Key Takeaways
- McDuffie and Albers raised about $12,000 on Kickstarter earlier than beginning their facet hustle, Dressy.
- Dressy launched in June and hit $2,500 in weeks; now it’s headed for $30,000 in six months.
- The co-founders stay up for leaning into potential development much more this fall.
This Facet Hustle Highlight Q&A options Portland, Oregon-based entrepreneur Lauren McDuffie, 42. McDuffie and her cousin Rachel Albers, 49, co-founded Dressy, a line of superfood-forward salad dressing mixes that may be ready rapidly and simply at house, this previous June. Following a $12,000 Kickstarter fundraising marketing campaign, Dressy launched as a facet hustle and made $2,500 inside its first few weeks. Now the enterprise is projected to see about $30,000 in income by the tip of the 12 months. Responses have been edited for size and readability.
What was your day job or main occupation whenever you began your facet hustle?
Earlier than launching Dressy, I spent greater than a decade constructing a profession as a meals author, recipe developer, cookbook creator and photographer. Via my recipe web site, My Kitchen Little, and my cookbooks, I labored to assist individuals make house cooking really feel extra approachable and attention-grabbing.
Operating a recipe web site gave me firsthand expertise at constructing a web-based model, creating content material and understanding how busy individuals truly use their kitchens. Dressy grew very naturally out of that work; it felt much less like swapping careers and extra like fixing an issue that had been bugging me for years.
Rachel, who’s an legal professional by training, had ended an extended profession working as a political guide and was making ready to ship one in all her sons off to varsity. She shared with me over espresso one morning that she was prepared for one thing new, and I noticed that working along with her — combining our totally different ability units, expertise, pursuits and aptitudes — would make for an ideal partnership.
Beginning a superfood-packed facet hustle
When did you begin your facet hustle, and the place did you discover the inspiration for it?
We formally launched Dressy on June 1, 2026, however I first had the concept within the fall of 2024. Time and again, I observed the identical disconnect: Folks have been keen to make home made pasta sauces and contemporary breads from scratch, however when it got here to salad dressing, even enthusiastic house cooks nearly all the time reached for a store-bought bottle.
I noticed it wasn’t as a result of individuals most popular bottled dressing. It was as a result of home made dressings, whereas principally easy, nonetheless require protecting an extended record of contemporary elements available, except you simply use oil and vinegar on a regular basis — which is nice however considerably boring after some time. So I began asking myself what home made dressing would possibly appear like if it have been designed (or re-designed, actually) for contemporary life.
The reply finally grew to become Dressy: clear, flavor-forward, superfood-boosted dressing mixes that allow individuals make contemporary dressing in lower than a minute with only one staple ingredient they probably have already got. Every Dressy pouch accommodates every little thing you have to create a contemporary, flavorful dressing at house. Our flavors – Good day, Ranch, Inexperienced Goodness, and Sundress – are made with thoughtfully chosen elements and designed to ship the flavour of home made.
Investing $30,000 to launch the facet hustle
What have been a number of the first steps you took to get your facet hustle off the bottom? How a lot cash/funding did it take to launch?
Step one was trademarking our title. To not be all, “it got here to me in a dream,” however it truly did. So, I scooped it up. The following step was validating that the issue was actual. Earlier than we nervous about packaging or branding, we hung out asking if we have been fixing one thing individuals truly struggled with. I’d spent a very long time watching others embrace home made variations of virtually every little thing — besides salad dressing. That remark gave me sufficient confidence to consider there was an actual alternative to rethink the class.
From there, we targeted on constructing the model very thoughtfully, protecting operations as lean as doable and investing in issues that we actually noticed as mission vital. We invested in recipe improvement with meals scientists that concerned a whole lot of testing and iterating, as getting our flavors excellent was a non-negotiable.
Each determination has to earn its place
It was additionally extraordinarily necessary to me to put money into customized packaging and branding proper out of the gate, and we did so by working with a unbelievable Portland-based graphic design agency (Perspektiiv). We started sourcing high-quality elements and targeted on acquiring them from native firms to maintain transport prices as little as doable. As a result of Dressy is a meals product, there was additionally a big quantity of (much less thrilling) operational and structural work behind the scenes, from regulatory necessities, labeling and researching business manufacturing choices to discovering the fitting suppliers and manufacturing companions.
By the point Dressy launched, we’d invested roughly $30,000 into the enterprise. The bulk has been self-funded, with about $10,000 coming from a small friends-and-family fundraising spherical. If you’re spending your individual cash, each determination has to earn its place, so we totally gamed issues out all alongside the best way. I’d wish to suppose this method formed the bones of the corporate in methods that may repay down the road.
Scaling a CPG enterprise with intenti0n
Are there any free or paid assets which were particularly useful for you in beginning and operating this enterprise?
One of the crucial invaluable assets early on was merely speaking to individuals who have executed it earlier than. We sought recommendation from skilled CPG founders and fractional consultants who have been beneficiant sufficient to share what they’d discovered, and people conversations helped us keep away from some expensive errors.
We additionally selected to work with the Meals Innovation Heart at Oregon State College, which was an unbelievable useful resource all through our product improvement course of. Many land-grant universities and colleges with sturdy agricultural or meals science applications provide benchtop product improvement companies, meals security experience, and each technical and enterprise assist for entrepreneurs, usually at a a lot decrease value than non-public consulting companies. For anybody fascinated by beginning a meals enterprise, I might completely encourage them to see what assets their state’s universities have accessible.
We additionally partnered with the consulting agency, FoodWit, whose steering gave us confidence that our packaging and labels met FDA necessities earlier than launch. Having educated consultants in areas the place we aren’t specialists permits us to maneuver far more confidently.
Greater than something, although, and on the danger of sounding platitudinal, I feel curiosity has been our best useful resource. We’re deeply conscious of how a lot we don’t know in the case of operating and scaling a CPG enterprise. So, we ask a bunch of questions and attempt to discuss to as many individuals as we will all the time. We learn quite a bit, scan the boards over on StartupCPG (additionally an ideal useful resource) and check out to not assume now we have to determine every little thing out on our personal. Each dialog with somebody a number of steps forward of us shortens our studying curve.
Don’t rush to a fast repair when issues go unsuitable
Are you able to recall a selected occasion when one thing went very unsuitable — how did you repair it?
Considered one of our largest early setbacks got here earlier than launch when the business kitchen we’d deliberate to make use of for first run manufacturing unexpectedly grew to become unavailable. In a single day, we misplaced the manufacturing plan we’d spent months making ready round and needed to discover a wholly new path ahead.
It was tempting to search for a fast repair, however we’d been very intentional about staying lean within the early phases of the enterprise. Somewhat than speeding right into a co-manufacturer earlier than we felt we’d actually established product-market match, we doubled down on our unique philosophy of defending our capital and proving the idea first. We discovered one other business kitchen, tailored our course of and stored manufacturing in-house.
Elevating $12k on Kickstarter, making over $2k in weeks
How lengthy did it take you to see constant month-to-month income? How a lot did the facet hustle earn?
We’re nonetheless within the early phases of constructing the enterprise — it’s solely month two — so for us success proper now isn’t solely, and even primarily, measured in income. We’re targeted on repeat clients, word-of-mouth gross sales, retailer conversations and proving individuals genuinely come again as soon as they’ve tried the product.
The month previous to launching, we efficiently funded a Kickstarter marketing campaign, elevating $12,000 whereas additionally being chosen as a coveted “Venture We Love” by the editors. This was a unbelievable early sign that individuals would reply positively to our model and merchandise.
We launched in June very softly, with lowkey bulletins, however nonetheless made a rapid $2,500 inside the first few weeks, promoting out of our limited-edition summer time taste, Sundress. We’re making ready to roll out an area retail launch subsequent month, shall be promoting on the Portland Night time Market this fall and are kicking off a sustained, targeted promoting push as nicely. As such, our projected 2026 income (first six months put up launch) is someplace round $30,000.
Regular and managed development and income
What does development and income appear like now?
The phrases that come to thoughts are regular and managed. We’ve been very cautious to not overstretch our skis in the case of our operational and manufacturing capacities, in order that’s what I imply after I say we launched quietly. However transparently, this determination was largely as a consequence of the truth that we’re each mothers and have very busy schedules in the summertime that contain a whole lot of journey. That’s simply the reality of it, and we mutually agreed to keep away from hitting the fuel till the busy season had handed.
At this level, although, we’ve had two months to grasp how customers reply once they uncover our dressing mixes organically — and the response has been unbelievable. I’m excited to see what the autumn season brings now that we will take our toes off the brakes and let it rip.
No two days look alike whereas operating a facet hustle
What does a typical week engaged on this facet hustle appear like?
Proper now, Dressy continues to be in its early phases, so no two days look alike. Some weeks I spend time in our business kitchen making product, whereas others I deal with recipe improvement, images, social media advertising, customer support or assembly with companions. Because it’s simply the 2 of us operating the present proper now, we put on a whole lot of hats.
That mentioned, I’ve discovered that being productive isn’t the identical factor as being busy. At this stage, I’m consistently asking myself what’s going to truly transfer the enterprise ahead essentially the most. Generally that’s growing a brand new recipe and generally it’s merely having a dialog that influences how I take into consideration the enterprise. I’ve turn into far more intentional about defending my vitality and specializing in the work that creates the best momentum.
The other of a grind — and the worth in higher questions
What do you take pleasure in most about operating this enterprise?
I’ve wished to create a model and enterprise like this for almost all of my life. So witnessing this factor bloom that’s principally lived inside my head is actually thrilling. I nonetheless form of can’t consider it. That’s simply the factor I take pleasure in essentially the most. That and operating it alongside Rachel. We’ve lived on reverse coasts for our total lives, however my household moved to the Portland space three years in the past, and operating this enterprise along with her has been a lot enjoyable. It’s taken a course of that’s usually described as a grind and made it the precise reverse of that.
What’s your finest piece of particular, actionable enterprise recommendation?
The recommendation I’ve is a product of getting began a number of meals companies, from my profession publishing books to my work as a meals blogger to now constructing a CPG firm.
Don’t wait till you suppose you’re able to ask higher questions. Simply begin speaking and don’t cease; make your self a scholar of no matter it’s you’re attempting to realize or turn into, and don’t flip that setting off. Discover people who find themselves 5 steps forward of you, not 50, and ask them something and every little thing you need to know. They’re often those who bear in mind precisely what you’re fighting and what you’re feeling, and so they’re usually extremely beneficiant with what they’ve discovered.
Key Takeaways
- McDuffie and Albers raised about $12,000 on Kickstarter earlier than beginning their facet hustle, Dressy.
- Dressy launched in June and hit $2,500 in weeks; now it’s headed for $30,000 in six months.
- The co-founders stay up for leaning into potential development much more this fall.
This Facet Hustle Highlight Q&A options Portland, Oregon-based entrepreneur Lauren McDuffie, 42. McDuffie and her cousin Rachel Albers, 49, co-founded Dressy, a line of superfood-forward salad dressing mixes that may be ready rapidly and simply at house, this previous June. Following a $12,000 Kickstarter fundraising marketing campaign, Dressy launched as a facet hustle and made $2,500 inside its first few weeks. Now the enterprise is projected to see about $30,000 in income by the tip of the 12 months. Responses have been edited for size and readability.
What was your day job or main occupation whenever you began your facet hustle?
Earlier than launching Dressy, I spent greater than a decade constructing a profession as a meals author, recipe developer, cookbook creator and photographer. Via my recipe web site, My Kitchen Little, and my cookbooks, I labored to assist individuals make house cooking really feel extra approachable and attention-grabbing.
Operating a recipe web site gave me firsthand expertise at constructing a web-based model, creating content material and understanding how busy individuals truly use their kitchens. Dressy grew very naturally out of that work; it felt much less like swapping careers and extra like fixing an issue that had been bugging me for years.
