Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Sadrah Schadel, Founder, and Co-Owner of No Evil Foods, located in Charlotte, NC, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
No Evil Foods stands for simple AF* ingredients that you can recognize and pronounce. But our company name is more than a promise to create products from the best ingredients. No Evil Foods is a movement. We believe that we don't need to eff up the planet to feed ourselves, and we shouldn't have to compromise great taste for health. So, we raided our pantry and created a true Plant Meat that's actually made from plants. Our range of killer Plant Meat is boldly seasoned, nutrient-dense, wildly versatile, and healthy enough to make a daily habit out of.
No Evil Foods is vegan-owned, woman-led, Certified Plant Based, and Certified Plastic Negative. We are serious about making meat from plants and promise to use our food to build a stronger, more inclusive, accessible, and sustainable food system that promotes health and protects this planet we call 'mutha Earth.
Our customers are thoughtful and want to align their values with their purchases. They want their dollars to make a difference, and they want brands to step up their sustainability game and help them make better choices.
Tell us about yourself
I grew up in a vegetarian household in the 80s and always felt like a little bit of an outsider because of how I ate as I got older and went vegan and became more committed to the environmental, animal welfare, and health importance of veganism. I also became super into food and got such a thrill out of creating animal-free food for people who didn't think they could enjoy a meal without meat.
I was cooking a lot at home and wanted to create meals using versatile proteins made from simple, recognizable plant-based ingredients, but I couldn't find what I was looking for in the grocery store, so I started making it myself. I believe food has the power to serve as a life-changing tool when we decide to stop repeating the same cycle of creating heavily processed "products." Helping connect people around the shared experience of enjoying a great meal, and making it easier for them to do it without meat, still gives me such a thrill.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
I am amazed every day that the business I created from recipes I developed in my parent's basement 'test kitchen' has spread across the country. I show love and nurturing by cooking for others - and to know that people are doing the same thing in their homes because of what I created is still so mind-blowing. But the biggest accomplishment is having built a business that allows me to live my life in alignment with my values every day and knowing that by following my passion, I am making it easier for other people to do the same.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
Truthfully, it depends on the day, but, balancing ambition with access is a perpetual challenge. There are so many things I want to do: new products I’d like to develop, packaging improvements, new marketing and content campaigns, website revisions, events, etc. A vast majority of the ideas I have aren’t obtainable due to timing or financial/opportunity access, which can be even more challenging for female leaders, and that’s really tough. But the patience, creativity, and strength of character that comes from thriving despite limitations is the best outcome of the entrepreneurial journey.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Risk and reward go hand in hand when it comes to building a business. Take the risk.
- You don't have the be perfect in order to be successful. Humility and resiliency will take you far.
- Always be true to yourself.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.noevilfoods.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/noevilfoods
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/noevilfoods/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sadrahschadel/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
Turn your craft into recurring revenue with Subkit. Start your subscription offering in minutes and supercharge it with growth levers. Get early access here.