Launching a Small Business in the Middle of Another Career
by Jessie Muhlin
Who am I? Up until last summer, the answer to my professional identity has been consistent for nearly twenty years: “I am a scientist and educator.” I genuinely love what I do – since I was teenager, I have been smitten by the seaweeds. That interest led me to undergraduate and graduate training where I was steeped in the sciences and my elective courses focused on literature and advanced topics in science (I was able to take a symbiosis course with one of my science heroines, the Lynn Margulis). I do not take for granted that I was offered a teaching position in the Corning School of Ocean Studies at Maine Maritime Academy (MMA), where I have the privilege of guiding students to learn and become the next generation of marine biologists, oceanographers, and environmental scientists. I am able to teach, continue to participate in scholarship and pursue research on intertidal seaweeds, and collaborate with exceptional colleagues at MMA and beyond. But, amidst my commute and other quiet moments, a kernel of “what if…” emerged and established itself.
From ‘What If’ to ‘Why Not?
I have always loved creating sweet treats and sharing them with others. Part of my teaching practice for my Marine Botany course has been to teach about the algal lineages by feeding my students store-bought and homemade foods with micro and macroalgae. On more than one occasion, high praise from a student included “if teaching doesn’t work out, you could just bake for a living.” What if that was true? I started daydreaming of what it would be like to take some element of creating food – such a powerful tool to demonstrate care as well as community – and make it part of my professional identity.
My background is science, and I have developed tools and techniques to be an effective educator. Being in the kitchen has been my stress relief. I have zero formal training in economics, marketing, accounting, or sales. A wise woman provided a piece of advice to just try. Give it a go. If I did not follow the what if, I would never know if I could do it. With the support of family and friends, I started a small business in August 2024. I did not (and do not) want to lose my identity as a scientist and educator, but I want to expand that identity to include entrepreneur and small business owner.
No Need to Go It Alone
There are many helpful resources for folks interested in starting a small business and to enter the entrepreneurial “ecosystem,” as it is called, and not be isolated. Two resources that have particularly been meaningful to me has been the advising through the Small Business Development Corporation (SBDC) of Maine and the Maine Center for Entrepreneurs (MCE) programs. My SBDC advisor was instrumental in giving me the confidence to keep going. Her comment that what I was doing (manufacturing frozen cookie dough made with Maine-sourced ingredients) was innovative- was affirmation beyond my biased family and friends that my “what if” had merit. This past winter I participated in MCE’s Top Gun program, targeted for early stage (some folks had yet to launch products or services, whereas some participants have been in business for a few years) companies. The Top Gun program provided me with an excellent curriculum to learn foundational elements in business model canvas, marketing, sales, and other topics to be successful in business and was a bootcamp for me as someone who had no prior education on those topics. In addition, the model of the Top Gun program is to pair companies with mentors and my mentor, was to me, like a fairy godmother. She selflessly provided encouragement, shared experience from her successful entrepreneurial journey, and gave constructive criticism that was objective and critical for me to continue to grow and learn in my new-found identity.
This new part of my professional identity has been challenging and rewarding. I know I have weaknesses in sales and marketing, and I am taking remedial steps to strengthen those areas with the assistance of resources like the SBDC and MCE, as well as seeking other opportunities to lean into the uncomfortable spaces where my new identity takes me. I have also, in this process, met some of the most remarkable people. Entrepreneurs are an eclectic bunch, and they are full of spirit and joy and those qualities are inspiring and infectious. I cannot wait to see what will happen next year.
About Jessie Muhlin
Jessie Muhlin is a seaweed scientist, educator, AND small business owner. She is a Professor of Marine Biology and Chair of the Corning School of Ocean Studies at Maine Maritime Academy. She and her husband, Ryan Weatherbee, own and operate Buba OG LLC (www.bubaogcookies.com), a frozen cookie dough company that is committed to resilient food systems and feeding communities with love. Over fifty percent of the ingredients in each cookie recipe is sourced from Maine farmers and producers and ten percent of profits for each cookie line is donated to a Maine non-profit.