Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Zoe Horton. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Zoe, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear your thoughts about family businesses.
I grew up in the culinary industry. My grandfather owned steakhouses and bars. My dad and brother both owned/operated restaurants, and I was always watching my mom and her friends bake for church fundraisers, luncheons and more. Watching entrepreneurs always amazed and simultaneously scared me. However, it was literally in my blood! Although my biscotti business, LulaMade, was launched by me in 2018, it was inspired by my family businesses. The recipes came from my Yia Yia and grew with regional, seasonal and trending tastes!
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?
Entrepreneurship has always surrounded me, It was something I knew I would want to pursue at some point in my life and definitely took time to find the “right time.” Honestly though, there is no exact right time – it’s always a leap of faith. I was home with my newborn daughter struggling through the new mom fog and leaving the 9-5. I had always baked biscotti for family and friends as a tasty creative outlet. It was “start a baking business” sat on my notes to do list forever, and finally I went for it! I’m so proud to product a product that has a story of Greek roots, working moms, learning curves, and a strong #shoplocal vibe. Just recently, I explored my love of writing (my mom was an incredible Advanced English teacher!) and wrote my first children’s book – Mila and Micho! It was a bedtime story I concocted for my future daughter while pregnant in Greece and then began sharing with her hearthside shortly after her birth. I have a huge love for reading and ensuring literacy in youth, so it’s a real dream come true to publish a book!
Do you sell on your site, or do you use a platform like Amazon, Etsy, Cratejoy, etc?
My products are sold on my direct website lulamadebiscotti.com as well as available at some local retailers. It was really important to me have a solid local base where customers felt like they were truly supporting a small mom venture. That’s why I also love the Afloat app which lends to an audience larger than my own but is still extremely local focused. Once I published my book, I did use Amazon and Barnes and Noble through publisher agreements, but it’s definitely my passion to keep as much business as possible through our website and local markets. Pop Ups are such an awesome way for entrepreneurs to see a quick revenue return, reach new people and best yet form community! Humans are made to interact face to face even though we love and need our technologies.
How do you keep in touch with clients and foster brand loyalty?
Instagram has been a huge customer source for us especially using a lot of giveaways and working with other small businesses to cross promote. I believe social media is super powerful and can be an incredible connector. However, I’ve noticed personally as well as spoken with some incredible branding minds that it’s not the end all be all. Email newsletter and snail mail bring in a more personalized touch. A lot of people take social breaks as well and enjoy continuing to learn about your business via an in store shopping experience or from an email subscription list. I often offer discounts, bonus boxes, and so on when working with first time and/or tenured customers to help welcome and continue to show appreciation for their business.
Contact Info:
- Website: lulamadebiscotti.com
- Instagram: @lulamadebiscotti
Image Credits
Elizabeth Sisk Photography