifetime.

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?

Greetings! I’m Mistye Momon, owner/founder of Buttafly Kisses Vegan Treats! I’m born and raised in SW Atlanta and I’m quite proud of that fact. I grew up where black excellence and success thrived all around me. Seeing successful business owners, judges, Tuskegee Airmen, and first black pediatricians inspired me to be great! They instilled in me integrity, innovation, and tenacity and these qualities I pray to embody as I continue to grow Buttafly Kisses.

I wasn’t raised vegan nor plant-based, but I’ve been vegan I’d like to say, “before vegan was a word.” It’s been at least 20 years on this journey and as a mother of five children it was important that they had options for dairy-free, egg-free, healthier food and snacks to eat, especially when it came to birthday celebrations. During the early 2000’s, delicious vegan desserts just weren’t around in Atlanta, and I couldn’t find cakes or cupcakes to celebrate their birthdays, so I created what I wanted to see. I began baking while I was an elementary school teacher and after a few years I decided to take the leap to start my own vegan baking company, and in 2015-2016 I left education to start Buttafly Kisses Vegan Treats! As a company, we create plant-based/vegan versions of your favorite desserts like, cookies, cupcakes, twinkees, strawberry shortcake parfaits, banana pudding, cakes, and brownies. We primarily wholesale and deliver our products to over 10 Atlanta locations, including Natural Food Grocery stores, Juice bars, Restaurants, Farmers Markets, General Stores, and more!

I love creating and “veganizing” classics that were childhood treats and I hope that love translates into our products. I’m proud of how far I’ve grown this business and the love that I get from our clients and customers. It feels good because without them there would be no Buttafly Kisses. I’m proud to be an example to my children that you can do whatever it is you desire in life. You don’t have to just be one thing, you can change and live all of the aspects of yourself at anytime. I plan to keep going, keep growing, and to continue to expand so that we become a household name nationwide!

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

There were a few times that I had to pivot, but the most challenging was during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. Prior to the pandemic the location we were baking out of closed and we moved into a tiny kitchen space which I am forever grateful for that allowed for business to continue. When the pandemic hit , Atlanta was on a hard lock-down and people were required to stay in their homes, which meant customers weren’t ordering from us nor were they out shopping at our retail locations which meant our restaurant and grocery store partners and retail locations operated under limited hours. This affected us because they were ordering around 50% less than normal. On top of the fact that flour, plant-based milk and packaging supplies became scarce and we either had to make do without or order from a more expensive vendor. All of this cut into our revenue and margins tremendously. With higher costs, less sales and lower account distribution, we still had to pay rent in our kitchen and business was tight to say the least. I give thanks for tenacity and the support from the community.

We started advertising for curb-side pick-up and placed our items on e-commerce platforms for pick-up as well. However, soon after we had a steady flow, we got word that our current location was closing because of the pandemic. They were a retail bakery and weren’t making sales and needed to shut down the store. I was overwhelmed and disappointed, but I knew I wasn’t going to stop! I began applying for funding to keep us going for the last few months and used the revenue to build out my own certified commercial kitchen space in my then business partner’s garage. This was pivotal because it showed me that I can do it! I can do it and I have all the tools to keep going and be successful. If there ever was a doubt in my mind about leaving teaching to start this business, this time showed me how blessings flow when you are aligned with what it is you are meant to do!

Can you open up about how you funded your business?

Because I was a public school teacher for 14 years, it afforded me resources and opportunities to save money and create a retirement fund. Before I left teaching I planned for about 1.5 years how I was going to start the business and where the funding was going to come from. I began down sizing and lowering our living costs while saving money. Once I felt knowledgeable, I started slowly building my business my last year of teaching by purchasing licensing, paying for a logo, and legally setting up what is now Buttafly Kisses Vegan Treats. So, my initial capital came from my career as an educator.

Contact Info:

• Website: Buttaflykissesatl.com
• Instagram: @buttaflykissesatl
• Other: You can always order your favorite treats directly from us or find us at our local retail partners.
  Where you can find our products: 
  – Sevananda Natural Foods Market
  – Soul Vegetarian Restaurant (West End)
  – Wadada’s Healthy Market & Juice Bar
  – Tassili’s Raw Reality
  – Just Add Honey
  – Fresh Marta Markets
  – Community Farmers Market Treat ‘yo Shelf General Store
  – COMING SOON: Nuts n’ Berries (Decatur/Brookhaven)
  Whole Foods Market (TBD)

Image Credits
Kevin Richards