Meet Ciara Bennett of Vintageoats in Chandler

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ciara Bennett.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Back in 2016, I was working a corporate job and at the time the schedule wasn’t working for me and my family. I had just had a new baby and wanted to be more hands-on with my kids. I had never thought of business before or knew anyone who had a business but I knew there was more for me than working for a large corporation who looked at me as a number. I prayed for years to know what my purpose in life was. At the age of 23, I was the mother of a 5-year-old and survived a 6 year physically abusive relationship. At that point, I was desperate for change. One morning I woke up with a whole business plan for granola. Prior to this I had never eaten granola or knew what it was honestly. I went to the drawing board and started researching granola. I sketched up my logo and created an LLC first. After that I spent 6-7 months developing all of my flavors, I have 6 different flavors currently that I created from scratch. I started off by putting my granola in a sandwich bag with a business card attached and while driving for Uber and Lyft I would hand it out to my passengers. Shortly after that, I started doing events at Archwood exchange and other Local First events around the valley. Currently, I am selling on my website www. Vintageoats.net as well as selling at an ice cream shop in Glendale called Papa Eds Ice Cream Shop.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Starting a business has been anything but smooth. When starting my business, I expected it to be some type of fairytale where I would start and become a millionaire immediately (hahaha), Yea that didn’t happen. I learned very fast that in order to grow I had to put myself out there. I had to be in a consistent state of development. Prior to starting my business, I had 6 years of customer service experience working at call centers so I knew nothing about being an entrepreneur. While having a brand-new baby as well as a 5-year-old daughter I worked during the day on my business and at nights I would drive Uber and Lyft overnight to provide while I developed my business. I would try to discuss my plans with the people closest to me and the majority of the time I heard ” No one is going to buy granola from you”. I had very minimal support, but through the process, I learned if you believe in you it will all work out. Other people saw the value in my business which caused the people close to me to see value in Vintageoats as well. After 4 years of being in business, I finally feel like I have a better understanding of what is needed to run a business smoother.

Vintageoats – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
My business name is Vintageoats, I came up with the name of Vintageoats because I would explain myself as Vintage. I love everything vintage and unique. Once I looked up the definition of Vintage, I realized it explained my granola, Quality, Prime, Select. I specialize in making gluten-free and vegan granola. I use premium ingredients only as well as providing unique and bold flavors. I have 6 different flavors that range from Sweet, Salty, and savory. My flavors are Mango Chili Lime, Orange Berry, Maple Cinnamon, Harvest, Roast of Fall, and Pro pack. I am most proud of my authenticity. My business is a true reflection of who I am. All of my flavors are unique and truly one of a kind. I use essential oils in a few of my flavors which gives it a clean bold flavor.

What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
My flavor development process still blows my mind to this day. I think about how I had never eaten granola or made granola and out of nowhere, I created 6 premium flavors from scratch. It’s very amazing to me, I like to call it a miracle.

Pricing:

• 2 large bags of granola $25
• House Favorite (we surprise you with 3 premium flavors ) $24
• Large Bag $15
• Holiday Special: Sunflower granola (Pumpkin cereal )

Contact Info:

• Website: www.Vintageoats.net
• Phone: 14805700449
• Email: vintageoats@gmail.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Vintageoats/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vintageoats
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/Vintageoats

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