Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Shaun Peck, co-founder of Paradise Ciders, located in Honolulu, HI, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

We are Paradise Ciders, and we make handcrafted hard ciders & seltzers. Our flavors are inspired by our surroundings growing up here in Hawaii (think Guava Lava, Mango Daze, & Lei’d Back Lilikoi). They transport you to paradise with each sip.

Tell us about yourself

My name is Shaun, and my business partner, Kasey, and I are ex-bartenders who saw the need for a locally-crafted hard cider. We noticed that a lot of mainland companies were making cider and selling it here in Hawaii, but no one was actually creating it here or giving it that Hawaii twist that we thought was missing. I was already a homebrewer and thought there was a real opportunity to do something new and inventive in this category.

I’ve always had the entrepreneurial spirit, enjoy working for myself, and especially growing this business from the ground up. It’s the coolest thing to see people sipping on Paradise Ciders or Seltzers and know that I made each one of those that leaves our warehouse.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

Being the first cidermaker in Hawaii — we are Hawaii’s first and only cider company.

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

Prioritizing tasks, time management & knowing when to delegate. Each day is different, and I am constantly striving to be as efficient as possible — sometimes that means assigning tasks to others that you would normally like to do yourself, working extra long days, or asking for help when you need it.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

  1. Don’t quit your day (or night) job. As two ex-bartenders with no outside investors, Kasey and I worked on Paradise Ciders during the day and continued bartending at night to fund our growth as a company. It was very hard for many years, but we still own 100% equity, and the hard work is starting to pay off.
  2. Love what you do. Being an entrepreneur is challenging - you don’t get a lot of breaks, you work even more hours than you would be working for someone else, and you don’t reap the benefits immediately. You really have to be passionate about your business and believe in your idea to stay on track every day.
  3. Don’t get too comfortable; embrace change & enjoy the ride. Things don’t always work out as planned, and sometimes you need to pivot your business plan into a whole new direction. Before the pandemic, 99% of our business was selling kegs to restaurants and bars. During the pandemic, that part of our business completely dissolved, and we had to figure out how to survive. Our focus shifted to selling through a distributor statewide, expanding the product line/production, and opening a new location.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

We are excited about the next phase! We will be opening a new location this year and continue to expand our production and distribution statewide. Hoping to get Paradise Ciders into many new markets in the near future.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: http://www.paradiseciders.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/paradiseciders
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/paradiseciders/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

Feel inspired to start, run or grow your own subscription business? Check out subkit.com and learn how you can turn "one day" into day one.