We recently connected with Teneal Ivery and have shared our conversation below.

Teneal , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. One of the things we most admire about small businesses is their ability to diverge from the corporate/industry standard. Is there something that you or your brand do that differs from the industry standard? We’d love to hear about it as well as any stories you might have that illustrate how or why this difference matters.

We go above and beyond industry standards with how much time and care we put into out products. Often times when people think cotton candy they that old school pink and blue stuff. Well those aren’t really flavors and we are big on flavor so that let us to putting a modern spin on an old school treat. We flavor and color all of our sugars in house which allows us to achieve complex flavor profiles, like our Maple Bacon Cotton Candy with real bacon in it and our Orange Sorbet that taste just like a scoop of Orange Sorbet on a hot day.

We take the natural and fresh ingredients approach to every treat we make including our real fruit slushes and popcorn. This sets us apart in a memorable way and you can really taste the difference.

Teneal , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My name is Teneal Ivery and I founded Ivory Cotton Bar in February of 2017. I got into the concessions and events industry after learning the historical ties Cotton Candy has to Nashville and realizing that there were no cotton candy companies in Nashville. Many people are unaware that machine spun cotton candy was invented right here in Nashville in 1897 by a dentist and local candy maker. We were surprised too but there were no cotton candy companies in the area and we felt that people shouldn’t have to wait all year until the fair arrives to get freshly spun cotton candy. We decided to fix that!

From our initial start with primarily cotton candy we have grown to offering party equipment rentals, popcorn, real fruit slushes, snow cones, popsicles, and more. Providing excellent customer service, natural products that are full of flavor, and party rentals in a one stop shop sets us apart the rest.

I am most proud of the growth of the company and how excited people become when they walk up to one of the mobile carts. We are in the business of providing feel good treats and helping amplify feels good moments so naturally there is a lot of reward in helping people achieve and elated state while creating lasting memories.

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

I like many other businesses had to pivot during the pandemic. During that time we had no events and no in person pop ups. I was completely unsure how we could survive without those two streams of income but luckily we had on online store in place. Up until that point we hadn’t focused much on online sales but it ended up being our life line throughout the pandemic. This was when we mastered e-commerce sales, packaging, and national shipping.

Any advice for managing a team?

I believe in keeping work fun. For my line of business that isn’t too far fetched. Keeping it fun and making things as easy as possible for my staff is crucial. I want them to feel well taken care of. I don’t want to exhaust them and I want them to be comfortable on the job. I am always asking for their thoughts on how it went or should we change anything. I believe in work life balance and overcompensation. I want people to feel like coming to work is worth their time and I never want them to feel underpaid and overworked.

Often times a meal is included in the work day. I believe in regularly having company outings and fellowship. Maintaining morale can be challenging in this day and age when people could be anywhere making money from an iPhone or driving around in their car. Because I understand this I put a huge emphasis on attention to detail so that the work day is as pleasant as possible.

Contact Info:

• Website: ivorycottonbar.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/IvoryCottonBar/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IvoryCottonBar/

Image Credits
Teneal Ivery