We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Sonya Muhammad a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Sonya thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Before we get into specifics, let’s talk about success more generally. What do you think it takes to be successful?
To be successful, You must work hard to remove the words of limitations put on you by other people! You won’t always have confidence in what you are doing but keeping going. Striving to make, give or be the very best you can and stay humble, success will come.
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
In the mid-1990s, I lived in Baton Rouge and would buy five boxes a week of a famous brand of cinnamon granola for myself and my family. Over time they began to change their granola recipe by adding different flours/fillers. I would call and complain that the texture was too hard and the taste was changing. The customer service rep responded that they weren’t changing anything. Back then, they would send out coupons when they received complaints. My complaints and coupon cycle went on for about a year. The last time I called to complain, another representative gave the same response-no changes were being made. At that moment, I told myself I would make my own.
The internet/google wasn’t available in the ’90s like it is now. I had to do good old fashion research at the library/bookstores, searching through cookbooks, magazines, and newspapers in the food section.
I came up with a recipe that wasn’t hard to eat or overly sweet, with no flour, nuts, or soy! Of course, I began sharing my granola with friends and family.
In 2000, we moved back to Houston. I continued to perfect my recipe and share it with co-workers/family. As the demand grew, we decided to turn this into a business. I began trying to think of a business name. My name is Sonya, and my husband asked what about Sonyola Granola.
In 2002, I officially became Sonyola Granola!
Since then, we have perfected the taste and texture of our granola. We are delighted with our light and crispy treat that won’t break your teeth and make sure that LOVE is in every bite!
Our granola is made daily to ensure freshness; therefore: no preservatives are ever used in our product. Our granola arrives in your kitchen the same way it leaves ours, fresh and naturally delicious.
The most rewarding part is watching the moment of discovery when a new customer realizes they’ve just found the perfect breakfast or snack.
Do you sell on your site, or do you use a platform like Amazon, Etsy, Cratejoy, etc?
We are excited to sell our granola on Amazon and our website www.sonyolagranola.com
I chose to sell on an e-commerce site because it would give me access to potential customers who would not have seen my product. The downside is the fees for using an e-commerce site.
Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?
The most effective strategy for growing my clientele is sincerity, authenticity, and excellent customer service. They feel love and joy when I share my products with new and returning clients.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.sonyolagranola.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sonyolagranola/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SonyolaGranola/
Image Credits
Anna Reagan Chronister