We were lucky to catch up with Ping Williams recently and have shared our conversation below.

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

My family and I sat around for a couple of days thinking about what we could name the business. I came up with some names, but they were not it. My parents said that we should brainstorm and see what we all come up with.
No name is bad, but let’s write them all down and go through them to see what I feel comfortable with.
The name PANIK came up and it really stuck with me. It creates a sense of urgency and plus the need for something to be done in order to address the reason we PANIK.

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 Ping Williams.
I was 12 years old when my mother bought some freeze-dried candy online. The candy was gone in a heartbeat, but it was so expensive to keep buying.

I figured out how to do it. It took some really expensive equipment, but my dad said that if I was serious about it, he would give me all the money I needed. But. . . I had to pay him back.

We sat down and determined what profit margins would be, and I realized that I could sell candy to my friends at school for $5 or $6 and learn about business.

It took me a while to get the recipes right, but I finally took product to school and sold out on my first day. The next day the principal told me that I couldn’t sell products at school because it could hurt school funding.

To say the least, I was sad and left school with a plan to prove that I could sell at school. I got copies of the student handbook and the parent handbook and found that they only said that I couldn’t sell fireworks at school. So I practiced my approach for the principal with my dad and made an appointment to speak with her.

She explained in detail why she couldn’t allow me to do it, but she offered me an opportunity. She gave me a booth at the school color run and allowed me to sell my candy off school grounds. That is where my business took off.

Customers love the texture change and the overall flavor of freeze dried candy. I sell candy to people that have dentures, braces, young, and old.

The thing that sets me apart is the quality of my products. I’ve seen freeze dried candy on shelves in stores and it’s always very expensive, dust, hard, or not done correctly. PANIK’s product will never be short of amazing. The problem that I’ve solved is that you can enjoy all of your favorite candy without worrying if it will get stuck in your teeth, make you feel icky, all while intensifying the flavor that we all know and fell in love with.
There will always be someone that makes freeze-dried candy and sells it for gain. The problem is that just because anyone can make it, doesn’t mean that they should. Whenever you worry about others in your field, just remember that there is a Target and a Walmart. They both sell identical things, but quality is the one thing that sets them apart. Make sure your quality is the best!

The things that I am most proud of is that I am a business owner, and I know how to forecast, market, and I am not afraid to deal with human interaction.
I just want to be known for a good product. I want fans and followers, but I know that comes with an unrushed product.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

In order to get into the market, I found that some people are very introverted. All it takes is a common thing that helps them to open up and it becomes conversational. When you have the confidence to speak to someone, they feel comfortable to engage. Also, when you “TRULY” believe in your product, others will soon become invested in the idea and support you.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

We had some vendor shows where there would be a multitude of vendors. We found out that there would be other vendors there that sold freeze-dried candy as well. Outside of the comparison of Target Vs. Walmart, my dad said that there will always be competitions. The way you win is by making sure that your customer service is the best. Make sure you have a quality product. Be excited for the things you are offering.

We had the show, and even though I didn’t get to everyone, I know that I left a long-lasting impression because months later I still have loyal clients, and it was the best lesson I have ever learned.

Don’t be afraid of competition. Be you. Do what makes you. . . you.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pingspanik?igsh=MTJkbnpwNWhjbXhydg==
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100093026132646&mibextid=ZbWKwL