It's been a long time since my last blog post. REALLY long time. In wondering why I think I may subconsciously be going for 2011's "most inconsistent blogger". All the same, I figured I was long overdue to sit down and write a new post.
So let me start by catching up what's been going on for the last few months. Chad's Carolina Corn has been on a steady climb in 2011 and there are a lot of exciting possibilities brewing right now. All of the retail accounts are doing well and are reordering more frequently. Website sales/traffic is up. A great community is developing on Facebook and I love interacting with them. Fox 8 filmed a "Made In NC" segment on Chad's Carolina Corn that will be airing very soon. And the Piedmont Triad Farmer's Market has been a great success serving as the "official" retail location for Chad's Carolina Corn.
As with any start up company the amount of time I'm putting in versus the amount of money coming out isn't exactly setting any records yet. In fact I know I'd make money money on the hour if I took a minimum wage job and would actually get to take a day off now and again. BUT, I believe in this company! So I know all of the time that's going into it right now is going to pay off.
In fact, on a lot of levels I consider the company a success already. It can be found on shelves around the triad, it's been shipped all over the country, and most importantly people are enjoying it.
One of my favorite things about being out at the Piedmont Triad Farmer's Market is that I get to give people samples and see their reaction first hand. It's awesome! They take a bite, and I can count down for the flavor to hit 5...4...3...2...1... "wow, that's great popcorn!" Hearing that and seeing the smile it puts on people's faces is an incredible feeling. Even if they don't buy a bag right then, it's still very fulfilling to see that reaction.
Well, that kind of sums things up for right now. I could go on and on, but I want to save something for the next blog so hopefully it won't be another few months before I post again :)
Thanks for reading
Chad aka "The Popcorn Czar"
Friday, May 20, 2011
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Why Popcorn?
I get this question a lot: why popcorn?
I understand what makes people ask the question, especially if they know me. I am a self proclaimed technology addict.
For the last several years I've made my living doing IT support, network administration, and web design. I have and regularly use a laptop, smart phone, iPod, among other digital devices. I live on the web. Whenever any friend or family has a technology question or problem I'm the one they call.
Which brings me back to the question: why popcorn?
I never really have a good answer for that question to be honest. I usually just shrug and say it's because I like popcorn. That's a good enough reason right?
I just watched a documentary tonight called 180 Degrees South. It is about a guy who took six months of his life to travel down to Patagonia and climb the mountain Corcovado. But what the movie was really about was living a life that's more in tune with nature and other people. Escaping the over consuming, disconnected lifestyle that embodies what it means to be an American today.
This really hit home with me. Countless times I've walked through the grocery store, or Wal-Mart with my ear buds in listening to music or a pod cast. Other shoppers only represented moving obstacles that stood between me and whatever goods I was there to purchase. Then there's the countless hours spent on the internet instead of face to face interactions with people and the world around me.
So what in the world does that have to do with making popcorn? I think on a subconscious level making popcorn represents to me getting back to something more real, more natural. It's taking things that are natural and making something out of them with my hands. It's working alongside other people in a non virtual environment. It's about handing a bag of gourmet popcorn to someone and seeing the smile it brings to their face. It's about then having a conversation with the people I meet. It's about connecting.
Now I know that I'm not out saving the rain forests or living off the land. But it's a step in the right direction I think. It's about not being buried in my computer or phone 24/7. And so far it's going great!
Chad aka "The Popcorn Czar"
I understand what makes people ask the question, especially if they know me. I am a self proclaimed technology addict.
For the last several years I've made my living doing IT support, network administration, and web design. I have and regularly use a laptop, smart phone, iPod, among other digital devices. I live on the web. Whenever any friend or family has a technology question or problem I'm the one they call.
Which brings me back to the question: why popcorn?
I never really have a good answer for that question to be honest. I usually just shrug and say it's because I like popcorn. That's a good enough reason right?
I just watched a documentary tonight called 180 Degrees South. It is about a guy who took six months of his life to travel down to Patagonia and climb the mountain Corcovado. But what the movie was really about was living a life that's more in tune with nature and other people. Escaping the over consuming, disconnected lifestyle that embodies what it means to be an American today.
This really hit home with me. Countless times I've walked through the grocery store, or Wal-Mart with my ear buds in listening to music or a pod cast. Other shoppers only represented moving obstacles that stood between me and whatever goods I was there to purchase. Then there's the countless hours spent on the internet instead of face to face interactions with people and the world around me.
So what in the world does that have to do with making popcorn? I think on a subconscious level making popcorn represents to me getting back to something more real, more natural. It's taking things that are natural and making something out of them with my hands. It's working alongside other people in a non virtual environment. It's about handing a bag of gourmet popcorn to someone and seeing the smile it brings to their face. It's about then having a conversation with the people I meet. It's about connecting.
Now I know that I'm not out saving the rain forests or living off the land. But it's a step in the right direction I think. It's about not being buried in my computer or phone 24/7. And so far it's going great!
Chad aka "The Popcorn Czar"
Saturday, December 4, 2010
Things are poppin'
It's hard to believe that just a few short months ago Chad's Carolina Corn was just an idea being tossed around. I'm very blessed, and somewhat humbled, to see how far the company has come in such a short amount of time.
We have now moved from a concept we began in our kitchen to a production facility in Archdale, NC. We have officially launched the website and orders have been coming in. The product is on the shelves in Lewisville at Mostly Local Market, and in Thomasville at Shoppes On Main and Cedar Lodge Market. More stores to come very soon....
And in a very excited surprise Chad's Carolina Corn was featured on WXII on December 1st! We saw a jump in website traffic of 2700% the next day! Thanks very much to the folks at WXII for giving us that opportunity.
All this for a company that didn't exist 6 months ago.
There have literally been new opportunities pouring in daily, and I am SO thankful! The support that I have received from everyone is beyond what I could have anticipated.
As the story on WXII alluded to, this is really more than just about popcorn. A big part of the reason for starting this company is to give me a way to better support my family. It's no secret that times are hard for everyone right now, and we are not an exception. I've been praying, searching, and brainstorming for what feels like forever about what to do and starting Chad's Carolina Corn felt like the right way to go. It was, and to some degree still is, a risk. But I have been SO encouraged by everyone's reaction.
So I just want to say thank you so much to everyone out there who has given me a word of encouragement, had good things to say about the product, and helped open doors for me!!!
More good news to come shortly.....
Chad aka "The Popcorn Czar"
We have now moved from a concept we began in our kitchen to a production facility in Archdale, NC. We have officially launched the website and orders have been coming in. The product is on the shelves in Lewisville at Mostly Local Market, and in Thomasville at Shoppes On Main and Cedar Lodge Market. More stores to come very soon....
And in a very excited surprise Chad's Carolina Corn was featured on WXII on December 1st! We saw a jump in website traffic of 2700% the next day! Thanks very much to the folks at WXII for giving us that opportunity.
All this for a company that didn't exist 6 months ago.
There have literally been new opportunities pouring in daily, and I am SO thankful! The support that I have received from everyone is beyond what I could have anticipated.
As the story on WXII alluded to, this is really more than just about popcorn. A big part of the reason for starting this company is to give me a way to better support my family. It's no secret that times are hard for everyone right now, and we are not an exception. I've been praying, searching, and brainstorming for what feels like forever about what to do and starting Chad's Carolina Corn felt like the right way to go. It was, and to some degree still is, a risk. But I have been SO encouraged by everyone's reaction.
So I just want to say thank you so much to everyone out there who has given me a word of encouragement, had good things to say about the product, and helped open doors for me!!!
More good news to come shortly.....
Chad aka "The Popcorn Czar"
Monday, October 11, 2010
Chad's Carolina Corn
It seems like everything is happening so fast, and I'm loving it! But let me back up a step.
It was only a few short months ago that I found myself once again thinking about what it was I was supposed to do in life. Things were going ok, and I had work, but something was missing. I've always felt like I needed to be doing something more than just the status quo.
I had spent better part of the last decade behind a keyboard. Now don't get me wrong I love technology, but I had had enough. I wanted to create some type of business that would allow me to support my family, be able to spend time with my family, and hopefully be able to help others. And not do it ALL from a computer. Sounds kinda cliche now that I type it out, but those were my criteria.
I don't remember the exact thought that led me to popcorn as a business, but I do remember the night that it happened. It was my wife, my son, and I sitting around the living room watching television when I blurted out that I was going to start a gourmet popcorn company. A company that makes the best all natural popcorn in the world! I admit I did get a couple of strange looks, and there were only two other people in the room.
After the words came out though it felt very natural. Not sure why really because most of my ideas had to do with tech solutions, but I have always LOVED popcorn. So in one sense, I don't know why I didn't think of it sooner!
A Brief History Of Popcorn (as it relates to me):
When I was growing up my mom had always made popcorn for us on the stove and I could never get enough. I liked everything about it. We would hover around in the kitchen waiting for it to cook, anticipating that popping sound. I still smile every time I hear popcorn start to pop, I just can't help it. Usually what would follow would be our family hanging out in the living room enjoying the popcorn and spending time together.
And I don't even want to get started on movie theater popcorn! My dad and I spent a lot of time at the movie theater when I was growing up and there was NO WAY we were watching a movie without popcorn. It was every bit as much of the experience as the movie itself. And when the movie was bad at least you knew you were getting great popcorn. Too bad I now realize that a bag of movie theater popcorn is about as unhealthy as it gets.
So I was very pleased to introduce my family to cooking popcorn on the stove, and what real popcorn tastes like. I don't know if I've mentioned it, but I'm NOT a fan of microwave popcorn. To me there's no comparison. My popcorn was always a hit when we had movie night at the house and all was well with the world.
So where was I? I start reminiscing about the history that popcorn and I share and I can get a little side tracked....
So there I was having a eureka moment in the living room declaring that I was going into the popcorn business. So what did I do next? I made some popcorn of course!
The next thing I needed in my estimation was a business plan.... just kidding. Starting with a formal business plan requires more discipline and organization than I posses. No what I needed to get started, besides good popcorn, was a name! The formal business plan will be third of course...
My wife and I kicked around several ideas waiting for one to stick, and eventually I came up with Chad's Carolina Corn. I think it has a nice ring to it and explains what the company is about. There's me (Chad's), there's where I'm from and where the popcorn is made (Carolina), and there's the popcorn itself (Corn). And the fact it makes a neat and pretty acronym didn't hurt either: CCC.
I also love the fact that popcorn isn't so serious. People are smiling when you give them great popcorn, and popcorn is just fun. In the spirit of keeping this fun I've given myself a self appointed title: The Popcorn Czar. It's a title I will do my best to live up to :)
Now let's flash forward a few month's and I'm now in the thick of getting a business started completely from scratch, which is always a little more work than you think it would be, and I'm loving it! I get a little overwhelmed at times, but that's to be expected I suppose. I've already managed to pull a few all nighters getting ready for some events. But hey, if you can't enjoy popping popcorn at 3 in the morning when can you enjoy popping popcorn?
Everything is still in the beginning stages, but so far the response has been fantastic! I've managed to create a few addicts right off the bat.
I'm putting together the website, www.chadscarolinacorn.com, and things are starting to get really exciting.
So check out the site and follow this blog to find out where you can get your next fix of Chad's Carolina Corn.
Chad aka "The Popcorn Czar"
It was only a few short months ago that I found myself once again thinking about what it was I was supposed to do in life. Things were going ok, and I had work, but something was missing. I've always felt like I needed to be doing something more than just the status quo.
I had spent better part of the last decade behind a keyboard. Now don't get me wrong I love technology, but I had had enough. I wanted to create some type of business that would allow me to support my family, be able to spend time with my family, and hopefully be able to help others. And not do it ALL from a computer. Sounds kinda cliche now that I type it out, but those were my criteria.
I don't remember the exact thought that led me to popcorn as a business, but I do remember the night that it happened. It was my wife, my son, and I sitting around the living room watching television when I blurted out that I was going to start a gourmet popcorn company. A company that makes the best all natural popcorn in the world! I admit I did get a couple of strange looks, and there were only two other people in the room.
After the words came out though it felt very natural. Not sure why really because most of my ideas had to do with tech solutions, but I have always LOVED popcorn. So in one sense, I don't know why I didn't think of it sooner!
A Brief History Of Popcorn (as it relates to me):
When I was growing up my mom had always made popcorn for us on the stove and I could never get enough. I liked everything about it. We would hover around in the kitchen waiting for it to cook, anticipating that popping sound. I still smile every time I hear popcorn start to pop, I just can't help it. Usually what would follow would be our family hanging out in the living room enjoying the popcorn and spending time together.
And I don't even want to get started on movie theater popcorn! My dad and I spent a lot of time at the movie theater when I was growing up and there was NO WAY we were watching a movie without popcorn. It was every bit as much of the experience as the movie itself. And when the movie was bad at least you knew you were getting great popcorn. Too bad I now realize that a bag of movie theater popcorn is about as unhealthy as it gets.
So I was very pleased to introduce my family to cooking popcorn on the stove, and what real popcorn tastes like. I don't know if I've mentioned it, but I'm NOT a fan of microwave popcorn. To me there's no comparison. My popcorn was always a hit when we had movie night at the house and all was well with the world.
So where was I? I start reminiscing about the history that popcorn and I share and I can get a little side tracked....
So there I was having a eureka moment in the living room declaring that I was going into the popcorn business. So what did I do next? I made some popcorn of course!
The next thing I needed in my estimation was a business plan.... just kidding. Starting with a formal business plan requires more discipline and organization than I posses. No what I needed to get started, besides good popcorn, was a name! The formal business plan will be third of course...
My wife and I kicked around several ideas waiting for one to stick, and eventually I came up with Chad's Carolina Corn. I think it has a nice ring to it and explains what the company is about. There's me (Chad's), there's where I'm from and where the popcorn is made (Carolina), and there's the popcorn itself (Corn). And the fact it makes a neat and pretty acronym didn't hurt either: CCC.
I also love the fact that popcorn isn't so serious. People are smiling when you give them great popcorn, and popcorn is just fun. In the spirit of keeping this fun I've given myself a self appointed title: The Popcorn Czar. It's a title I will do my best to live up to :)
Now let's flash forward a few month's and I'm now in the thick of getting a business started completely from scratch, which is always a little more work than you think it would be, and I'm loving it! I get a little overwhelmed at times, but that's to be expected I suppose. I've already managed to pull a few all nighters getting ready for some events. But hey, if you can't enjoy popping popcorn at 3 in the morning when can you enjoy popping popcorn?
Everything is still in the beginning stages, but so far the response has been fantastic! I've managed to create a few addicts right off the bat.
I'm putting together the website, www.chadscarolinacorn.com, and things are starting to get really exciting.
So check out the site and follow this blog to find out where you can get your next fix of Chad's Carolina Corn.
Chad aka "The Popcorn Czar"
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