From Nanny to Queen Bee of a Snack Brand - The Best Bar Story | EP208

How do you build a clean-label snack brand from scratch?In Episode 208 of On The Delo, Shannon shares how she turned a home kitchen idea into The Best Bar — a handcrafted snack brand now sold across Arizona, from AJ’s Fine Foods to the Grand Canyon and Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport.What started with a $2,000 investment, a Vistaprint logo, and Arizona’s cottage food law has grown into a six-year journey built on grit, consistency, and doing things differently.Delo and Shannon break down what it really takes to build a food business from the ground up — without cutting corners.From hand-chopping ingredients and fulfilling orders out of her own kitchen, to landing major retail placements, this is a story about building a brand with intention, not shortcuts.They also get into:Scaling without losing qualityClean-label products and ingredient integrityThe reality of hiring and growthSobriety, healing, and personal disciplineWhy sleep, gratitude, and routine matter more than most people thinkWhether you're building a product, growing a business, or just getting started, this episode is a real look at what it takes to turn something small into something sustainable.Chapter Guide (Timestamps):(0:00 - 2:35) Devour Phoenix Intro, Booth Memories & Event Prep Systems(2:36 - 6:21) Shannon's Origin Story: Minnesota Roots, DC Nannying & Learning to Cook(6:22 - 8:34) 10 Years in Wine Sales, Sommelier Cert & Choosing Sobriety 19 Years Ago(8:35 - 11:36) Foster Parenting, Health Turning Point & Giving Up Refined Sugars(11:37 - 14:10) Shannon's Kitchen Cottage Food Start, $2K Investment & the Birth of The Best Bar(14:11 - 17:05) AJ's Fine Foods, Peddler's Son Distribution & the Fox 10 Segment Moment(17:06 - 20:36) Hardest Part of Entrepreneurship: Hiring, Delegating & Work-Life Reality(20:37 - 23:56) 200 Trays a Week, 4,896 Bars in One Order & Hand-Making Every Single One(23:57 - 27:00) Bar Flavors Deep Dive: Original, Chocolate Chip, Cacao & Seed Bar Charity Tie-In(27:01 - 29:30) Scaling Challenges, Pitching Natural Grocers & Saying Yes Before You Know How(29:31 - 33:11) Healing Hospitality, Joy Bus Donations & Why Food and Community Go Together(33:12 - 36:15) Shannon Today vs. Shannon 2020: GCU Space, Grand Canyon Lodges & Personal Growth(36:16 - 42:00) Rapid Fire: Music, Cacao Bar Sleeper Pick, Sneakers, Beach Getaways & Grow Bigger🍫 Find The Best Bar at AJ's Fine Foods, Grand Canyon lodges, the Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport, farmers markets across the valley, and online at https://getthebestbar.com👉 If Shannon's story of clean ingredients, grit, and building a brand with heart resonated with you, hit Subscribe for more deep dives on health, business, and the real side of entrepreneurship.💬 Drop a comment with your biggest takeaway and share this episode with someone who's building something they believe in.🔗 Connect with DELO: https://linktr.ee/iamthedelo💡 Entrepreneur Community: https://www.builtdifferentcommunity.com 📚 Grab DELO’s Free eBook: https://toastability-production.s3.amazonaws.com/iiaxm3o0iqiawpe96g9o5efki5gh📲 DELO’s Preferred Business Service Partners: https://iamthedelo.com/connect📋 Restaurant Resources: https://www.runningrestaurants.com/subscribe DISCOUNT CODE: DeLo2025