Hello everyone, long time no see! I’m back with a new and interesting perspective to hopefully inspire you to pursue your dreams at any age. Recently, I was blessed to have the opportunity to speak with Kaylynn Martin, the 16-year-old founder of the successful Michigan-based popcorn company “Kakes The Great Popcorn Co.” She’s definitely well on her way to taking the popcorn world by storm and I can’t wait to see where she goes! I encourage to read this interview or listen to the podcast version and be inspired. Like Kaylynn says, your dreams are never truly out of reach “Do It Scared”-Kaylynn Martin.
Do It Scared
Kaylynn Martin, Kakes The Great Popcorn Co.
1. Would you please tell us a bit about yourself?
Hey my name is Kaylynn Martin and I am the 16 year old owner and founder of
Kakes the Great Popcorn Company. Besides owning and running a company, I
also work for my mom at her spa. I would say I am a pretty normal teen. I like
hanging out with my twin brother and making tiktoks.
2. How did you start your business?
In 2019 I was told I needed braces. My mom began saving for them. Braces are
expensive! Especially when you have other dental work that needs to be done. I
decided I would try and help her out. I began making kettle corn and asked family
and friends if they would like to buy my treats and they loved them so much I sold
out every time. Kakes the Great Popcorn Co. became real in January 2021 when
my mom formed my company legally as a birthday present to me and my
brother.
3. Were there any challenges with starting your business as a teenage female entrepreneur? How did you overcome them?
Yes lol! My first challenge when I first started was that I didn’t actually know how
to make kettle corn. It definitely was a learning process in the beginning. My
second challenge was to prove to adults that I deserve to be here too. I’m not
going to lie, it was very hard for me to open my mouth and talk about my
business. I took a big leap and decided to do a pitch competition to get my name
out there. Learning to speak up about my business took time and lots of
coaching. I was extremely nervous but I wasn’t going to let that stop me from
pitching my dream. I was proud about my vision for my company. I competed
with all adults who had established companies. I not only won my first pitch
competition I also won crowd favorite.
4. Who inspires you and why?
My mom is my biggest inspiration. From a very young age, I’ve always known
my mom as a hard worker and dedicated to whatever she puts her mind to. My
mom always pushes everyone to never quit. She has come a long way herself
and I’ve seen how hard she works all the time. So when I started my business
I knew my mom would be my biggest supporter and would always tell me to
never quit even if it gets hard. That’s why she is my biggest inspiration and my
biggest motivation.
5. Were you ever afraid to start your business “Kakes The Great Popcorn Company”? How did you convince yourself to continue?
Yesss and its okay to be afraid. When I started Kakes the Great I was always
afraid. I felt like I wasn’t going to get the same opportunities that a boy or a man
might get. I was also afraid of making the wrong business choices, or creating
flavors no one would like. Heck, I was even afraid to tell people who I was or
what I did. I am definitely still afraid but I wouldn’t change anything for the world.
My motto is: DO IT SCARED
6. How do you balance school, business, and life responsibilities?
I have to stay organized and manage my time or I will get behind. It’s not easy. I
do (home) school in the mornings and work for my mom 3 days a week in the
afternoons. Daily I check how many orders I have to fill and weekly I restock my
mom’s spa (her clients love my kettle corn). I make everything fresh in small
batches and pack and ship within hours of filling the order. My mom does all the
admin and web stuff so I have the rest of the time to be a typical teenage girl.
7. What are the hardest parts of being a teenage entrepreneur?
Learning that losing is a part of winning. I have participated in events with great
turnouts and events that no one showed up to. It takes a lot to keep your chin up
and keep doing it when you get discouraged.
8. What are your most popular popcorn flavors and where can people order?
My number one seller is “Black Girl Magic” it has my signature kettle corn, rich
chocolate, crunchy toffee, salted pecans, and sprinkled with gold (edible of
course) Next, I would have to say is Myrtle Turtle which has candied pecans,
dried cranberries, drizzled with white and milk chocolate. You can order them
both on kakesthegreat.com where prices range from 7 to 14 dollars.
8. What’s your favorite part of the popcorn making and selling process?
My favorite part is coming up with new flavors that you wouldn’t even think of and
the smell of the kettle is so amazing!! My favorite part about selling is seeing
people faces when they taste it or even when I tell them the flavors; it is so
amazing and I love it.
9. What advice would you give to girls that want to begin working towards their goals and dreams but don’t think they have what it takes to succeed?
To definitely go for it! There will be some rocky parts and lots of ups and downs.
You might even be afraid but definitely just go for it. Bet on yourself, and like my
motto says “DO IT SCARED!
10. Have you ever experienced moments of self-doubt whilst making “Kakes The Great Popcorn Company” the success that it is? What did you do to ease/eliminate those worries?
I don’t think that I’ve ever had self-doubt. I’ve always grown up knowing even if it
gets hard you shouldn’t quit. I love being my own boss and a female
entrepreneur.
Losing Is a Part of Winning
Kaylynn Martin, kakes The Great Popcorn Co.
11. Is there a story behind the name of your company? If so, please share!
Well, my nickname is Kakes. When we were thinking of what to name my
company, I definitely wanted to be unique but still cute so one day me and my
mom were sitting at the computer and my mom was like “what do you think
about Kakes the Great?” I was like that is so awesome! I love that name and thus
Kakes the Great was born.
12. What advice would you give to aspiring teenage female entrepreneurs?
Don’t let anyone tell you you can’t do it because you can! You can make the
impossible possible.
I hope that you really enjoyed that interview and found it as inspiring as I did. Remember that you have the power to positively impact your community and the world as well. Share this interview with others to share the motivation and inspiration! Kaylynn’s taking the popcorn world by storm and I cannot wait to see where she goes! As always…
Dream-Succeed-Achieve,
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