Nosh Posh with Tatiana Freeman feature 57 of Together Talks

KLS
Sep 5, 2023
6 min read

Updated: Apr 14

"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."

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."

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!