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In this episode, Tara of Fierce Lab speaks with Tara Pate, the founder of Daysie, a line of certified organic, not-so-simple syrups for coffee and occasions. Tara talks openly about launching her brand during the pandemic, including all the trials, the tribulations, the ups, the downs, and the joys of being a female business owner. The two discuss mindset, having a PR agency, how to uncover white space for a business idea that you have, giving back to other women entrepreneurs, and all the hurdles that entrepreneurs go through when launching a new business.
Finding the space for a business idea
The idea for Daysie came to Tara during the height of the pandemic, when her favorite coffee shop had been closed and she was searching for a way to create her own at-home coffee bar. Tara was disappointed by the options of simple syrups available for consumer use, especially those with lots of ingredients, so she decided to take matters into her own hands. Tara saw an opportunity, and instead of waiting for someone else to solve it, she took it upon herself.
With a background in consumer packaged goods marketing and experience with start-ups in Silicon Valley, Tara embarked on this journey already having the tools and insider knowledge she needed to identify white spaces for a business idea. Tara also discusses how integral it is to take the time and mental space necessary to do the deep thinking and formulate your business idea. She was lucky, in a way, that she had been furloughed from her job, as her long walks with her dog and time away from work to think were integral to making Daysie a reality.
Giving back
Tara registered Daysie as a public benefit company, with plans to eventually become a B-Corp. Daysie is dedicated to giving back 2.1% post-tax to female entrepreneurs in the food and beverage space. This 2.1% is a symbolic gesture to say we’re moving the needle forward. 2.1% is the beginning, and as Daysie grows, that percentage giveback will, too.
The trials and triumphs of entrepreneurship
Entrepreneurship requires sacrifice (especially of your time), as well as support and accountability. With those trials also come triumphs. For Tara and Daysie, that was finding the perfect beverage scientist to create flavor profiles for the syrups; conversation around the way the name inspires people and how the flavor profile transports you to a particular place or memory; the deep amount of research that went into each product and aspect of the brand. While the entire process took a year and a half, the feature of Daysie in Southern Living Magazine and her LinkedIn interaction with Sara Blakely of Spanx marked high points on her journey.
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