Published
October 10, 2019
Sara Polon, Owner of Soupergirl
To better highlight the impressive members of the small business community, we sat down with the 2019 Dream Big Award finalists to learn more about their startup stories, the challenges they have faced, and what the future of business looks like to them. We chatted with Sara Polon, owner of Washington, D.C.-based Soupergirl, a company that delivers wholesome, responsibly made soups across the country – in addition to their two restaurants. Here is what she had to say (what follows has been lightly edited for length and clarity):
Q: What inspired the creation of your business? What problem does it help to solve?
Once I learned how broken our food system was (and continues to be), I knew I had to get involved. I wanted to build a successful food business that operates correctly – fair treatment of staff, responsible ingredient sourcing, healthy cooking – everything. And I wanted to make my food available in the most convenient manner possible. Consumers want to eat healthily and responsibly – they just don’t have the time, or simply don’t know how. Enter Soupergirl!
Q: What gets you up in the morning?
A fervent desire to change our approach to food. And my alarm clock.
Q: What is the greatest challenge you faced while building your company and how did you overcome it?
It is difficult to pick just one. The greatest challenge was deciding how to move forward when we hit capacity in our kitchen. We literally could not grow more. And without growth, businesses die. We decided to go for a small business loan and take the plunge. We built out our own facility in the fall of 2016.
Q: What impact do you hope your business has on society as it grows?
At every stage of growth, we help individuals and the planet become healthier – in every sense of the word.
Q: In your experience, what do you think the future of business looks like for the next generation?
Green! There is so much innovation in the environmental sector. Change and progress will come from future entrepreneurs!
To learn more about the 2019 Dream Big Award finalists, click here.
About the authors
Kelly Rosenblatt
Kelly Rosenblatt is the Social Media and Digital Operations Project Manager at the U.S. Chamber.
