From Shark Tank To The Kids Table: Food Product Start-Up Lessons with Joanna Parker

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Hey, product launchers, Tracy Hazard here and I have a shark tanker for you. Someone who's been in the tank and survived and thrived actually. So we're going to have a chat with Joanna Parker. She's a mom of three and the co founder of Yumble. That sounds really good right there. The name is awesome. She's determined to make parents lives simpler by helping them teach their children healthy and happy eating habits that will last a lifetime. That would be awesome because I have three too and I can't say one of them is an adult and she might have turned out to be kind of a picky eater. So that would be awesome if I can fix the other two as well. So after graduating from Columbia College, Joanna began her career in product development at Macy's. So she has a product background, so we're going to dig a little bit into that. And five years into teaching early childhood education, she became a mom of two and soon left teaching to become a stay at home mom, later adding one more child to her growing family. And it was during this time, because I'm sure it was really busy, that she was realizing how frustrating and stressful it was to prepare, cook and clean up kids, breakfast, lunch and dinner every single day. I agree with that one completely. She knew there had to be a better way and she was passionate about solving this problem. She soon began cooking and preparing meals for families in the neighborhood. So see, this is the consummate entrepreneur thing. So she couldn't just solve her own problem, she had to solve it for everyone. So soon that became Yumble and It's now in 38 states and recently aired on Shark Tank. Yumble is positioned to deliver healthy and delicious ready to eat meals to hundreds of millions of of American families. I am looking forward to being one of them. I don't know. Are you in California yet?

Not yet, but hopefully by the end of the summer.

Awesome. Good, I'll be ready to sign up. So Joanna, thank you for joining me today.

Thank you so much for having me.

So you have done the classic thing where you found a problem and you solved it and then more people asked you, hey, can you do this for me? And so we love that because you get your market proof early. Do you think that having that sales proof helped you in the shark tank?

100%. I think that every step you take as an entrepreneur to prove your product market fit helps you both, you know, as an entrepreneur, but. And then again in the tank explaining that you started it, you did the grind, you went out there and, you know, solved the problem on your own. I wore every hat in the beginning. I think the sharks really respect that kind of grip.

Yeah. And more importantly, you had people asking for your products. So, I mean, a demand is an awesome thing to be able to go in with.

Yes, for sure. And that's actually kind of been the big driver since day one, which is just. I posted on a Facebook mommy group anonymously and just through word of mouth and kind of viral moms talking, we just kept growing organically.

Oh, I love that because I teach here a lot. When you're doing market research, the number one thing that you can't do to assess product market fit is, is just ask your friends and family. You have to go out there and ask the exact target market, and if they're more than willing to plunk down dollars, you're in. Great. You should go for it.

Exactly. I felt really strongly about not tapping my friends. I knew my friends had this pain point, but I wanted to see if it existed in the broader mommy community. And so I purposely wanted to do it anonymously in a different neighborhood. And seeing that people were willing to pay and then actually put in their credit cards on a subscription recurring cycle was very promising.

That is promising. So also, that's one tip for success right there. You were putting them on the subscription model from the beginning, which was really helping your planning and your cash flow. And with food, that's critical.

Yeah. So from a business perspective, the subscription makes it much, much more manageable and you can project a lot more easily and precisely. I also felt like the product really lent itself to subscription because the whole concept was to alleviate this problem from parents lives. And they have this problem, they have it today, they have it tomorrow, they have it next week, they have it the week after. It's not like a hobby or a fun to do that they might want to do this week, but not the next week. And so I felt like being able to cross it off their list indefinitely until they were kind of didn't have children in the house anymore was sort of the best way to do it for them.

I love that.

So now you have a background in product development from Macy's. How did that help you so actually.

My background, I came from product development, and then I was in early childhood. And I would say those two things combined really, really have. I didn't even realize it actually, when I started Yumble, but as I kind of got more and more into it, I realized that they were kind of great backgrounds, which I think is important for entrepreneurs. Not to try to fit what you want to do into what you've already done, but find the things from what you've already done and how they can help you moving forward. So learning about product development and the cycles and building something from scratch and watching it go to market and analyzing how it does in market and knowing when to pull product, when to double down on something that's performing, all of those tasks that I had at Macy's definitely came into play. And then with my early childhood experience, I obviously had experience with children. But what I think actually has been even more helpful is having had the relationship with parents who trust you with their children and how to talk to parents and what they expect from teachers or people who are providing a service like Yumble, where it's really, you know, very, very intimate what you're serving your child for dinner, the same way it is when you spend, you know, nine hours a day with them in the classroom.

You know, that's so interesting that you say that, because most often people would go, oh, well, I have a nutrition degree, so this is going to be just fine. And I know what I'm doing, but it really is that, how are you going to get those kids to eat it? And is this going to be easy? And is this going to make my life better? As a parent, we're the gatekeepers in the process. It's not the nutritional factors. They're important, but they're not the first factors, and they're not the first concerns that go through our mind. So you already knowing that is really helpful.

It was definitely very, very helpful. And I think also as an entrepreneur, knowing where your strengths are and where your weaknesses are and then calling on other people to kind of fill in for your weaknesses rather than ignoring them is really important.

So I hope you're not wearing all the hats now.

No, thank God. I've taken a few of them off. But it was definitely helpful having worn them all.

So when you went into the tark take, you were essentially a solopreneur. I mean, you had your husband. Was he your partner at the time, or.

Yeah, so David came on board pretty early, as soon as he saw the traction from that initial Facebook mommy group and the kind of New York City virality. He was pretty excited. He had been an entrepreneur before and so was really excited to jump on board. So the two of us started and then we pulled in someone who had more operational chops than the two of us. David's more of the business side. He went to Harvard Business School and comes with more CEO kind of financial background, strategy. And so at the time it was us and I think we had one customer service representative who was helping out and that was pretty much it.

And so then now, how big are you? Because you're in 38 states. That's a lot.

Now we're a team of 20, about 20 in the office that doesn't include a lot of our developers that are abroad and a lot of our kitchen staff and our packers and things like that.

Wonderful. So now let's talk a little bit about the product. So tell me what you deliver.

Okay, so Yumble is a weekly subscription of fully prepared, healthy, yummy meals designed just for kids. So every customer goes onto the website and they get to choose whichever meals they want from our menu, ranging between 20 and 30 items at any given time. Some of our meals are more catered towards dinner. So you pop them in the microwave and everything's fully cooked. So there's no work involved. But some of them are better warmed up. So that's like a Mac and cheese or something like that. And then another line of ours are what we call ready to eat, which don't even involve any warming up, but are more kind of think of a lunch mom might throw into her kid's backpack and so the child doesn't have to even warm them at school. So tin wheels and pasta salads and fresh fruits and veggies and dips and the things like that.

I love that. Lots of fun. So what's some of your most popular meals?

So our most popular meal is definitely our Chicken Pops.

It's like a chicken nugget on a popsicle stick, right?

Exactly. And the reason I love it is because it really embodies everything that Yumble is. I like to say that Yambl DNA has three pillars. One is it's made from ingredients that mom and dad feel proud to serve. So the Chicken Pops are wholesome. They're made from antibiotic free, hormone free white meat chicken. They're baked, they're rolled in whole wheat panko crumbs, all goodness. So that's the first pillar of Yumble DNA. The second is it tastes like food that kids actually want to eat. Because we all know no matter how healthy the food is, if the kids aren't going to eat it, then it really doesn't matter. So this tastes like a chicken nugget, which pretty much every kid loves, and so that makes it a winner. And then the third thing, which I think really kind of sets us apart, but is really just as important is that there's a fun factor. And so taking the familiar chicken nugget and putting it on a lollipop stick and making it round and making it something that kids can dunk and dip and plank and twirl just adds an element of fun. And what I didn't mention to you when you asked about the product is something else that we always send in. Every box is collectibles and activities for the kids because we really want mealtime to be happy and fun and stress free. And so if the kids are happy and mom and dad are not stressed, then the whole environment in the kitchen just changes.

Oh, that's awesome. I love that. So now what kind of packaging are they arriving in?

So all the meals come in trays that are microwave safe. For families that don't use microwaves, the food can easily be taken out and put onto a cookie sheet and warmed in the oven. And they come wrapped in these really cute belly bands that are different colors and have little characters on them and have fun names of what the food is. And then every box comes with a, like a packet. And it comes with anything from coloring sheets to coins that you can collect and then trade in for prizes to sticker charts and strategies and tips for mom and dad on how to make.

Eating healthier and how to get them to try stuff.

Exactly. Little strategies just to kind of help get through mealtime.

So how old are your kids now?

My kids now are nine, is my son. And then I have two daughters, seven and four.

So I have 24.

Oh, boy.

She just turned 10 and she just turned five. So all girls.

Okay.

And my 10 and five year old, I can see them totally needing what you're doing because they are very picky eaters. They're following in their big sister's footsteps. Ironically, their big sister turned out to be a chef. And. Yeah, well, I mean, she went to school for as a chef, but now she runs my company, so she's involved in our business as well.

Oh, cool.

But, yeah, but you know, I was always like, you're the pickiest eater and you're going to be a chef. I was like, at least I did something right in the kitchen. As I taught you that it Was fun and interesting, but you don't try everything. I'm like, what is the deal with that?

Does she explore more now?

Oh, yeah, definitely. As an adult, you know, but that took, you know, it took a cooking actually for that to happen with her. With the other two though, you know, my middle one, my 10 year old, she's good at trying things. The five year old, she's still at that stage, which is a common stage with, you know, that sort of post toddler, they get a little defiant where they might have eaten everything before that, which she did. But now she's like, nope, this is the one thing I can control. And I'm going to say I'm only eating chicken nuggets and so trying to shift them up and make them healthy, that I might be able to do with her, but trying to deviate from that Mac and cheese and chicken nugget meal, not going to happen too easily. So you've given us options, which I love.

Yep. And we really try to have something for everybody. So for the parents who, you know, are dealing with picky kids and they just want to get them to eat something healthy, we have very basic options. And then for parents who are ready to kind of explore more adventurous things, we've included some, you know, a little more exotic dishes so everybody can really cater to what their family needs. But I think you really hit the nail on the head with, you know, picky eating is a phase and it's just, you know, I always talk to my customers and I tell them it's like potty training, it's like sleep training. Kids are not born knowing how to have healthy eating habits. And it's one of our jobs as parents to show them and at some point in their, you know, growing up, they're going to encounter this sort of defiance. And it's just our job to work through it with them. And it takes a lot of patience, just like all the other milestones. But I think the earlier we help them and the more consistent we are with them and the less stressed we feel about it, the faster it's over and the longer those eating habits last.

So how is your family though, dealing with two entrepreneurial parents running a very fast growing business? I know this is a challenge personally. That's why I ask it from your perspective. So how has that been challenging your family?

Yeah, I mean, it was definitely a very big shift for my kids. I mean, I went from stay at home mom to 247 startup mom. And what's actually interesting is I think the airing of Shark Tank was a really pivotal moment for my kids where there was some kind of validation or understanding of what it was we were doing and, you know, kind of got the community rallied up and everyone was really excited and there was a lot of positive sort of camaraderie.

So they felt a part of something too.

Yeah, exactly. And they're always a part of it because they taste things or they, you know, we get our box every week and they're always very involved and I'm always asking them their opinions, but I think it's hard having such busy parents. And so then having that sort of validation was really exciting for them.

No, that is good. We like to involve our kids whenever we can. Occasionally I will have them invite them on to do a podcast or something like that because them feeling what it's like is really great. So my 10 year old is anxious to be a YouTube star now. And so we're in development, so we've been in development for a month because I'm trying to stall till school ends. So we're, we're in, we're in development, trying to figure out what our show should be about. And so anyway. But yeah, that's exactly it. You know, getting them involved and getting them to feel like they're a part of that community is really important. And so you're good for you. Because keeping them so separate is really hard because you're living and breathing it.

Yeah. And especially because it's me and my husband together, there's no way to really keep it, you know, out of the house. So it really is a family project. And so I do like to involve them. And I think the other thing that's really helped them is just sort of setting their expectations. Like my four year old, she just, she goes to sleep too early for me to see her during the weekdays, but she knows that. So she knows Monday through Thursday she, she's going to go to sleep and she'll see me in the morning. And it's sort of, I've set her expectations so there's no disappointment. And when there's no disappointment on her end, then I feel a lot less guilt. And she knows on Friday, Saturdays and Sundays she gets to, I put her to sleep, I bathe her, I do everything. And so leveling with them, I think, and talking to them like grownups really helps.

Yeah, I have that issue when I do a lot of travel. So we have, you can talk to me in the morning because of the time zone. And so, you know, we have to have discussions about that so, so. But setting that up ahead of time is so important.

The other issue that you have is you're working with your husband. And for a lot of people, that seems really off the charts, like never going to happen in their lives. I know because I've been working with my husband for 25 years, so I actually know how that is. It's the number one question I get, like, how do you manage that? But did you work together at all before?

We did not.

So this is new. So you're navigating new territory as well?

Yeah, yeah. And I think, you know, we spoke a lot about it before we made the decision to do it, and I honestly couldn't really imagine it any other way because a startup is so consuming and demanding and, you know, there's highs and there are lows and having someone to really ride that roller coaster with who understands it, I think makes it a lot easier. I think if one of us was doing it by ourselves, it would almost be very isolating.

I agree. That's how I say you have a co creator in your process and you both have the same goals, both in business and in your personal lives. So there isn't actually is less conflict. And it's enjoyable if you can manage not to figure out each other's roles. But as you said, you guys have complementary skills, so that's really good as well. So we do too. We're totally different people. So I'm the CEO and he's the cto and he likes to stay in the technology and the development side of that. So, you know, that really helps us as well.

Yeah, our roles are very, very separated. In fact, we often joke, you know, we commute in together and at the end of the day when we're driving home, we usually are talking and we're like, this is the first time we're actually talking today. And how was your day?

Well, that's the thing is like, I spend my entire day pretty much doing these interviews and other things like that, so I actually don't see them at all during the day either. Occasionally we happen to hit in the kitchen at the same time to grab lunch out of the fridge, but like, otherwise we probably don't see each other during the day. So, yeah, people think that you're just tripping over each other, but husband and wife teams are very, very common. I mean, we think about all the small businesses, all the restaurants, all the things out there that are run by families, and it's very, very different. And it's not unusual. It just requires Systematic, you having your systems in place, having a comfort level and having a discussion ahead of time. So I love that you guys did that.

Yeah, for sure. And I think, you know, keeping boundaries and, you know, making sure, you know, we. I always tell this story, but when we commute home and we're having our kind of end of the day recap, if we're not finished when we get to the house, we'll kind of park on the side of the street for a few minutes, wrap everything up, and then pull into the driveway.

So it doesn't go past the car.

It can't go into the garage because the kids come running in through the playroom door, and they are ready for mommy and daddy and not yumble co founders.

That's right. I love that. Okay, well, let's talk about some of these hazards of product launching. So tons have to go wrong. I know. Everything does go wrong. So let's talk about some of the things that went wrong and how you overcame them.

All right. Our first real challenge was when we outgrew our first first kitchen, and we were growing too fast, and they pretty much gave us our 90 day notice and we had no place to go. And I remember I left the meeting crying and David left the meeting like, totally pumped, like, we're going to figure this out and we've got 90 days and let's just do it. And we did, and we actually ended up in a better place. That was a better fit for us in the end. But having that crunch time and knowing it was do or die was definitely an enormous challenge. And I think that's when we've kind of first realized that this business was really, really, really heavy on the operations. And that wasn't mine or David's strong suit. And it's frustrating, I think, as founders, to have such an important part of your business not be like, in your wheelhouse.

Oh, yeah, that is so true. I think that that is a really important insight that you've just given there, is that when you face some of these challenges and you realize it's not your skill set and you don't have time to learn it. Right. It's not something you can learn. Right. You need deep knowledge there that makes it really difficult. And especially if you're. And this is what I see too often is that they put off the hire in that particular area because they're like, we don't have the income yet. We're not at the stage at which we hire. And so they delay it. And it actually is the business killer.

At the end of the day, totally agree.

Because it is the holdback. It's the reason you're not growing and you just don't know it.

Yep. And like I said before, you need to recognize your weaknesses very early and fill those spots with people who you really, really trust to carry that through. Because, you know, we always knew that this business had a lot of operations, but we also knew that it was very important for us to build a brand that parents trust. And that's kind of where David and I, I think, lend our strengths. So being able to focus on that while trusting someone to run the operations, I think is a really important part of the business.

That's really great. So, yeah, I've done, gosh, in the last decade, about 250 products, but probably about a thousand overall in my career. And I never do food. So food in and of itself is a challenge. Would you talk a little bit about that? Because there's a reason I don't do food.

Yeah, food is another, I would say, another one of the challenges that's constant. Especially when you're dealing with children. You want to make sure that everything is perfect, perfect, perfect. And so that was kind of, you know, ties in a little bit to why it was challenging to find the perfect place for us to cook out of because our standards were so high. But dealing with fresh food and transporting food, whether it's, you know, from our facility to our customers, making sure it stays at the right temperature is a really big challenge. And then, you know, the different seasons, everything changes. And also transporting food in different weather. So, you know, in the winter, while it's easier because the stay colder, you're also dealing with snowstorms and, you know, we're kind of tornadoes now. Exactly. There's always something.

Yeah. You don't realize that Weather Watch is like critical to your business until it starts happening.

I know. Yeah. So that's definitely a big challenge. And even just getting, you know, our food into the kitchen, if we run out of an ingredient, things like that, and you know, things get recalled ingredient wise. And so you really have to be amenable and. And roll with the punches. But.

Well, I imagine your planning experience really helped you in terms of like, were you doing inventory, planning and other things at Macy's?

Yeah.

Yeah, I bet that really helped you.

Yeah. And we were. I was lucky because I was doing some items that were seasonal and some items that were, you know, like evergreens. So that's kind of how we have the menu also, which is some things rotating and Some things just stay there forever.

So I imagine you also have to be sort of have an eye on economics and what's going on in the world because I understand that we're having a pork price problem so we're going to be getting into bacon issues and other things as you go forward. So your pricing has to fluctuate as well and or you're going to have to absorb some. So that is profit bottom line issues.

Yeah. So that's actually where David, his kind of expertise comes in. He's very, very creative at crafting contracts and so a lot of our agreements with our vendors protect us.

That's wonderful. See? Ah, forward thinking. Love it. Great team. So, well, what advice do you have for someone who wants to do a food startup?

I mean, not to sound like a broken record, but I would say the number one thing is to really find out what kind of people you need on your team to complement you. It's really important to do what you're good at doing and have the people surrounding you do what you're not as good at. And nobody's great at everything. And I think being self aware is really important for an entrepreneur because there's no success in being kind of defensive or, you know, not honest about what you're good at. So surrounding yourself with a team that you can really, really trust, I think is the number one key. And people who have connections with different vendors and you know, especially if you're dealing with food, knowing the best and the quality is really important.

Wonderful. And how was your experience in Shark Tank? Tell me a little bit about it. Post Shark Tank. I know you have some secrets, but tell me what you can.

So I always say that Shark Tank was like a mini startup. It's a roller coaster ride. It's exhilarating, it's thrilling. It's scary actually.

Tell us a little bit about how you decided you were going to go into the Shark Tank because that's a big decision for a lot of people. Even you know that. Do I even do it?

Yeah. So it's funny, my husband and I had talked about it and we never really thought that hard about what it really meant to go on national tv. And we always knew it'd be a great thing for Yumbel, assuming that the sharks like this. But what we didn't really think about beforehand was what it would mean for Joanna and David Parker separate from Yumbo. And I, you know, mentioned this to you earlier, but the sort of camaraderie from the community and the excitement for my children and the way it brought our team together, there was really, like a personal component that I think took us both by a lot of surprise. There was also the whole waiting from when we filmed to when we aired.

Oh, gosh. Really long time for everybody. It's like the slowest time that you'll ever go through. Yeah.

And you have no idea, you know, you know what happens, but you don't know how they're going to edit it and what you're going to look like and sound like and how they'll chop it up. And I don't think we realized how stressful those months of waiting would be because after it was over, we both, like, took a deep breath. We're like, oh, my God, we're so glad that that's. We're really glad we did it.

But you also had each other, which is really unusual. So so many of the ones who go in solo, they need a support group. So there actually is a support group on Facebook. There's a support group for shark takers. So.

Yeah.

Because it is isolating, right?

Yeah. Even going in with David, we. We look at each other every once in a while. We're like, did we say that? I don't even remember. Like, it's like a foggy blur.

What happened after. So how does it change your business?

I think it just gave a lot of brand awareness. That's kind of been the best asset for us from the airing, you know, the sharks validating it. I think for moms, they want to know that a product has been validated before they buy it for their children. And so trusting people, like the panel of sharks automatically gives them kind of the check mark to kind of purchase. So I would say that's been our biggest kind of excitement from it.

And how did you prepare for that? Like, night of boom. Right. You know, because everyone goes and Googles you and finds you and you get.

About a few weeks notice that they're going to air you. And that's really. Our team was spectacular. Everybody, from tech to customer service to logistics to supply chain, everybody really worked around the clock to make sure that the site wouldn't crash, that we'd have enough supply for the demand. We thought of creative landing pages and ads, and it was really a full team effort.

Yeah. Because food is harder. I mean, it's one thing to have enough inventory, but food is harder because you could overbuy and you have all excess. And so that one's a lot harder to balance. And I've heard that from multiple shark tankers who came in with food products, some who overbought and some who didn't have enough. And so it's really a lot harder to balance than regular inventory, for sure. So any other tips? Do you recommend Shark Tank for other startups?

I definitely recommend it. I mean, if nothing else, it's an amazing life experience. You'll learn a lot about yourself. It's exciting, it's fun. You become part of a community of people who are really, really supportive. And, you know, throughout the journey of an entrepreneur, you're going to hear a lot of no's and you're going to hit a lot of bumps. And I think taking advantage of all of the highs and exciting moments, it's really important to celebrate them. So.

Yeah. So for those of you who didn't watch Shark Tank yet and you're hearing Joanna and you're hearing all about Yumbo, I will link to the video that that is on YouTube for that, so you can check that out. But you got to deal with Bethenny Frankel. And she. Was that her first episode on the show or had she been a few.

More in the season she had been on? I believe last year was her first year as a guest. And I can't remember if it was her first episode of this season or her second. I think it was her second.

Okay, so. And you got to deal with her. And so she's been taking on, according to what she said there, she was going to take on a spokesperson role. How's that worked out for you?

It's great. I mean, Bethany, what I really loved about Bethany was right when we walked into the Tank, you could tell that she totally understood both the pain point and the solution that we were trying to solve. She's a busy mom who cares about feeding her daughter healthy food. And what I loved is just how she totally connected with the product. She's also a. Has like a culinary background, so that was also a nice connector.

Yeah. She has her own food and beverages line. So yeah, that makes sense that she would understand what you're going through too. So good connections there. Well, good. Well, Joanna, do you have anything else that you'd like to share with our audience before you go?

I would just say if you're an aspiring entrepreneur, then best of luck and don't give up. Because the only difference between successful entrepreneurs and unsuccessful or the successful ones don't give up. They just keep going.

Thank you so much for joining me today, everyone. Product launch Hazards. This is Tracy Hazard and you can find this blog post and all kinds of information at our website, productlaunchhazards.com this will also be an ink article, so you'll want to check out my column as well. And if you have anything you want to reach out to Joanna and all of those, all the information will be in the post on how you can find Yumble. Now you can buy yummy meals for your family. So thank you all for listening. This has been Tracy Hazard.

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