We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Tatiana Freeman a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Tatiana , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What do you think matters most in terms of achieving success?

I think the biggest contributors to success are a strong sense of self, and a desire to be the best version of yourself. As a solo founder I am the first ambassador for my brand; people want to connect with me to form a connection to my brand so it’s really important to communicate authentically and with confidence. Becoming an entrepreneur has forced me to take a hard look at myself, my strengths, my weaknesses, my fears, because often times those dynamics have direct impact on the vitality of my business.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I started Nosh Posh after working as a Housing Manager at the Neighborhood House in St. Paul. While, I was passionate about this work I wanted more autonomy over my time and didn’t really enjoy the idea of sitting in an office all day. I was dating someone at the time who had his own business, which opened up the possibilities of starting my own business in way I hadn’t experienced before. I always felt like business owners were these super human people, with God given talent and I didn’t believe I had been gifted with those talents. When my position ended at the Neighborhood House, I had intended on taking some time to decide what I wanted to do next. Home one night, I was craving a salad, and realized how costly and difficult it was to access the types of food I wanted to eat. The next day I started Nosh Posh. I originally wanted to amplify Black owned brands, in a convenience store model but quickly realized that I would need to expand to BIPOC and women-owned businesses in order to include a wider range of products. When I had difficulty finding a location for my pop-up, I pivoted and started tabling at farmer’s markets and other community events to get a feel for what people thought about the products I had selected. I was inspired to create our Snack Box, when asked how to access our products. The first vending machine was placed in August 2022; which was always a natural extension of the brand. Our Workplace Snack Program came soon after, in an effort to offer solutions to businesses and their employees.
I’m so grateful for the growth starting Nosh Posh has given me. I’m constantly challenged, I get to connect with amazing businesses owners and sample exciting and delicious snacks, and share my vision of providing healthy convenience to a wider audience.

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

When I look back I’ve always valued hard work. My grandmother used to give me points for cleaning up, or helping out at her barbershop. Once I understood I could earn points, which could be used for treats or money I was hooked. When I started Nosh Posh, I quickly realized getting access to capital wasn’t going to be easy so I bootstrapped. I’ve been a flight attendant for close to ten years now, and was able to take a leave for two years due to the pandemic. In that time I worked 2-3 jobs, to fund my business and take care of my daughter. I’ve never been a person to give up easily, and I have a very clear vision in my head about the business I want to build, bootstrapping was just apart of what it took to make it a reality.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

I think the longevity of a business relies heavily on being able to be pivot and remain fluid in terms of change. Life is going to happen to you whether you want it to or not, you get to decide how you respond and what you learn through times of uncertainty. I realized this early on when I had difficulty finding a location for my popup, and didn’t allow resistance to my original plan to stand in my way of making progress in my business.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.noshposhmn.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/noshposhmn/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/noshposhmn
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/nosh-posh/