Meet Annie Brown

We were lucky to catch up with Annie Brown recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Annie, we’re so appreciative of you taking the time to share your nuggets of wisdom with our community. One of the topics we think is most important for folks looking to level up their lives is building up their self-confidence and self-esteem. Can you share how you developed your confidence?
I made a deliberate decision almost 20 years to find experiences that put me out of my comfort zone. I had been experiencing a deep depression and grief and wanted to be happy again. The only way I knew how to do that was to go back to things that made me happy-being creative, making art, dancing, living in the world again. It started small, doing simple things like making art for myself, but each step of the way I have been able to go a little farther and do a little more.

Because of that decision, I:
– Co-founded an experiential art gallery
– Became a dance instructor at the age of 50
– Performed with the Cincinnati Screaming Choir
– Created an absurdist talk show called “what are we talking about?” that was featured in Emergency Index Vol. 9
– Committed Random Acts of Art
– Had an installation in Contemporary Arts Center in Cincinnati
– Performed with Radical Visibility at Thunder-Sky Gallery, The Carnegie in Covington, and Contemporary Arts Center
– Creating a YouTube show called The Sin Twisters
– And finally founded Laughing Food Brands LLC, my current obsession.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I make The World’s Best Honey Caramels and other sweets and treats made with local honey.

My business happened almost by accident. In my quest to find new experiences, I applied to a food entrepreneurship program on a whim. I had a vague idea when I started the program. By the end of it I had a less vague idea to make honey-based products, specifically flavored honey. As a test for my products, I applied, and was accepted, to a local market. The manager asked if I had more than just honey…and I told her I could make Honey Caramels (even though I’d never made them before). But here’s the kicker: the market was 2 days away. I found (and modified) a recipe, figured out how to package them, cobbled together a display, and decide on a selling price. I pulled it off, and the caramels were a huge hit!

Afterwards, I looked at what it cost me to make the caramels vs what I sold them for. I was practically giving them away, but the experience was a great lesson. I abandoned flavored honey and focused on perfecting the caramels. The next 3 months I worked on my recipe, tweaking it and perfecting my technique. I ruined almost every batch I made. But now I know how NOT to make caramels so I can make them perfectly every time.

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?
The first quality is definitely my quest to get out of my comfort zone. My advice to others to develop this skill is to start small. Do something that is easy, because that will soon become routine. Each time you do something that scares you, you are able to take on a challenge that is a little bigger. Pretty soon you’ll be tackling things you never dreamed of!

The second is curiosity. I have learned so much once I started this journey, just by asking myself, “What will happen if…?” Be open to the experiences and opportunities that come your way. If it makes sense, take advantage of them.

Finally, be ready for the adventure. Being curious and getting out of your comfort zone will open doors that you never even imagined. Take that step through the door and be your best self!

Okay, so before we go, is there anyone you’d like to shoutout for the role they’ve played in helping you develop the essential skills or overcome challenges along the way?
There are so many people on this list. The first would be my family, they tolerated me taking over our home kitchen when I started and perfected my caramels until I moved into a commercial kitchen.

Next would be my food entrepreneur support group: Teri Heist, who facilitated the food entrepreneurship program that started this business, Nate Nunemaker (Farmer Nate’s Sauce), Rachel DesRochers, founder of the Incubator Kitchen Collective (the kitchen I currently use), and so many others who share their knowledge and encourage me.

Finally, my friends, my extended family, especially my sisters Cricket Farrell and Joan Chester, and customers who continue to support and cheer me on.

Contact Info:

Image Credits
Rhee Lightner

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