Today we’d like to introduce you to Laura Katleman.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Laura. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I worked in two shared kitchens before we got into our current space in Linda Vista. It was terrifying! The new was 4000 square feet 15 times larger than the shared kitchen space. I had seven other subtenants lined up and we produced cookies and bars for another company all to help pay the rent. But I was still not sleeping well not knowing there would be enough money to meet payroll and pay the rent every month. Pretty quickly, my team and I decided that we needed to do our own thing and produce products that aligned with our values. We were clear on our mission: democratizing healthy, organic food. Our values or Bhu Bones had to pervade everything we did: breaking the mold, good enough never is, putting people before profits, embracing change, and celebrating our Bhu-ness. We spent a full year developing bars and packaging that we were proud of. Every single person on the team had to sign off on every aspect of the product. We had seen companies rush to market and have problems with products and packaging and we didn’t want to make the same mistake. We deliberately took our time. We launched Bhu, which means “of the earth” in Sanskrit, at the beginning of 2016. Luckily, The Vitamin Shoppe national, 800 stores liked what we were doing and began to order. The next few years, were a roller coaster as we struggled to gain brand awareness and build followings on the social media platforms. Luckily, local retailers such as Jimbos, Lazy Acres, Stehly Farms, People’s, Barons, The Patio Express, Windmill Farms, Seaside Market, Major Market, and many others appreciated the difference was trying to make in the food world. Now, companies such as Wegmans, Lucky’s, and Kroger are coming on board. None of it could have happened without the dedication of our brilliant and talented team and loyalty of our customers.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
A smooth road? Not at all. I used to joke that every day vacillated from disaster to calamity to catastrophe. My advice is to pick a product and service that you’re passionate about. It can’t be that you’re just starting a business to make a lot of money. If your passion isn’t their people with, feel it. Secondly, no matter how bad things get, if you believe in what you’re doing and you’re convinced that it has value for others, just keep plugging. Just keep putting one foot in front of the other each day. Failure only happens when you quit.
what should we know about Bhu Foods? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
We make superfood, low sugar protein bars, cookies, granola, and protein cookie dough in a jar that contain organic ingredients.
Looking back on your childhood, what experiences do you feel played an important role in shaping the person you grew up to be?
When I was little, I used to travel to Omaha to visit my grandma, who was an amazing cook and baker. Four days before I left, we would start baking for care packages to bring home. She patiently taught me everything. You name it we made it: cookies, brownies, apricot and date squares, hamentashens, and yeast bread like pecan rolls. I had to bring an extra suitcase to fit all of the goodies we made!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.bhufoods.com
- Phone: 619-855-3258
- Email: customerservice@bhufoods.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/bhufoods
- Facebook: facebook.com/bhufoods
- Twitter: twitter.com/bhufoods
mage Credit:
Bhu Foods
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