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Thirty years ago, Jeni Britton started an ice cream company with no money, no backing, and no roadmap. Becoming a founder later in life turned out to be the best decision she never planned.
In this episode of Dear FoundHer, Lindsay talks with Jeni Britton, founder of Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams and Floura, about what it takes to build something that lasts. Jeni started her first company at 22, but she will be the first to tell you that the best entrepreneurs are in their 40s. The data backs her up. The fastest-growing segment of entrepreneurs in the United States right now is women over 45, and those businesses tend to be more durable than the ones built by founders half their age.
Real founder stories rarely come with a straight line. Jeni’s includes early risk, hard lessons, public crisis, reinvention, and building again with more clarity. Jeni talks about closing her first business, Scream, and what learning from failure taught her about the difference between making what excites you and building something customers return to again and again. She also walks through the 2015 Listeria recall that nearly took Jeni's down, and why she looks back on it as one of the most important moments in her company's history. Scaling challenges, crisis leadership, and knowing when to simplify your mission so your team has something clear to hold onto are all part of the conversation.
She gets into the founding of Floura too, her fiber nutrition company built from produce trimmings, and what becoming a founder later in life looks like when you already know the hard lessons. The second time around, she says, you know who to build with. Her coach and her advisor from the Jeni's years are now her co-founders at Floura. That kind of peer support for entrepreneurs is part of how the work actually gets done.
For female founders at any stage, if you have been telling yourself you are behind, this episode makes a pretty strong case that you are not.
Episode Breakdown:
00:00 Why Jeni Britton Is a Must-Hear Guest for Women Founders
03:42 How Jeni Britton Started Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams with No Money and No Backing
10:46 The Accidental Product That Put Jeni's on the Map
12:37 Why Word of Mouth Still Beats Social Media for Growing a Business
22:17 The 2015 Listeria Recall and What It Taught Her About Values Under Pressure
29:44 Becoming a Founder Later in Life: Why Jeni Stepped Back and Started Over
33:28 Introducing Floura: A Second Company Built from Produce Waste and Gut Health Research
44:01 How to Price, Scale, and Build a Product the Right Way
47:00 Why the People You Build With Are Your Most Important Business Decision
51:46 Why the Best Entrepreneurs Are in Their 40s
Connect with Jeni Britton:
Follow Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams on Instagram
Subscribe to The FoundHer Files
Follow Dear FoundHer on Instagram
Join THE networking community for women business owners over forty, The Dear FoundHer... Forum
Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm
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