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

Nicole, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.

When I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes while pregnant with my daughter, Bella, I really struggled to find an on-the-go, low sugar, snack bar that was good for me and wouldn’t spike my blood sugar. I knew if I was struggling, other people out there who were looking for the same criteria were as well. I decided to create my own snack bar and start my own company without any prior knowledge of the food industry. It was a huge risk, the biggest risk I have ever taken in my life. I took this leap of faith because I was passionate about trying to help people who were struggling with this as well. We are 3 years in and even through all the ups and downs, it is the best decision I have ever made.

Nicole, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My name is Nicole Ingram, I live in Dallas, Texas with my 3 kids and husband but I am an east coast girl at heart. I like 37 million Americans, 1 out of 10 people, was diagnosed with diabetes while pregnant with my daughter in 2018. Diabetes presented numerous challenges, with one of the biggest struggles being finding something healthy and tasty to eat. As a busy working mom, I needed to find a convenient, great tasting low sugar protein snack bar. To my surprise, across all brands – both big and small, the only options I found were bars that were loaded with artificial sugars or bars that tasted dry and chalky.
I knew I couldn’t be the only one trying to find a low sugar snack that was both great tasting and fulfilled the nutritional requirements that diabetics and all people looking for a healthy snack.
After extensive market research, I found there was a really a need in the marketplace for something like this, so I decided to create my own. A couple food scientists, 200 + iterations,20 different flavors, and 62 different packaging and 2 different co-packers, we had a product. It has been the biggest rollercoaster of my life starting a business while juggling everything else but I knew I had to follow my dream and go after it. I am most proud of being a female entrepreneur and a working mom. I really feel women are unrepresented in business and I want to change that.

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

When I started Bella Bars, I knew very little about the food industry and I really had to lean on others for the knowledge that I lacked. I hit so many roadblocks in the beginning and still continue to, to this day. Through all the challenges, I never gave up. When I first started, I worked with a co-packer that over promised and under delivered. On the day my bars were supposed to be produced for the first time, their machinery broke, and they kept promising they would fix it and never did. After I had spent a significant amount of resources and time, I had to completely find a new company to create my product, which set us back for months. I also started my company in January 2020, when the pandemic hit. We completely shut down for 6 months. I kept thinking to myself maybe this isn’t worth all the stress and wasn’t meant to be. When those thoughts kept getting in my head, I kept going back to my “why”. Why I started this company in the first place.

Other than training/knowledge, what do you think is most helpful for succeeding in your field?

Finding a mentor in the field or a non-profit group is so valuable. We have a local CGP group in Dallas that has helped me tremendously with connecting with resources and people. The connections I have made through that group have been invaluable and something that I would highly recommend to anyone looking for guidance and support.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.thebellabars.com
• Instagram: @thebellabars.com
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/thebellbars
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicole-ingram-0bb7bb27/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIC7PEF-AZZk8YfSRhgjCJA

Image Credits
Taylor Gillespie – [email protected] Food In Focus