MEET OVERSEASONED
FOUNDED BY
AMY LARSON
LOCATION: Somerville, MA
@Overseasoned_Amy
THE INTERVIEW
Written by Anne Muise, Boston Women’s Market
BWM: What's your favorite go-to meal right now?
Amy: I think it would be my Lemony Pasta with White Beans and Tomatoes. It is so easy and refreshing and uses my all time favorite ingredient- tomatoes! I am also very into Amaro cocktails, I have been loving the Bully Boy Amaro with a splash of Pellegrino- yum!
BWM: Can you tell us a bit about what led you to create Overseasoned? What are your aHa! Moments?
Amy: I started Overseasoned in summer of 2016 and it began as a way for me to share my recipes. At the time my product was handwritten recipe zines that contained 12 recipes per month, meant to celebrate seasonality. Then in January of 2017 I attended the first Women’s March and was inspired by all of the protest signs and messages I saw there. It was after this that I penned my trademark slogan Smash the Garlic and the Patriarchy, drew an accompanying graphic and started printing it on tea towels, aprons and tote bags.
People responded really positively to the message and merch so I expanded my line to print it on apparel like cozy sweatshirts and t-shirts.
I also started coming up with other designs like my Root for Women and Ice Cream for Reproductive Rights graphics and built out those product lines. By some time, my business had shifted to be mostly merch and still some recipe development on my blog.
BWM: As your business grows, how have you continued to manage the growth, while also finding time and ways to invest in yourself?
Amy: This is a tough question because it is something that I am always working on! As a solo entrepreneur it feels like the workday never ends and there is always something else I could be doing. But I like to create a production/content schedule for myself weeks and months in advance with the longer term projects I am working on, then I use that to guide my time each day and in that way I feel like I am always growing and expanding. I’m committed to doing yoga every single day and so I know that no matter what, I will always have that time to myself and I think that has done a lot to keep me sane and grounded.
BWM: Our Members are often just beginning to grow their business, and many are interested in learning from other successful businesswomen. What key pieces of insight have you learned from launching your businesses?
Amy: I think my biggest advice is to listen to your customers, no matter how few of them you might have in the beginning. Talk to them about other products/brands/services they like because this will hugely inform your understanding of what they’re looking for. Many of my products came about because customers or my wholesale stockists asked for them directly. It also deepens your relationship with them as you can deliver exactly what they’re interested in.
I would also say to stick with it. Not every market or product launch is going to be successful, but you never know what is around the corner.
If you’re feeling discouraged, just focus on the positive customer responses you’ve had as a reminder of the impact you and your business can make, that always works for me!
BWM: You have a series "Women who smash the garlic and the patriarchy" interviewing women in the food industry. What inspired you to start this? Has there been anything you've learned from this series that surprised you?
Amy: I started this selfishly because I wanted to learn and get advice from other women in the industry! But every conversation and “origin story” from these women is different, which is really inspiring to me. There isn’t a cookie cutter path to success in this industry and that is motivating. The diverse backgrounds and experiences that these women have traversed was surprising actually. Some had careers in entirely different industries like social work prior to becoming chefs or entrepreneurs. I think that is motivating for a lot of people reading who might want to change fields as well.
BWM: With the business acumen you have now, what's one piece of advice you wish you could tell yourself five years ago?
Amy: Keep track of quarterly taxes! I think I did (and still do!) let the financial tasks pile up and I would say to just stay on top of it, even when you don’t feel like it!
BWM: We think the stories of failure are just as important as the stories of success. Can you talk about a time that you failed in an entrepreneurial venture or objective? How did you face and overcome this failure? What was the lesson learned?
Amy: I think my most frequent failures happen in the kitchen and they happen very often so it’s humbling. Sometimes it is when I am testing a recipe or sometimes it’s when I am trying to photograph something and miss the window of light or sometimes it’s when I am baking a birthday cake that someone commissioned and I fully burn it and have to start over.
These things happen more often than you’d guess and I wholeheartedly believe that they’re more important than my successes.
I’ve taught myself how to get out of so many pinches in the kitchen and that’s definitely given me confidence to then turn around and teach myself how to do accounting or web design for my own business. From these moments I have learned how to take a step back, pause and then choose the best fix. Spending so much time in the kitchen is great for my appetite and my ego- I am always about to fail or could lose my hot streak and that is definitely a good thing.
BWM: Do you have a favorite go-to business tool or resource you can recommend to our members?
Amy: I listen to a lot of podcasts that feature small businesses like Cherry Bombe, Fempire, How I Built This, etc and I feel like I always come away from those with new ideas. I also read the blogs on Hubspot, Pinterest and Squarespace for ideas on how to market and merchandise. I use Planoly for my Instagram management and that is a huge help.
BWM: In the name of celebrating other women, what are some of your favorite female brands or shops, local or otherwise?
Amy: OMG where to start?!
Stonefruit Jewelry in Somerville
Rebel Rebel in Somerville
Magpie in Somerville
Olives and Grace in Boston
Mostly Pasta in Cambridge
Niche in Somerville
Hauswitch in Salem
Womencrafts in Provincetown
Curio Spice in Cambridge
Palate Polish
Soy Much Brighter
Julia Emiliani
Kit Collins
Nourishing Notes
Fat and the Moon
Bohemian Bias and so many more!
PRODUCTS WE LOVE
SMASH THE GARLIC AND THE PATRIARCHY™ SWEATSHIRT
The Smash the Garlic and the Patriarchy™ sweatshirt is comfortable and radical. Effortless with a vintage feel in a heathered red color or a navy color and SUPER soft.
CABERNET AND EQUAL PAY WINE BAG
The best tote for your favorite bottle of Cabernet! Very sturdy tote bag. It can comfortably carry a single bottle of wine. Made of durable 15oz cotton canvas.