Today we’d like to introduce you to Stephanie Williams.
Stephanie, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
The Perfect Pop started during the Covid Era as something yo do while being stuck in the house and working from home. I started experimenting with making caramel popcorn. I couldn’t believe how amazingly delicious it was. A family friend recommended I make some for the people she work for. Once she took it to work and everyone tried it, I received 14 orders for more popcorn. It was in that moment that I knew I’d came up with a recipe that was a masterpiece.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It has not always been an easy journey. The business grew so fast, at times leaving me feeling overwhelmed with too many orders then I could fill. Considering I started doing it as something to do, Id had no idea that it would grow so fast, and did have to equip myself quickly for the overflow that God had blessed me with. At the start up I was working a full-time job, homeschooling 3 foster children and my biological son, popping popcorn and making local deliveries on my lunch break, all while trying to squeeze me time in. In time with trials, errors, and success I’ve learned the business very well. It has made for a much smoother journey as I’ve nowhere in business for 6 years. I know it like the back on my hand. Building a business from the ground up is always challenging, but it is vital to knowing everything about the business, and that’s also what made me fall in love with it. It was like watching my baby grow, starting from nothing to a fully grown business that is well known and a very loved by so many.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about The Perfect Pop Gourmet Popcorn and Let’s Paint Art Studio?
The Perfect Pop is a gourmet popcorn brand proudly serving the region for over six years. What began in a home kitchen during the pandemic has grown into a recognized household name, now operating a retail location in St. Clair Square Mall and featured in 15 Fresh Thyme Market stores across the Fairview Heights, IL, Chicago, IL and St. Louis, MO regions. The popcorn can also be found in The Botanical Gardens and The Butterfly House gift shop.
Known for over 20 handcrafted flavors — especially its signature homemade-style caramel corn — The Perfect Pop has partnered with major organizations including Butler’s Pantry Catering, the St. Louis Dome & Convention Center, and District 187 school events, and countless others. The brand is also a trusted fundraising partner for local schools and nonprofits and appears seasonally at the Vine Street Market in O’Fallon, IL, and the Alton Farmers Market in Alton, IL.
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
I am an entrepreneur at heart. On top of starting a running The Perfect Pop Gourmet Popcorn, I’ve also started another business. I am also the owner of Let’s Paint, an art studio/paint party business. We also offer Karaoke, Glow in the Dark paint, and Trivia Games while painting.. Starting a new business on top of an already busy business was a huge risk. I wasn’t sure if I’d have the time. I had to take time to learn art and learn how to paint to get things going. I have now hosted over 100 paint parties and art therapy sessions over the past year. I have worked and is currently working with schools to assist children that needs a little more love and care. Painting and art is a great form of therapy to help make their challenges easier to handle.. Investing in another business while running a busy business with employees was something that I doubted a lot. Being the risk taker that I am, I took the jump and a year later I am so glad that I did it.
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