Disser started up his business in 2020 by making and selling pickles at home with his grandmother, spreading word through family and friends. He started off with making local deliveries on his bike to his mother’s friends to drop off the product.
“My company started out when my grandma was in town from Grosse Pointe, Michigan. She was making her famous pickles for our family to keep when the idea struck me.”, said Disser. “I needed some extra money to buy a skateboard, so I asked my grandma if I could help her make the pickles and then try and sell them.”
According to Disser, in the past year, his business has expanded into being sold at 3 additional stores, Granny’s Deli, Boccato’s, and Nick + Sons, and has released new merchandise including hats, shirts, hoodies, and puffers. Disser is currently working on getting merchandise in local stores.
“Getting my product into new stores was never a huge issue due to all of the store owners that I talked to being so kind and welcoming.”, said Disser. “I would walk into the store with one jar of spicy pickles and one jar of regular pickles, then ask to speak to the manager and tell them all about myself and my business.
Managing and growing a business while balancing school, extracurriculars, and sports can be a struggle at times, but support from family, teachers, coaches, and employees help Disser stay on track.
“It is tough for me to balance school, lacrosse, and running my business, and keeping up with restocks while in 5 different stores has not been easy. I could not have done it without my mom by my side always helping me out; also getting help from my teachers, employees, and coaches is always nice
As for the future, starting a business has changed Disser’s views for his future plans after college. He plans to study business at the University of Wisconsin Madison, while keeping the business running in both Manhattan Beach and his future college town with the help of his mom.
“I hope to expand my business into whatever college town I end up at, and also have my mom keep it going in Manhattan Beach. Making pickles in college will be tough, so I will most likely be doing a lot more merch than actual pickles. After college I hope to keep the business going for as long as possible while also, hopefully getting a job at somewhere where I can learn a lot and be mentored by well respected businessmen.”, said Disser.
Disser’s goal for Hank’s Pickles for the upcoming year is to save up enough money to purchase a van, which would be used as a mini storefront to sell products, and to promote and expand the business.
“The most Important thing I have learned with starting a business is to just be creative and follow your heart.”, said Disser. “Make your ideas a reality, and just go for it, don’t be scared of failing or getting embarrassed and just be confident when you make decisions.”
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