Eddie’s Energy Bars Blog

Hi Everyone,

I am very happy for the weekend to be here. I had a full plate this week with midterms, and it continues partially into next week. It has been a very whirlwind week here at Eddie’s. We have had a lot of people contacting us about our energy bars, all the while Ed and Jeanne (our baking and distribution team) are in Mexico taking a much deserved break from the bakery.

The whole point of this post though is to let you all know that I was invited to be part of a panel of young entrepreneurs (all under 35) discussing how we started, and our challenges for the future at Champlain College. Here are the details if you are interested in going:

What: BYOBiz Young Entrepreneur’s Panel
When: Tuesday, March 11th, 2008
Where: Champlain College, Alumni Auditorium in Burlington, Vermont
Who: Hear four young entrepreneurs, Michael Adams (Eddie’s Energy Bars), Andy Rossmeissl (Brighter Planet), Steve Cleary (EESA), and Trevor Crist (Inntopia.com) tell their stories and share their experiences about starting and building their diverse businesses in Vermont.

Admission is free.

I hope to see some familiar Vermont faces!

Michael Adams, Owner
Eddie’s Energy Bars

I was just informed by my roommate that Bryant was recognized as the best CEO Chapter in the Nation.  That is an incredible award to receive, and no doubt an honor.

C.E.O. stands for Collegiate Entrepreneur’s Organization.  This organization basically promotes entrepreneurship around campus and holds events doing so.

So, congrats again to Bryant CEO, of which I am a member, and keep on being entrepreneurial!

Michael
Eddie’s Energy Bars

So I haven’t blogged about what I’m learning about entrepreneurship in quite some time, so I thought I would give it a whirl, and write a post that was actually somewhat meaningful.

Yesterday, I attended the same 4th of July party I have attended for many years before, but this time, I actually talked about my business with the people at the party (mostly parents). A lot of them understood my mentality of just do it, and see if it works. If it doesn’t, try something else. That is basically how I have operated this company from day one. At the young age of nineteen, I am able to screw up and see where life takes me. I have plenty of time left to find my true calling. Who knows? It might be energy bars, after all!

So, I went with my gut, and applied for the Williston Farmer’s Market, a new market staring this Saturday from 9-1, behind the library on Route 2. I have always wanted to do a farmer’s market, and just see how it goes. Well, it was within my budget, and I got accepted. Now, it is up to the market-goers to decided if they like my product.

Because I offer free samples to anyone who wants one, it generally results in big sales numbers. We shall see how everything turns out this coming Saturday.

Stop by, everyone, from near or far. It doesn’t matter. It’s Vermont. We always have fun.

9-1 Saturday morning, behind the library in Williston on Route 2. Be there!

Michael, Owner
Eddie’s Energy Bars

Other entrepreneurs of course!

Whenever I need to figure something out, I always look for another entrepreneur to talk to because I know, when they were starting out, they went through the same things I am going through right now, and they know how to handle the situations perfectly.

Advice from entrepreneurs can go a long way in more ways than one. When I am looking for more outlets to sell my energy bars in, many times other entrepreneurs have the connections that I am looking for, and they can point me in the right direction.

It is also nice to speak with some who is just as enthusiastic about your product venture, and can relate to you, and your determination to get things done, successfully and efficiently.  Just a quick conversation with other entrepreneurs can land you in the perfect spot, with multiple ideas to work on.  This recently happened with Ann Zuccardy of Vermont Shortbread Company.  We were talking yesterday, and we stumbled upon a fantastic business idea.

Nope.  Not telling.  But, it’s brilliant.  Stay tuned!

Michael Adams, Owner
Eddie’s Energy Bars

With all of my exams done and over with except for math on Tuesday, I am starting to pack up. Freshman year is over already. Where did it go? It seems like it just started yesterday, but it is time to come to terms that a quarter of my college career is over. Sitting here, I am deciding whether I really made the best of my freshman year.

I think I had fun during the year, but I should have done more. I should have gotten more involved in campus groups. Throughout the year I ended up joining two groups: Helping Hands, which put on a holiday party for under-privileged children, and the Hall 14 Council, for which I was President of my hall. You would think this was a position of incredible responsibility, but it really wasn’t. We put on a couple of events, of which not too many people came too…kind of a downer.

On the brighter side, I was able to get to know more people. A lot of my friends think I know everyone, but really I don’t. I truly enjoy talking to different people and
learning from them how to grow my healthy energy bar business in Vermont. Of the people that I met this year, I would have to say that all the professors have really helped me excel in not only my business, but have positively affected my outlook on life. It kind of makes me want to teach a part-time entrepreneurship or marketing class at my high school while growing Eddie’s Energy Bars. There are not nearly enough business courses offered there to have students fully grasp the business concept.

Overall, freshman year was a blast, and I can’t wait till sophomore year starts in the fall. Come back to check out tomorrow’s post when I talk about the clubs I will probably join in the fall and how I can get the most out of them for me, and my company.

Was your freshman year of college as exciting as mine? (It might bring back bad memories–sorry.)

Michael, Eddie’s Energy Bars