Key Takeaways
- McDuffie and Albers raised about $12,000 on Kickstarter earlier than beginning their aspect 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 look ahead to leaning into potential progress much more this fall.
This Aspect 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 dwelling, this previous June. Following a $12,000 Kickstarter fundraising marketing campaign, Dressy launched as a aspect hustle and made $2,500 inside its first few weeks. Now the enterprise is projected to see about $30,000 in income by the top of the 12 months. Responses have been edited for size and readability.
What was your day job or main occupation whenever you began your aspect hustle?
Earlier than launching Dressy, I spent greater than a decade constructing a profession as a meals author, recipe developer, cookbook creator and photographer. By my recipe web site, My Kitchen Little, and my cookbooks, I labored to assist folks make dwelling 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 folks 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 getting ready to ship one in all her sons off to school. 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 completely different ability units, expertise, pursuits and aptitudes — would make for a fantastic partnership.
Beginning a superfood-packed aspect hustle
When did you begin your aspect hustle, and the place did you discover the inspiration for it?
We formally launched Dressy on June 1, 2026, however I first had the thought within the fall of 2024. Time and again, I seen 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 dwelling cooks virtually at all times reached for a store-bought bottle.
I noticed it wasn’t as a result of folks most well-liked bottled dressing. It was as a result of home made dressings, whereas largely easy, nonetheless require holding an extended record of contemporary substances readily available, until 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 may seem 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 folks make contemporary dressing in lower than a minute with only one staple ingredient they possible have already got. Every Dressy pouch incorporates every thing it’s worthwhile to create a contemporary, flavorful dressing at dwelling. Our flavors – Howdy, Ranch, Inexperienced Goodness, and Sundress – are made with thoughtfully chosen substances and designed to ship the flavour of home made.
Investing $30,000 to launch the aspect hustle
What have been among the first steps you took to get your aspect 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 subsequent step was validating that the issue was actual. Earlier than we frightened about packaging or branding, we frolicked asking if we have been fixing one thing folks truly struggled with. I’d spent a very long time watching others embrace home made variations of virtually every thing — besides salad dressing. That commentary 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, holding operations as lean as attainable and investing in issues that we actually noticed as mission essential. We invested in recipe growth with meals scientists that concerned numerous testing and iterating, as getting our flavors good was a non-negotiable.
Each choice has to earn its place
It was additionally extraordinarily essential to me to spend money on customized packaging and branding proper out of the gate, and we did so by working with a implausible Portland-based graphic design agency (Perspektiiv). We started sourcing high-quality substances and targeted on acquiring them from native firms to maintain delivery prices as little as attainable. As a result of Dressy is a meals product, there was additionally a major quantity of (much less thrilling) operational and structural work behind the scenes, from regulatory necessities, labeling and researching business manufacturing choices to discovering the suitable 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 choice has to earn its place, so we absolutely 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 have been particularly useful for you in beginning and working this enterprise?
One of the crucial priceless assets early on was merely speaking to individuals who have finished it earlier than. We sought recommendation from skilled CPG founders and fractional consultants who have been beneficiant sufficient to share what they’d realized, and people conversations helped us keep away from some expensive errors.
We additionally selected to work with the Meals Innovation Middle at Oregon State College, which was an unbelievable useful resource all through our product growth course of. Many land-grant universities and colleges with robust agricultural or meals science packages provide benchtop product growth companies, meals security experience, and each technical and enterprise assist for entrepreneurs, typically at a a lot decrease price than non-public consulting companies. For anybody fascinated with beginning a meals enterprise, I’d completely encourage them to see what assets their state’s universities have obtainable.
We additionally partnered with the consulting agency, FoodWit, whose steerage gave us confidence that our packaging and labels met FDA necessities earlier than launch. Having educated specialists in areas the place we aren’t specialists permits us to maneuver far more confidently.
Greater than something, although, and on the threat of sounding platitudinal, I believe curiosity has been our biggest useful resource. We’re deeply conscious of how a lot we don’t know in terms of working 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 rather a lot, scan the boards over on StartupCPG (additionally a fantastic useful resource) and check out to not assume now we have to determine every 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 flawed
Are you able to recall a particular occasion when one thing went very flawed — how did you repair it?
One among 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 getting 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 levels of the enterprise. Slightly 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 saved 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 aspect hustle earn?
We’re nonetheless within the early levels 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 folks 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 implausible 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 throughout the first few weeks, promoting out of our limited-edition summer season taste, Sundress. We’re getting ready to roll out a neighborhood retail launch subsequent month, will probably be promoting on the Portland Evening Market this fall and are kicking off a sustained, targeted promoting push as nicely. As such, our projected 2026 income (first six months publish launch) is someplace round $30,000.
Regular and managed progress and income
What does progress and income seem like now?
The phrases that come to thoughts are regular and managed. We’ve been very cautious to not overstretch our skis in terms of our operational and manufacturing capacities, in order that’s what I imply once I say we launched quietly. However transparently, this choice was largely as a consequence of the truth that we’re each mothers and have very busy schedules in the summertime that contain numerous 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 shoppers 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 ft off the brakes and let it rip.
No two days look alike whereas working a aspect hustle
What does a typical week engaged on this aspect hustle seem like?
Proper now, Dressy continues to be in its early levels, so no two days look alike. Some weeks I spend time in our business kitchen making product, whereas others I give attention to recipe growth, pictures, social media advertising and marketing, customer support or assembly with companions. Because it’s simply the 2 of us working the present proper now, we put on numerous hats.
That stated, I’ve realized that being productive isn’t the identical factor as being busy. At this stage, I’m continually asking myself what is going to truly transfer the enterprise ahead essentially the most. Generally that’s creating a brand new recipe and generally it’s merely having a dialog that influences how I take into consideration the enterprise. I’ve develop into far more intentional about defending my power and specializing in the work that creates the best momentum.
The other of a grind — and the worth in higher questions
What do you get pleasure from most about working 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 largely lived inside my head is truthfully thrilling. I nonetheless sort of can’t consider it. That’s simply the factor I get pleasure from essentially the most. That and working it alongside Rachel. We’ve lived on reverse coasts for our whole lives, however my household moved to the Portland space three years in the past, and working this enterprise along with her has been a lot enjoyable. It’s taken a course of that’s typically described as a grind and made it the precise reverse of that.
What’s your greatest 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 pupil of no matter it’s you’re attempting to attain or develop 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 thing you need to know. They’re normally those who bear in mind precisely what you’re combating and what you’re feeling, and so they’re typically extremely beneficiant with what they’ve realized.
Key Takeaways
- McDuffie and Albers raised about $12,000 on Kickstarter earlier than beginning their aspect 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 look ahead to leaning into potential progress much more this fall.
This Aspect 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 dwelling, this previous June. Following a $12,000 Kickstarter fundraising marketing campaign, Dressy launched as a aspect hustle and made $2,500 inside its first few weeks. Now the enterprise is projected to see about $30,000 in income by the top of the 12 months. Responses have been edited for size and readability.
What was your day job or main occupation whenever you began your aspect hustle?
Earlier than launching Dressy, I spent greater than a decade constructing a profession as a meals author, recipe developer, cookbook creator and photographer. By my recipe web site, My Kitchen Little, and my cookbooks, I labored to assist folks make dwelling 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 folks 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.
