This Side Hustle Spotlight Q&A features mother and daughter Elisabeth and Gina Galvin, the duo behind the artisan food company Stellar snacks. Elisabeth Galvin is also the founder of the snack brand Delysewhich started as one side hustle at an old CVS before becoming a major purveyor of gourmet food products. Today, Delyse serves national airlines, including American Airlines and JetBlue, and Stellar Snacks is in various grocery stores across the country and online retailers and provides in-flight snacks for Alaska Airlines.
Image Credit: Courtesy of Stellar Snacks. Gina Galvin, left; Elisabeth Galvin, right.
What was your professional day like when you founded Delyse as a side job?
In the 90s, I moved to the US from the South of France, following a dream e becoming an entrepreneur in America. I spoke virtually no English at the time, so I enrolled as a full-time student at the University of Nevada, Reno, to learn. I was taking 20 credits and had a packed schedule of courses ranging from English as a Second Language to communications and advanced math. My days were filled with lessons and studies. At night, I found solace in the kitchen, where I cooked with the nostalgic flavors of home – which always brought me immeasurable happiness.
When did you start Delyse and where did you find the inspiration for it?
One of my favorite foods to make from scratch was French pralines, using my family's recipe. These are roasted and candy-coated peanuts that we usually enjoy near the beach in the south of France (called chaud chaud pralines). They were my favorite and I couldn't find anything similar here in the US, I perfected the recipe at home and loved sharing this delicacy with my American friends – who were blown away by the taste. One day, I was invited to one Fourth of July party and I wanted to bring something unique – so, of course, I brought those nuts. That was the day that ignited a spark. My meals were a huge hit at the party and caught the attention of two attendees in particular, who were the CEO of Reno Air and his wife, a famous food designer. I was asked if I could make my own pralines for Reno Air and be their signature snack! They asked me, “Can you do it?” My response was, “How long do I have?” to which he replied, “Can you do it in three months?” At that point, I put my mind to it and said, “Absolutely. I'm going to make it happen.”
What were some of the first steps you took to get yours side hustle from the ground?
I knew that to succeed with this opportunity, I had to DEGREES. I ordered three authentic copper kettles from Italy to perfect my craft. They were too big for my kitchen, so I started baking in my garage while I looked for a bigger place. I secured the permits, got a business license and founded my company “Delyse Inc” (a play on the word delicious in French). I was still a full-time student at UNR, so I started selling pralines on campus and at games. My English was still in its infancy, so I lovingly named the snack line “Thoz Nuts” (as I pronounced it with my accent) and created the branding and packaging. Thoz Nuts gained traction, becoming a favorite at local gourmet and specialty stores and being sold at my booth at sporting events. I found that there was a demand and now it was time to increase my production capacity. I found a location that used to be one CVS store, and I made a deal with the owner (who became a beloved mentor). He said, “The rent is $700 a month; you can start paying me when you make money.” I distinctly remember proudly paying my first month. It was the first check I wrote from my Delyse checkbook!
What were some of the biggest challenges you faced over the years? building your side hustleand how did you navigate them?
In addition to the challenge of balancing my course load with my startup, my main business-related challenges were establishing credit with vendors and suppliers and obtaining equipment financing. I opened a bank account with a credit card that had a $500 credit limit. This allowed me to start prepaying my vendors. After gaining their trust and proving that I was performing, I was able to get settled net 30 credit terms, which is ultimately what you need to scale a business. Starting from scratch, it can often take three years to build credit, and I was very lucky to do it in three months. Another challenge was finding employees. In my communications class, I had a lot of classmates from the baseball team and I convinced them to come work with me because it was good exercise – baking is a lot of work and a very hot environment. Then I hired my first full-time employee, who still works with me 30 years later.
How long did it take you to see consistent monthly income? How much did the side hustle earn?
It took two months to start earning once I got all the equipment up and running. I used to sell Thoz Nuts for $1 a bag and sell 1000 bags per game. Every single football game is sold out. In the third month, Reno Air delivered on its promise and brought Thoz Nuts on board. I started out making 20,000 bags a week at $0.50 per unit. In its first year of business in 1992, Delyse earned about $800,000. Reno Air was in full expansion, adding new destinations, and I was growing with it, especially during the early popularization of Silicon Valley and new flight routes to the Bay Area. In 1995, I had a new idea to sell advertising space directly on my bags in order to offer them as a snack to the airlines and gain new business. This caused a stir in the travel industry and brought in airline customers such as United, American Airlines, American Eagle, Northwest Airlines, Skywest and many airport venues. I worked with famous brands that loved the concept of reaching a demographic of high-end travelers and creating a captive audience for advertising. Some of these notable brands were American Express, Motorola, Ty Warner, AOL, CompuServe, Prodigy, General Motors, Newsweek, Book of the Month, and AT&T. This evolution brought Delyse to the next level, earning about $3 million a year. This proved our ability to perform on time and at scale and really put my company on the map.
What do growth and revenue look like now?
While we stopped (offering) Thoz Nuts on airlines due to the rise of severe peanut allergies, Delyse continued to grow and serve commercial aviation partners with other meal packages, trail mixes and, most notably, pretzels . Then, in 2018, my main vendor closed its California factory, leaving a complete void for pretzel makers on the West Coast. It was a crisis for Delyse and many other companies. I decided I would take my fate into my own hands and open a pretzel bakery. Thus, Stellar Snacks was born – a second company I co-founded with my daughter Gina, who was in college at the time. She was pursuing a dual degree in marketing and women's studies while also helping me with brand design as she side hustle after her classes and practice. Within five months, our bakery was up and running and Delyse began offering our Stellar Snacks pretzels to order United Airlinesthen Alaska Airlines, American Airlines and JetBlue. Our in-store distribution of Stellar Snacks also grew from local stores on the West Coast, then to national accounts.
Image Credit: Courtesy of Stellar Snacks
What do growth and revenue look like now?
Delyse Inc. and Stellar Snacks continue to thrive. Our treats are served to hundreds of millions of passengers annually, shipped to thousands of retailers from coast to coast, and enjoyed by a loyal fan base. Our revenues have exceeded eight figures, a testament to our commitment to quality and innovation.
What do you like most about working as a mother-daughter team?
Gina and I share an unparalleled bond of trust and unwavering support, fostering a collaborative environment where ideas flourish and challenges are overcome together.
What is your advice to others hoping to start successful side hustles or their own full-time businesses?
Create one strong business plan, and make sure you secure your first client before you start covering your expenses. Entrepreneurs are vulnerable and it's okay if you don't have it all figured out because clarity comes as you go. Learn from people you trust, surround yourself with dedicated team members who understand “startup mode”, study your industry, get valuable data and nurture true partnerships with your vendors, banks and customers by being honest, transparent and sharing your vision to plant the seeds of success. It really does take a village and people who know your story will want to support and see you grow. While the journey will have its challenges, fulfillment flows from following your passion is immeasurable. Believe in yourself and your mission.