Winna Do, Co-Founder of Berrybites, discovered the ‘why’ of her business when she was babysitting her niece and realized that all of her food options were either canned or pre-packaged purees. Winna describes a desperate feeling knowing she did not have healthier options for her niece and decided to take it on herself to create the option she was looking for.

After a year of planning and continual learning, Winna is ready to launch her business this month with online purchases available through her website. Berrybites is a baby food delivery service serving all of Colorado and offering 21 different meal options for children 7 months – 5 years. The meals are organic, freshly made, nourishing, and delivered directly to the customer’s door. 80% of ingredients used in the meals are sourced locally from MetaCarbon Organic Farm in Longmont and the remaining 20% are sourced outside of Colorado, but still from U.S. farmers.

Winna describes the initial phases of her business saying, “The start-up process is very long. It is a step-by-step process and it is important that you don’t skip steps. There are no shortcuts.” In each of these steps Winna has developed new skills and overcome several barriers.

As with many new business owners, Winna was feeling a lot of pressure as she began her business journey shortly after graduating college and with very limited savings. Rather than becoming overtaken by the pressure though, Winna used it as her motivation to hone her resourcefulness. She taught herself how to edit photos, build a website, create content, and even test her own recipes. Of this experience Winna reflects, “You have to have encouragement and be willing to learn. You have to open your mind and be willing to learn new things every day.”

As a part of her planning process, Winna sought mentorship from the North Metro Small Business Development Center. Winna states, “I could not have gotten to where I am today without their support. I went to the SBDC website and there was a list of mentors and a link to book appointments with them and I wanted to meet with them all because they have expertise in different areas.”

Winna battled the doubts that come with entrepreneurship saying, “Everyday I woke up knowing there were people to help me figure it out – mentors, friends, family, and even strangers!”

While Winna is just launching her business now, she has big dreams for the future of Berrybites. She imagines an online community where parents can connect to motivate each other and seek advice. The purpose of Berrybites is not only to provide a healthy and environmentally conscious meal option for children, but also to empower and support customers in their parenting journey.

Winna is full of the entrepreneurial spirit and shares her advice to other new business owners, “Be patient and consistent. Do not expect immediate return, but keep working towards the goal you have set with your full dedication, energy, and concentration and sooner or later you will get there one day.”

To learn more about Berrybites and Winna’s story you can head to her website or follow her on Facebook and Instagram.