"Together Talks" feature #57: Nosh Posh presented by KLS, freight company
Some Background on Nosh Posh
Today's edition of "Together Talks" campaign, KLS had the opportunity to interview Tatiana Freeman, Founder of Nosh Posh. A Minnesota-based company that sources products exclusively from BIPOC and Women-owned businesses. They offer curated workday snacking solutions, snack boxes, and fresh food vending machines, in an effort to reimagine healthy convenience and expand access.
Finding healthy prepared meals and snacks is incredibly difficult—and often impossible in many communities. And as a mompreneur, Tatiana understands just how important it is to have access to healthy prepared meals and snacks. With Nosh Posh, she hopes to provide delicious and nutritious options to people regardless of zip code. She is deeply committed to contributing to a more equitable world through initiatives that expand access in the food system, seek to end homelessness, promote affordable housing, and create opportunities for wealth creation.
Focused Process
The process of sourcing for Nosh Posh includes health-conscious products that contain quality ingredients while also not using anything artificial or any preservatives. Tatiana hopes to provide products that will help lift up consumers with dietary restrictions. But her and her company are also uplifting BIPOC and Women-owned businesses that they partner with as well. Tatiana's unique offerings support entry to new customer bases without upfront fees. Nosh Posh provides the platform for these brands to stand out and receive additional exposure.
Commitment and Competition
Tatiana took us through the process of sourcing new partners for Nosh Posh three product lines. She said while still a small community having started in 2021, networking has played a huge role for her. She is constantly scouring the internet looking for new products and companies that align with the mission of Nosh Posh. But she also is researching the brand, the founder, and the company's values. Having the synergy between companies and Nosh Posh is paramount prior to delivering products to consumers.
Nosh Posh considers competition as other co-ops and even large retailers like Whole Foods. But Tatiana shared the biggest competition is Instacart and Costco. Many workplaces will make a quick run to big-box stores for convenience, however rarely are healthy choices being chosen for employees. That is the problem and Nosh Posh is providing the solution. Tatiana hopes that companies making these decisions will continue to become more and more health conscious. As she told us, "Health and Wellness snacks are becoming more readily available. It is our mission to make Nosh Posh front of mind as the provider to a variety of products to meet the need of workplace snacks."
Partner with KLS
KLS offers LTL and FTL for both dry and reefer transportation.
Our nationwide coverage provides companies a reliable, consistent, and dependable logistics partner to handle your trucking needs.
For more information on how we can help call our office today 708-980-0920 or reach us via our email quote request here!
Funding, CEO transition
Tatiana explained that with most start-ups, the biggest challenge is funding. She mentioned to us that there are resources as a company progresses and then further resources as companies become profitable. But that leaves a gap for the initial phase as companies are trying to grow. This difficulty puts strain on a company, but it is part of the journey. Tatiana recently transitioned from her full-time job in May to go full-time at Nosh Posh. She believed the timing was right and the demand was there to devote all of her time and energy to building her company. We were curious as to what ultimately led Tatiana to creating this business?
She shared with us, "My career started working in housing, I had so much passion for it. Unfortunately the salary for that line of work, doesn't equate to the amount of work. I wanted a better life for myself and my daughter. Around this time I was in close proximity to someone who was running their own business. It gave me the idea that I could also work for myself."
Tatiana then had to discover what her business would be. She told us she always had a passion for healthier alternatives to food especially raising her daughter. Something that was important and used daily in her life seemed to make the most sense. She set out to start her business to help consumers the way she was helping herself and her daughter.
Self Belief and Development
The initial goal of Nosh Posh was to host pop up. Tatiana envisioned hosting the pop up in Minneapolis, but struggled to find a venue. Instead she pivoted to events and farmers markets. Instantly the feedback was overwhelming from consumers who loved the products and were eager to find them. This prompted her to create the snack box which was the vessel connecting the products to the consumers. Last August she placed her first vending machine, as of our talk she has seven placed. As she shared, "Vending is the piece that is always a work in process to streamline. But it is the easiest to sell because visually it is right there. It is a walking billboard for our products and the epitome of accessibility." Tatiana said balancing the growth and logistics of the vending is one of the current challenges, but learning how to delegate her time and resources has proven a winning formula.
In our conversation with Tatiana, she shared how the fear and doubt are always components when running and operating a business. Overcoming imposter syndrome, fearing you'll be exposed for not knowing the right answers, and even being rejected are all constant concerns. But Tatiana gave incredible perspective on how she overcomes that, "Challenge the self-doubt in your head. Practice positive self-talk and a positive mindset. It is okay and healthy to acknowledge disappointments, but remain realistic and continue to move forward. Remember there are people who support you."
As a self-proclaimed perfectionist, that results in Tatiana setting an extremely high bar for herself with her own expectations. As she has created and grown a business, she understands that benefit of weighing expectation versus reality. An example of her growth, was her recent participation in the Minnesota Cup. There were over 800+ applicants, in her division of food and beverage 9 companies were chosen. Nosh Posh made it to the semifinals, view the post here! Tatiana explained to us the rollercoaster of emotions, "I never considered I wouldn’t make it to the finals. It has been challenging sitting with the fact I didn't make it to the finals, when so much work put in preparing. But part of my growth has been learning to celebrate the win. It is a huge accomplishment and while I wished we could've achieved more, I'm realizing it is okay to both yearn for more, learn from what we could do better, but still celebrate our accomplishments."
Advice
The goal for Nosh Posh is substantial growth in the next two years. Tatiana envisions expansion outside of the Twin Cities,, followed by regional expansion. She hopes to one day bring this to food deserts. As she explained to us, many areas have communities without access to transportation or even grocery outlets. Providing access to underdeveloped communities by bringing innovation, products, and founders not traditionally seen or heard in these markets. Another goal for Tatiana is the creation of the Nosh Posh Nourish Youth Snack Pax, which will ultimately be a year-long campaign for the company.
What is the favorite aspect of her own company, well Tatiana answered for us, "Finding new snacks, founders, stories to share with consumers. There is such innovation paired with incredible values and missions. It is such a honor for me to be this connection between consumers and companies. Creating the pipeline we have it is so rewarding, knowing we are able to share a product that someone created."
Which led to her first piece of advice which is run your business like everyone is watching you. Accountability and honesty are two key attributes in Tatiana's mind. "It is the who, not the how. Figure out your strengths and what isn't bring on the right person to manage that. Delegation is crucial for any business owner." she acknowledged.
Our conversation with Tatiana ended with her final piece of advice that beautifully applies across industry and across titles, "You have to do the work on yourself. Biggest barriers to growth is our own lack of confidence and the doubt we create. At some point, you will have to confront it. If you lack self-belief it is incredibly difficult to sell anyone else on your company or dream. Reaffirm to yourself that you're allowed to make mistakes, it is an opportunity to learn and grow. Don't be afraid to ask for help."
Interested in being featured with "Together Talks"?
KLS is booking our upcoming schedule now!
Contact us as we would love to learn your story and share it amongst our audience.
Weekly we provide 2 companies our platform to expand their reach courtesy of our campaign. Let's collaborate!!!
In Closing
KLS wants to thank Nosh Posh and Founder, Tatiana Freeman, for today's "Together Talks" feature. Keep up to date with Nosh Posh by following their blog on their website, check it out here. Follow along for the Nosh Posh journey with their social handles below!
Also check out where Nosh Posh has been featured in the following publications below!
Klimson Logistics Solutions - Together Talks with Nosh Posh feature #57
*Klimson Logistics Solutions is an Industry Leading Customer Service 3PL. Our focus and commitment to our clients has us striving to be the BEST customer service 3PL for LTL, FTL, Reefer, and Drayage in the country. KLS, freight company, is a 3PL providing nationwide logistics solutions. KLS shipping services include: LTL freight, FTL freight, Reefer LTL freight, Reefer FTL freight, and Drayage. Klimson Logistics Solutions thanks you for viewing our marketing campaign, "Together Talks". If you have any interest in being featured or questions regarding your freight operations please contact us today!
Why KLS?
Our precise and reliable effort.
We handle every shipment with the exact same process. It does not matter if you move one shipment a year or ten per day, you will receive the same level of customer service from us. When we started this company, we had one goal in mind, treat every shipment like it was our own. With our vast knowledge of the industry, we understood what a customer would want from a communication standpoint. We applied that process to be the standard here at KLS. Our reliability and being able to depend on our consistency is why we have such long-standing relationships with our clients.
Our Process?
Every shipment in our industry starts with a quote. We are firm believers that time is money, thus we strive to have quotes back in a 5-10 minute reply time for LTL and FTL, any FCL quotes are at the mercy of the carriers getting back to us. For LTL we have the flexibility to quote both off of NMFC and also Density depending on the carrier. Utilizing our services, you’re allowing us to use our expertise to class your freight accordingly to ensure we are providing the best rate we possibly can.
Once a quote has been submitted and a client chooses to proceed with KLS handling the arrangement of the shipment our full process begins. We create the BOL that will be used for the shipment. If it is a new location for our system, we will obtain all the important/special details (reference numbers, contact details, shipping hours, closed for lunch, dock/doors, etc.). We meticulously build every detail into our software for all future shipments involving that location. After we have both locations built and necessary reference numbers have been applied we will tender the shipment to the carrier. We use this method because it provides us a real time pickup number from the carrier to obtain updates prior to pickup. Our staff will either email the BOL directly to you or to the shipper (at your request) the minute after the tender has been accepted by the carrier. LTL carriers require a 2 hour window prior to close time in order to schedule it for a same-day pickup attempt.
The following morning you’ll receive an email from us. It will either provide the reason the pickup was missed (driver’s trailer filled up, driver missed the close time, truck broke down, shipper said no freight, etc.) or if the pickup was successful you will receive the PRO (tracking) number from us, along with the eta for delivery. Our staff will track it throughout the duration of transit and advise if anything happens that will alter the estimated delivery date. The day the shipment delivers we will email you with confirmation and the POD (Proof of Delivery), should you require it.
Your shipment has been quoted, scheduled, picked up, and delivered. The next step is waiting for the carrier to invoice us and make sure the rate matches up. If it does, we close out the invoice from the carrier in our system and automatically your invoice is created and sent to the requested party at your company. In the event the carrier has an additional charge on their invoice “Variance”, we will never send you an invoice with an additional charge without first identifying you of the charge.
Let us repeat, NEVER WILL WE JUST BILL OUT AN EXTRA CHARGE WITHOUT YOU BEING NOTIFIED.
You are our customer, we represent you. Should the carrier provide an extra charge on an invoice, “Lift gate, additional weight, reclass, detention, etc.) We notify you of the charge via email first. Second, within that email we identify what is required should you choose to dispute the charge. Again our goal is to honor your request, if you want to dispute, we will dispute. During a dispute we will provide you updates every step along the way. Once a dispute is closed out, whether it is approved or rejected, then we will invoice you as the invoice has been resolved.
For reference, our company only had 6.2% of all shipments go to dispute in 2022 and we successfully won 91% of those disputes on behalf of our customers.
This is our process for every single shipment you move with us. We don’t cut corners, we don’t hide from difficult situations. We believe in being available, honest, and transparent. We don’t ever want to tell you that a shipment is lost, damaged, misrouted, but it is our duty to notify you the second we find out something has gone wrong. We hate to present bad news, but it is part of the job. What you can guarantee is that we will work a shipment all the way through and turn over every stone until we get a resolution for our clients.
Services offered?
Our core business is LTL and FTL. Within these options we have options for both dry and refrigerated/frozen. We also offer FCL/Drayage options. Our company as a 3PL has nationwide options and services clients across the US.
Let’s breakdown our services more in-depth
LTL:
Standard and Guaranteed
CFS (Imports & Exports)
Tradeshows
Hazmat
Anything that is on a pallet can be moved LTL. Typically LTL is up to 10 pallets, but the sweet spot for a carrier is 6-8 pallets at most for an individual shipment. LTL quotes are good between 5-30 days depending on the carrier. LTL can be quoted either via NMFC or density to determine the class (we do this for you).
Volume:
Anything over 10-12’ of space in the truck is the technical rule for a volume shipment. When we run a quote for you we will determine if it qualifies for volume and provide you a rate if available. Volume moves allow you to get a reduced rate for larger shipments. The caveat to volume shipments it the quotes are only valid for 3-7 days and they move on capacity between terminals. If a terminal is backed up they will move their LTL freight first before the volume freight, which can lead to longer transit times for volume moves.
FTL/Dedicated/Expedited: 53’ Dry and Reefer 26’ Box trucks with lift gate Sprinter Van The main difference for FTL vs LTL is space and transit time. For standard pallets you can fit either 26 or 30 pallets in a 53’ dry van. The other main difference is transit time, for FTL each day counts in the transit time, whereas LTL does not count the day of pickup, weekends, or holidays in their transit time.
Reefer/Frozen:
LTL and FTL
We specialize working in the CPG space with food manufacturers. We regularly deliver to
the following locations:
Kehe
UNFI
Core Mark
DPI
Wegmans
Cugini
H.T. Hackney
Netrition
HEB
ALDI
Chambers and Owens
EBY Brown
Nassau Candy
Harris Teeter
Wakefern
NU INC
Long Distribution
What makes KLS different?
There are thousands for freight brokers and 3PL in our industry. Barrier to entry is rather easy and agents or owners will often hire sales people without any intention of properly training them. It results in high turnover for many freight companies and a forgettable experience for the client. We choose to operate differently through our consistency. We truly care about doing right by our clients and prospects too. While we would love to help provide our services to every company we speak with, that just isn’t realistic. We won’t always be the right fit for every company that moves freight and that is ok. Our authenticity as a shipping company sets us apart from the competition and that is backed up by our testimonials. We also run a marketing campaign bi-weekly called “Together Talks”. We interview, highlight, and promote two businesses every week. Our goal is to grow our network, make new connections, and learn something new with each collaboration. Check it out on our website and if you’re interested in being featured reach out.
Our company also runs a year long charity promotion. Book your first shipment through KLS and we donate to the charity of your choice in your name. Our way of thanking you for giving us an opportunity to show you the KLS way and what makes us one of a kind. This entire package is what we offer to every prospect and every client. Our goal is to help provide answers that customers may have when it comes to shipping. We want to always be available as a resource and will always offer a lending hand whenever we can.