CEO & Co-Founder of Andia's Ice Cream

A truly creative person can push limits and propel you to the next level. I seek mentors through the lens of what is best for my growth.

To maintain a healthy work-life balance, it is essential to take days off, but difficult to execute. On a daily basis, I find walking my dogs brings me great comfort and relaxing in an infrared sauna. My gratitude journal reminds me of the wonderful things in life.

At our workplace, we use ConnectTeams for all things related to the retail shops and are big users of Square.

We have had some hard times, as any growing company, but the hardest time was a few years ago when we had to completely restructure to conquer some tough financial times. My executive and production teams came together and willingly learned new processes and systems to better our results.

I hope that everyone on our team feels the love that we lead with at Andia’s. Through gratitude and uplifting our employees to quality time as a team, we aim to build a place where all feel heard. We celebrate wins and support each other when times get tough.

From day one, Andia’s Ice Cream has been a collaborative effort. It started with my husband and two children and has grown to over 90 employees and incredible team members.

I can't live without blast freezers and batch freezers for my job. They are vital to making premium ice cream.

I continue learning through frozen dessert programs, as well as culinary and pastry classes. Also, there is great value in competing because of the useful feedback.

We are an inclusive employer, which makes our team feel safe and accepted.

Being able to combine my gifts for creativity and passion for cooking as an ice cream chef made me confident in my decision to pursue this career.

A positive culture rooted in kindness, love, and appreciation is essential to a small business. For example, our team hosts annual holiday gatherings and an end-of-summer chili cook-off, both of which highlight our appreciation for each employee.

I adore Bon Appétit, Food & Wine, and Cherry Bombe. For podcasts, I prefer to listen to self-motivational shows like "Manifestation Babe" and "Big Conversations with Haley Hoffman Smith."

Burnout is real — I’ve experienced it myself. Climbing out of it can be tough, which is why it’s so important to take care of yourself before it gets too overwhelming. By starting my mornings with meditation, I stay grounded. With consistency, the practice has helped me become more aligned and balanced.

I stay informed by keeping up with other hospitality leaders and current trends. I learn about what others are looking for—and build from there!

When hiring a new ice cream chef, I value creativity and perseverance above all. Creativity helps with research and development, while perseverance keeps you motivated through the inevitable recipe fail.

Our team is diverse, but we’re always looking for individuals who naturally embody our core values: caring, professionalism, team player, guest-oriented, a positive attitude, and a commitment to hospitality.

I've learned many lessons over the course of my career as an ice cream chef and business owner. First and foremost, I’ve learned hard lessons about finances and that talent and creativity do not automatically translate into being a successful business owner. Through opening various locations and releasing multiple products, I discovered that scaling is important for growth, and there are always new systems and processes to master.