Rebecca Southern
Founder of The BodyBakery&Co -
Former bodybuilder, hospitality industry veteran making her mark with protein-packed desserts
If there’s one thing that’s been consistent in Rebecca Southern’s life, it’s that she’s always been a woman on the move.
Born in Colorado, she’s lived in Wyoming, then Michigan through college before working in New York City, Las Vegas, Florida and Las Vegas (again) before landing in Kentucky in 2013. She has a degree from Central Michigan University in apparel merchandise and design along with a double minor in photography and fashion she’s admittedly never used. She’s even trained as an aspiring bodybuilder – “my shoulders and biceps were pretty nice,” she quips – winning several amateur competitions en route to placing seventh overall at a Jr. Nationals event, finishing just outside the spot needed to earn her pro card.
Now, thanks to some help in the form of a Leap Grant from Main Street Ventures (MSV), Southern might have just found her long-term niche.
OF SOUND MIND AND BODY“Building the business has been a challenge that I've loved because I've never been able to do the same thing my entire life. Ever since I had a job, I've never had one for more than a couple of years. I've never gotten fired; I've just always gotten a promotion or left because I was moving or something similar,” says Southern about her travels prior to starting The BodyBakery & Co., her Newport-based, high-protein dessert company. “This is the only thing I've been able to stick to and I think it's because it is so challenging. Every quarter, you're looking at a new challenge; every time you take a step up, you see the next 15 you never knew were going to be there, so this is much more challenging in that aspect.”
For the uninitiated, The BodyBakery & Co. is the outgrowth of Southern’s bodybuilding past and, as she says, “desired need to eat dessert every day.” BodyBakery products are high protein and gluten free, prepackaged in a variety of muffins and cheesecakes This includes double chocolate chip, carrot cake and peanut butter buckeyes, all of which are designed for those with a sweet tooth also seeking “a little bit more balance in their life.”
Seeking balance for her company’s future, Southern applied for and received a $30,000 Leap Grant from Main Street Ventures, which she says has enabled her business to address three prime needs: (1) A machine to increase production of BodyBakery’s buckeyes, eliminating the need to roll them by hand, cutting their production time in half; (2) The start of a freezer program, allowing GNC franchise owners and others like them to both carry BodyBakery products for their proper shelf life and pay for them over time once certain sales goals are met; and (3) capital to begin testing with co-packers that can increase the manufacturing and packing of products.
Each development has been a significant one for the BodyBakery, especially regarding their potential to expand the company beyond its current capacities and outlets – and Southern says it’s largely due to the MSV grant.
“We ended up purchasing 44 merchandise freezers and now we have a program that offers a freezer to stores; we initially started with GNC, but that has evolved into opportunities with other stores. That was a huge undertaking, but it's allowed us to basically double our footprint in wholesalers in less than a year,” she says. “The freezer program led to us getting picked up by Fresh Thyme, which is a Midwest grocery chain like Sprouts and The Fresh Market. We've started in seven of their 70 stores in Cincinnati, Dayton and Columbus and that has been a huge game changer because in no way, shape or form could I have done that prior to having the help from Main Street Ventures.”
STRONGER TOMORROW
The support she values extends far beyond the money she has been granted.
“(MSV’s support) has been huge. I can't tell you how many times I've sent an email to Abby (Ober, MSV’s director of engagement) and said, ‘Hey, I really need help with social media. Do you have anyone that you could suggest?’ ‘I need a lawyer to talk to about putting together this agreement for these freezers,’” Southern says. “I have a laundry list of stuff that I've reached out (about) and they have resources and (useful) suggestions. They've connected me with people, not to mention the startup community you become part of ... I've taken advantage of that.”
Her MSV experience is why she feels grateful to also have made connections with those who have come after her, Southern noting she has written at least three recommendation letters for other potential grant recipients.
Asked what she would tell other entrepreneurs, Southern’s advice was two-fold: If you believe in your dream, don’t give up – and be sure to seek the help of Main Street Ventures.
“There're always going to be struggles ... If you're not failing at least 15 to 20% of the time, you're not doing something right. Understand that your failures will thank you (because) if you are passionate about what you're doing, it will all work out in the end,” she says. “If I didn't have this community and the community of Main Street, I would not be nearly as far along as I am. It will speed up your progression exponentially to have an organization like them and their alumni in your corner. They will help you understand things, connect with people and have opportunities that otherwise you would not.”
Comments