Meet Dave Bruce

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Dave Bruce a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Dave, thanks for sharing your insights with our community today. Part of your success, no doubt, is due to your work ethic and so we’d love if you could open up about where you got your work ethic from?

Ever since I was a boy, I have understood that hard work is a prerequisite to achieving one’s goals. My father, Charlie Bruce, who modeled this for me, served in the U.S. Army for 35 years, rising from Private to Chief Warrant Officer. His work ethic and intelligence enabled him to provide for his family and the betterment of others. I have fond memories of him remodeling and repairing cars and living spaces, conducting safety training during off-duty hours, volunteering on weekends to fill out tax forms, serving as a TSA agent in response to 9/11, and many other humanitarian deeds. His drive and determination to identify and solve problems have inspired me to be resolute when facing the many challenges of being an entrepreneur.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

For the last six years, I have managed operations for Liella Foods, LLC, which manufactures and distributes our family’s signature product, Aunt Evelyn’s Peach Cobbler. Based on my mother Evelyn’s recipe, we have been blessed to serve our cobblers to thousands of customers nationwide. Our customer satisfaction is our main priority, and we love to hear them share their experience tasting our cobbers for the first time. Many state this is the kind of dessert they enjoyed at family dinners or special occasions. To be able to help generate sweet remembrances of the past is fulfilling in itself.

We are in a transitional period, preparing to expand our production capacity to meet the rising demand for our pies. Currently, we bake in a small commercial kitchen, producing up to 800 pies a month. In the last 60 days, we have secured agreements with Delta Airlines, Goldbelly.com, and local restaurants. Additionally, we have expanded our menu by offering apple and blueberry cobblers.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

Our resilience, resourcefulness, and ability to adapt to uncontrollable factors have been the main differentiators in our journey. In 2020, we faced many challenges and were in jeopardy of closing. The effects of the pandemic were significant: the supply chain shortage, resulting in inflation in which the price of peaches and ingredients rose as much as 45%, and the loss of several wholesale accounts. Additionally, the Georgia peach harvest drought in 2023 forced us to pursue procurement from California growers. However, we persevered and overcame these obstacles, which gave us confidence in our ability to navigate future challenges.

I always advise aspiring entrepreneurs to seek counsel from proven, successful entrepreneurs. Many insights can be gleaned from the experiences of those who’ve preceded us. Because of this, we’ve avoided many potential financial and logistical mistakes by soliciting the input of professionals familiar with developing a sustainable financial revenue model and cultivating a strong support network. This advice is not just a suggestion but a powerful tool that can empower you on your entrepreneurial journey.

As we end our chat, is there a book you can leave people with that’s been meaningful to you and your development?

The Bible. My favorite verse is Proverbs 15:22: “Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.”

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