Today we’d like to introduce you to Angela Gustafson. She and her team share their story with us below:
The illustrated story is on the back of our packaging. The animated video story link is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxBWk7jFEhg.
One could argue that a UW-Madison Badgerin’, US Peace Corps volunteerin’, children’s book writin’, Birkenstock-wearin’ gal was just destined to land in the world of granola.
As a primarily stay-at-home mom, Angela Gustafson began (and still does begin) her mornings by getting outside early for a run. Post-run, she needed something nutritious, delicious, and fast before the get-ready-for-school scramble ensued. Fixing on granola, she started playing, tweaking, fiddling, elevating, and ultimately landed on this mix of high-quality ingredients that put vroom! and joy into her family’s busy lives.
It wasn’t long before Angie began sharing her granola with friends, family, coaches, and teachers. She is, after all, a Midwesterner, and Midwesterners are basically required to share good food with neighbors. As devotees of her recipe amassed, she rallied her four kids into a fun summer business adventure at a local farmers market, and faster than you can say, “you betcha”, Gustola Granola was born!
In a nutshell (no pun intended) the secret is simplicity and commitment to honest, premium ingredients. Organic oats, whole nuts, and a hint of salt are mixed with maple syrup, olive oil, and egg whites—our secret weapon. The sugar content is surprisingly low and the egg whites give Gustola an irresistible crunch and a boost of protein to fuel your action-packed days.
And since Gustola creates products that are loved by people who want clean, delicious food to energize their lives, what better way to give back than devote a portion of proceeds to Wilderness Inquiry: an organization that helps ALL (including individuals with mobility and cognitive challenges) enjoy outdoor adventures?
Go on, jump right in and make Gustola a part of your story, too!
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
Naturally (no pun intended), it has been a most exciting and exhilarating road, but not always a smooth one.
From fighting humidity and weather in the farmers market days; to flooding the commercial kitchen floors on one of my first days there; to discovering a truckload of finished product didn’t get sealed properly (right at the start of COVID and right after a knee surgery!); to going up against the giants of food (i.e. General Mills, Kellogg’s) day in and day out; to fighting rising costs across the board and lacking the scale to better weather the storm; and on and on… it’s the extraordinary privilege of having your brand be chosen amongst all of the options available, being invited into the epicenter of people’s home lives again and again, and making them smile, that makes it all of the obstacles worth it!
As you know, we’re big fans of Gustola Granola. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
We’re bucking the trend of decreasing quality and taste in packaged food, and trying to prove that there’s a vast audience and profit potential for a premium, handcrafted, healthful and delicious granola/snack.
Gustola was built upon a recipe that was created to be the best possible fuel for ONE runner and family, as opposed to driving up shareholder profits. Today, that same recipe is providing smiles and healthful sustenance (lower sugar, higher protein, and whole grains) to tens of thousands of consumers each year.
What were you like growing up?
I was an intensely competitive kid, who loved activity and sports, art and design, always being in the company of friends, and of course, food.
Working in a grocery store in high school, I was certainly more interested in the endless packaging and design than my co-workers seemed to be, and I majored in Marketing in college. However, a career track in brand management, unbeknownst to me at that time, required an MBA, so I took a different path in my early work years. Twenty-two years later I unexpectedly found myself satisfying that college itch and earned my own MBA from the School of Hard Knocks (the best school ever)!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://gustolagranola.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gustolagranola/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gustolagranola
