Casey Krebs Has Created a Dream Career with her Company Urban Hippie Granola
When Casey Krebs and her husband moved to Kingston, Casey was in a position to start a new career. Her husband had been deployed to Kingston to work with the Air Force. In the meantime, Casey gradually built a business known as Urban Hippie Granola. What started out as a hobby soon evolved into a new career that suited her passions and her lifestyle.
As Casey adjusted to her new home town, she spent a lot of time doing what she loves: baking. The platters of treats she sent to her husband’s office were always enjoyed. Casey decided to take her baking a step further by becoming a vendor at the farmers’ market. Shortly after starting this new venture, her granola products became more and more popular. She was approached by staff from Queen’s University and local grocery stores to sell her granola.
As Casey adjusted to her new home town, she spent a lot of time doing what she loves: baking. The platters of treats she sent to her husband’s office were always enjoyed. Casey decided to take her baking a step further by becoming a vendor at the farmers’ market. Shortly after starting this new venture, her granola products became more and more popular. She was approached by staff from Queen’s University and local grocery stores to sell her granola.
Before she knew it, she was selling thousands of snack packages of her granola across the university campus and soon Tara Naturals, Farm Boy, and Sigrid’s Natural Foods. This was the moment when Casey realized she needed to start a business in order to keep up the positive momentum.
Healthy eating has always played a prominent role in Casey’s life. As a speaker at a Los Angeles Whole Foods grocery store, she educated the public on the importance of healthy and clean eating, as well as composting tips. Her interest in taking on this role came from her background a garden director at a non-profit where she taught children the importance of healthy eating and gardening.
She also ventured into creating community gardens for people who live in apartments and would otherwise have no space to grow their own food. Every one of these activities is what has built her entrepreneurial spirit and motivation to start her own business.
Casey received a great amount of support from Kingston Economic Development Corporation during the initial phases of starting her business. She received assistance in finding the right contacts and resources who could help her grow her business. While receiving support, Casey was great shape to successfully launch Urban Hippie Granola.
Casey officially launched Urban Hippie Granola in December 2014. Along with its delicious taste, Urban Hippie Granola’s product line is popular for being a clean, healthy, and nut-free granola.
Urban Hippie Granola products stand out among most nut-based granolas because the nuts have been replaced with seeds. Her products are a popular and safe snack to consume at schools, daycares, and workplaces since they represent a healthy alternative to common nut-free snacks such as chips and candy. Casey’s intentions for creating such a product line have resonated well with her customers; those intentions make up a big part of what drives Casey’s success.
Urban Hippie Granola has become a successful business in Kingston and beyond. With online shopping continuously rising in popularity, Casey has made her products available on popular online platforms. Casey has already started to sell Urban Hippie Granola products on well.ca, a popular Canadian store which sells a variety of health and wellness products.
In addition, she plans to sell her products on Amazon and hire a distribution company, which would allow her current stores to continue selling her products. Casey has also built solid partnerships with major grocery retailers such as Food Basics and Metro Grocery.
Urban Hippie Granola products will be sold in 20 new locations of these grocery stores while offering great promotional discounts as a way to celebrate the exciting product launch. Urban Hippie Granola’s widespread success make Casey’s business a great fit for her career and lifestyle.
According to Casey, success in business is also defined by success and happiness in family life. When the lines of work and life balance become blurred, Casey decides to take a step back and carve out more time do what she loves with her friends and family. Casey notes that her husband has been incredibly supportive of her business ventures.
In addition to her husband’s support, Casey also loves spending time with her rescue husky. For her, it’s a wonderful way to wind down. Overall, her connection with nature and taking walks along Kingston’s scenic trails is something of great value for Casey.
Throughout the years of running a successful business, Casey has learned some valuable lessons and while offering some excellent words of advice.
“A lot of people wait to get all their ducks in a row. My suggestion is to jump in because the timing will never be perfect,” says Casey. “I’m a big proponent of ‘just do it.’ Of course there will be bumps along the road. Do your research ahead of time, but you don’t need to wait. It’s okay to have bumps, it’s going to happen whether or not you’ve planned everything out perfectly.”
Casey also recommends joining a meet-up group of like-minded business professionals. She’s part of a group of professionals in the food industry who meet once a month to exchange ideas and learn about distribution, packaging, and everything in between. Being involved in such a group keeps her motivated and informed as she grows her business.
Military wives on the move can successfully run a business by making their products and services available online. According to Casey, “the possibilities are endless.” Online stores are just the beginning with the availability of tools such as Skype, YouTube and other online platforms used to operate and grow a business. Casey advises current and future business owners to find a mentor who has been through a similar experience. She encourages more women to become entrepreneurs and follow their dreams.
To learn more about Urban Hippie Granola, visit the website at urbanhippiegranola.com
November 2019 Update: Casey Krebbs and Urban Hippie has been recognized with the Small Business Award from the Greater Kingston Chamber of Commerce.
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