Elevate Hennepin helps Sweet Science Ice Cream 'sprinkle joy'

Elevate Hennepin helps Sweet Science Ice Cream 'sprinkle joy'

Sprinkle, the new Sweet Science Ice Cream truck, is hitting the road, part of founder Ashlee Olds' new strategic plan. She developed the plan with support from her peers and business training in CEO Now, a cohort from Elevate Hennepin.

Ashlee, based in Edina, said the truck helps her do more event business by bringing the all-natural, artisan ice cream to grad parties, weddings, corporate events, anywhere that needs a little extra frozen joy.

Since founding the company in 2011, she enjoyed finding new ways to grow the business. She started with the smallest commercial ice cream machine she could find, expanded to ice cream tasting events, and eventually expanded to a production facility in St. Paul, a "scoop shop" in Edina and distribution to a wide range of local grocery stores and other outlets.

But at her scale, like many small business owners, she was having trouble finding time to chart new paths and explore new sales channels like the truck. She could only keep up with the day-to-day business.

"It was absolutely the biggest issue. I found I spend too much time working in my business, and I can't work on it to grow it or to make it better. I don’t have enough time in the day," said Ashlee. "How do I finally get to that phase where I can work on the business instead of putting out fires, or making labels, or putting sprinkles on a truck?"

When Ashlee discovered the CEO Now cohort, she applied and found a group of peers all facing some of the same things. Over the course of eight months, they worked together, and each developed their own three- to five-year strategic growth plan.

"It was comforting to hear a lot of fellow CEOs kind of echo that sentiment," said Ashlee. "And I found it so helpful to create that three-year action plan because it sort of holds you accountable. You’re pushed to prioritize that in CEO Now, which has been great. One of the items in the action plan was to launch an ice cream truck and here we are."

She also built up some more business skills from experts, which informed her of new strategies and introduced her to ongoing advising support via Elevate Hennepin.

"It was so great to meet all of these experts, and then to also learn about the entire Elevate Hennepin program where, you could ping them later on for specific things," said Ashlee. "So, it's been just so great."