24. She Skipped College to Sell Popsicles at 17, and it BLEW UP! (with Kalli Lebaron of Joy Pops)

In this episode, we sit down with Kalli Lebaron from Joy Pops to unpack how she went from skipping college at 17 to running one of Utah’s most in-demand dessert catering brands. You’ll hear how a single trip to the Dominican Republic sparked a full-blown frozen treat movement—now complete with custom carts, corporate clients, and a booming storefront. We break down how Kalli scaled from vending at splash pads to booking 700+ popsicle events using push carts, Instagram, and eventually Flashquotes. You’ll learn how she streamlined her entire event workflow, cut her admin time by 70%, and is now building systems to expand Joy Pops to new cities. If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by emails, bookings, or scaling your catering biz—this episode is your permission slip to grow smarter. ➡️ Join our Mobile Catering Accelerator: https://www.skool.com/mobile-catering-accelerator/about 📸 Instagram: @FlashquotesHQ 🐦 Twitter: @FlashquotesHQ ⸻ ⏱️ Timestamps 00:00 Intro to Joy Pops & Kalli’s Story 01:45 Skipping College for Popsicles 07:20 First Commissary Kitchen & Craigslist Truck 12:30 Her Game-Changer: Push Carts for Private Events 18:45 The Instagram Flywheel + Word of Mouth 23:10 Navigating Seasonality in a Summer-Only Biz 29:00 Flashquotes: Saving 4+ Hours a Day on Admin 36:20 How She’s Scaling with Systems, Not Stress 41:05 Dreaming Bigger: Hawaii, Mexico, and Beyond ⸻ 🔑 Key Points: • How to turn a family vacation into a business idea • Why private event catering beats vending for growth • The underrated power of carts over trucks • How Flashquotes streamlined her booking + operations • Why your business won’t grow until you let go of control   Want help streamlining your own mobile biz like Kalli did? Join the Mobile Catering Accelerator: https://www.skool.com/mobile-catering-accelerator/abou