Sugarfina Founder Rosie O’Neill: The Sweet and Sticky Sides of Small Business Life

After seven years working her way up at Mattel, Rosie O’Neill decided to follow her heart (and tummy) and started her own business that is now a multi-million dollar international company. Rosie chats with us about Sugarfina’s early days and what it takes to be an entrepreneur and find your company’s sweet spot today. Tips and tricks The quickest way to grow a company is through dedicated, smart people. Hire people for longterm growth in mind, not the now even if you only need temp work at the time. Starting a business in an old school category — candy, flea markets, mattresses — can be smart if you know how to stand out and be different since the public is familiar with the product. Come up with a marketing campaign or product that’s catchy for instant press to break through the marketing noise. Upon launching, Sugarfina released treats for the broken hearted instead of sweethearts on Valentine’s Day and landed in the pages of US Weekly.