Meet Shannon Onstot

We were lucky to catch up with Shannon Onstot recently and have shared our conversation below.

Shannon, so great to be with you and I think a lot of folks are going to benefit from hearing your story and lessons and wisdom. Imposter Syndrome is something that we know how words to describe, but it’s something that has held people back forever and so we’re really interested to hear about your story and how you overcame imposter syndrome.

The truth is I haven’t overcome imposter syndrome but I have learned to work with it. I worked in the same career for over 15 years, too afraid to leave because it is where I was comfortable. I worked in television my whole adult life – first in news then in game shows. I was good at what I did and it came easily to me (though not without stress) so I thought this was supposed to be my path even when I didn’t feel passionate about the product I was putting out into the world.

I decided to move away from Los Angeles after I had a son and we wanted to closer to family. I had an opportunity to start over. Figuring out what I actually wanted to do, and what I actually cared about creating in a sustainable, long term way for myself and my family was absolutely terrifying.

I started working with some friends who bought a hotel in the area where we moved – I figured it was a way to see familiar faces and maybe learn something new. I had the opportunity to work in their kitchen as well as working with guests and I rediscovered a passion for food. I had always loved food and had access to so many wonderful ingredients in California – being in Upstate New York forced me to get very creative and to understand the seasonality of everything in a way that I never had to in California.

I started developing recipes for the guests and using skills I had honed in TV – mostly working with budgets and limited resources – I started calculating costs and margins fairly quickly. I found a niche in the market that excited me. I started researching local farmers markets and businesses. I started making the things I wanted to see at those markets. I had a very clear vision from the beginning of what I wanted to make – gluten free products designed around cheese pairings – crackers, nut mixes, jams, and other snacks – but I wanted them to be unique, not fall apart under the weight of cheese, and to provide nutritional value while also delivering on flavor. These didn’t feel like lofty goals until I started testing out large batch recipes and wasting massive amounts of money and product! I learned very quickly to appreciate failures as learning experiences and as temporary setbacks – not permanent ones.

When I felt I had enough product to deliver to customers I did my first market and the absolute tidal wave of imposter syndrome overcame me immediately – what if someone got sick from my food, or complained about me online, or worse – what if people didn’t buy anything? I found that focusing on the smaller problems in front of me first helped me tackle those bigger problems. Also listening and accepting praise from customers as well as fellow vendors helped exponentially. I still get nervous putting out a new product or approaching new clients for wholesale, but I remind myself that if someone doesn’t like something, it doesn’t mean that 10 other people won’t love it. My own belief in my product is what ultimately helps me sell it.

So at the end of the day when the impostor syndrome does creep in – I eat some of my product and reinvigorate my belief and confidence in what I make. Cheese and crackers doesn’t fix everything but it sure helps.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

I currently own and run a farmers market stand at the Saratoga Springs Farmer’s Market in New York State. I sell gluten free crackers, breadsticks, nut mixes and jams to be enjoyed on their own or with charcuterie boards. My eventual goal is to open a cheese and accoutrements shop in the area with a lounge element – all designed to highlight good cheese.

I love working in a hyper local environment. Shopping small and locally is the best way to invest in your own community in a sustainable way. What’s special about what I do is that I can accommodate so many dietary restrictions. I use very unique flavors to create gluten free and also low glycemic/nutrient dense products. They don’t crumble the second they leave the store and they don’t spike blood sugar. I am always creating new products and flavors depending on seasonal ingredients or flavor combinations inspired by my readings and travels.

I am currently updating my website and working with a graphic designer to elevate my branding. I’m also adding new local wholesale clients weekly to expand my product reach for customers who can’t make it to the market. I also do this all from home and am also raising a very energetic child who I hope will want to be part of my business as it grows.

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?

Research – I always feel more comfortable when I feel I’ve researched every possibility and come armed with knowledge. I read about technique, history, current trends, and other similar businesses constantly. I pull inspiration from that collective knowledge and it provides me with a stable base for my own ideas.

Budgets – I have always been bad at math but excellent with money. The ability to calculate costs has helped me more than I ever thought it would and it’s so important to learn how to set prices so that they sell, but they also cover your cost of goods and time.

Creativity – trusting creative vision is hard to learn, it just comes through years of practice and a lot of trial and error. Once I applied that idea to my products, things started to click and the new ideas for flavors and marketing strategies come more naturally.

What’s been one of your main areas of growth this year?

A year ago I had the idea for my business and I was so excited to try out so many products without really understanding what I could legally produce in a home kitchen. I had a lot of ideas that had to be completely scrapped. Once I honed in on what my brand was and what was important and used the confines of the legality of everything, I was able to create a way better product base.

What was toughest for me was putting the products out there once I had locked in what I could actually produce and sell. I finally found a market I could join mid way through the season and jumped in. Everything else I have sort of figured out as I’ve gone along, and am still learning things daily. Accepting advice and help from my fellow retailers has been a really rewarding part of that process.

I am really proud of how much I’ve been able to create while simultaneously improving my editing skills.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.tyromancefinesnacks.com
• Instagram: @tyromancefinesnacks

Image Credits

Logo artwork: Leigh G. Morris of Wannabe Retiree