Owner of Mammoth Foods leans on 'Working Women of Tampa Bay' for connections
Organization helps empower working women
Networking is a crucial part of running a company, and it's more than handing out business cards. It's about building relationships and making connections. The owner of Mammoth Foods helps connect 'Working Women of Tampa Bay' with other budding business owners.
TAMPA, Fla. - Amanda Dwyer is the proud owner of Mammoth Foods. Her specialty is homemade hummus.
"I am my only employee. So this is 100 percent lady owned-and-operated," she said to FOX 13.
Amanda said all-natural ingredients are the key to her company's success. She started Mammoth Foods three years ago after getting tired of eating preservative-packed store-bought hummus.
"Hummus should be about bean, tahini lemon and olive oil,” she described. “So, I wanted to take that base and expand to a different kind of beans."
Today, she sells more than 40 different flavors including spicy sweet potato, Kalamata olive, and French onion.
Running a business is not easy, especially if you're a one-woman operation, like Amanda.
"I shop for the beans, I cook the beans; I do social media; I make the books; I drive my hummus everywhere," she said.
Whenever she gets overwhelmed or needs advice, Amanda turns to Jessica Rivelli and Working Women of Tampa Bay. The organization helps women entrepreneurs connect and collaborate with other local female business owners.
"We really believe that entrepreneurship is the best way to empower women,” Jessica said. “It really gives them an opportunity and puts them in the driver seat of their life and their finances.”
Over the past ten years, Working Women of Tampa Bay has helped hundreds of aspiring businesswomen take their company to the next level through workshops, luncheons and other networking events.
"They know that somebody believes in them and is just rooting for them. That's where I feel like the magic is in what we're trying to do. There is a tribe of 750 women behind them to support their business," Jessica said. "It's been amazing to watch this journey unfold."
Working Women of Tampa Bay has supported Amanda since the beginning. Most recently, the foundation helped pay for Mammoth Food's shelf-life study. Now, Amanda knows her hummus will stay fresh for two weeks in the fridge and three months in the freezer, which gives her the confidence to pitch her product to retailers.
"We have the best hummus in Tampa. It's probably the smoothest hummus you'll eat,” she said. “It's super fresh and it will make you feel good even if you eat the whole container.”
But don't take her word for it. Amanda would rather you taste it for yourself.
LINK: Learn more by visiting Mammoth Foods’ website.