Nicole Ingram is the hardworking mom behind BELLA BARS! She might be one of the most hardworking women I have ever met. She is a mom of two beautiful children, she has a full-time job she rocks (naturally) and she has built a unique brand of snack bars from the ground up! She is a hustler soul sister for sure. I personally know what it’s like to start working on your side hustle after 9 pm when the kids finally go to bed, so I am beyond impressed by what she has accomplished so far and can’t wait to see what’s to come.

After her personal experience with gestational diabetes and having a hard time finding yummy, healthy snacks that she could eat she found an opportunity and she created Bella Bars. These snack bars are gluten-free, low sugar, keto-friendly protein bars that taste AMAZING! and I say that with absolute confidence because I am now obsessed with them(Cinamon Roll is my personal favorite flavor). Her branding is simple and beautiful. Her packaging is on point. You can tell she is a woman with great taste, a clear vision, and a good eye for well-crafted products.

The journey hasn’t been easy but she has never given up. She has been determined to create a tasty snack from the begging and that is harder than it sounds. Nicole didn’t have a lot of experience in the food industry so she leaned on other bad-ass women to help her get the recipe, flavor, and texture just right. Her persistence is definitely one of her secrets to success. Her corporate background gives her an advantage and her business acumen is outstanding so I am pretty certain there is no stopping this lady!

MULTITASKER alert!! A juggling master I would call her. I am so proud of her journey and feel privileged to share her story today.

 

Let’s meet Nicole

Q+A

Who is Nicole Ingram?

Mom of 2, wife, entrepreneur, and full-time job holder.

 

Favorite quote? Why does it resonate with you?

“Success is never owned, it is rented and rent is due every day”. I love this quote because I truly believe hard work and dedication are the foundation of success. If it is your passion, you have to work at it every day to be successful and things in life are never guaranteed or granted to you, you have to put in the time in effort for them to succeed.

 

Anthem girl power song that gets you ready to crush the day? 

Step by Step- Whitney Houston, really anything Whitney, she is pretty much the best.

 

What is that one tv show that always makes you cry and why?

I honestly don’t watch that much TV! But when I used to travel for worked I would binge-watch “The Good Wife” on the plane and it would always make me cry. The premise is a wife who had to start over later in life and the struggles she went through being the sole breadwinner of her house. She was resilient and some of her situations in the corporate world I could definitely relate to.

 

Guilty pleasure?

Anything sweet- peanut butter and chocolate ALL day!

 

What is one funny thing people don’t know about you?

I always knew one day I was going to be an entrepreneur from an early age. In 4th grade, I started my own business decorating kids’ lockers for 50cents with posters/stickers I had a home so I could get extra snacks from the vendor machine. I eventually got in trouble and had to give the money back.

 

When or where do you feel most at peace?

My family lives on Long Island, I find peace at my aunt’s houses and being in Port Jefferson right by the water. I have a lot of good memories as a kid there.

 

What or who inspires you?

Working moms (At home or in an office) inspire me. The balancing act and the juggling act that comes with either being a full-time mom all day or a working mom is so tough. Very different challenges, yet still tough. I have always said this, “Mom’s are the strongest people I know” 

Also, my father has inspired me a lot in this journey. He owned his own business and always pushed me and showed me the value of hard work. He passed 5 years ago but I  know he is always watching over me and especially with my business.

 

You have been blessed with the support of so many talented women that have had your back during your business journey. Tell us about some of these women, who are they, how have they supported and motivated you?  

The first person who has supported me has been my amazing recipe developer Jaime Underwood. She helped bring Bella Bars to life. She is incredibly smart and owns her own food consulting business. I knew nothing about the food industry before I met her. She has taken the time to teach me so many things about the food industry and business. I am forever grateful for her.

Also, Cassie Green. She owns her own Elderberry Syrup company in Dallas, Cassie Green Health. I met her through a mutual friend and every month she takes the time with me to go over all my business and industry questions I have. She has also promoted Bella Bars and dropped off samples to retail clients she has a great relationship with to carry Bella Bars.

 

Some people don’t know how much work there is behind the scenes for working mothers. Some of us, start working on our side hustle at 9 PM when the kids finally go to bed. We sacrifice a lot. What is the one thing you do for yourself every day to stay sane? And the one thing you for your business?

My cup of coffee in the morning is everything to me and I always try to allot a certain amount of time a day to Bella Bars. Having a full-time job and this business is tough but I will look at my day each morning, to see where I am able to focus on Bella Bars.

 

You started The Bella Bars from your personal experience with gestational diabetes. Have you been able to connect with other women experiencing the same condition that have benefited from your bars? 

Yes and honestly that has been the most rewarding thing about this journey. I have so many people say to me, I love that you are doing this and I wish I had these when I had gestational diabetes. Honestly, through everything that is what makes this worth it for me.

Also, I have met many people with Type 1 and Type2 diabetes. I met a mother and daughter at a diabetes conference. She told me she struggled to put things in her lunch box because she was diabetic and had celiac. They have been a fan of Bella Bars since the beginning and knowing I could help in some small way really impacted me.

 

I love that your daughter Bella is the inspiration for the name of your company. It is a great personal connection that gives the whole story even more heart. What is your advice for Bella about being a woman starting her own business one day in the future?

Bella is fearless, independent and, strong-willed. There is no doubt that she is going to be the next CEO of some company someday. I would tell her to have patience with herself, you aren’t going to know everything and you can’t do everything. You have to lean on other people for help, as hard as that may be.

 

You have a lot of things on your plate. What is the hardest thing about being a mompreneur?

Time. There are so many things I would like to focus on with the business but honestly, there isn’t enough time in the day to do all of them. I have to prioritize and also prioritize time with my family, which is most important.

 

 What is your magic trick to prioritize and multitask?

 Make a List, I write a list almost single day, of what I need to do or would like to accomplish for that day.

 

What is the worst unsolicited advice you have received?

More of a comment, “You are in a really competitive market with your bars, it’s going to be really tough for you to stand out, maybe you should focus on something else”

 

 What is the funniest thing your kids have said to you lately? 

I have naturally curly hair and sometimes it can get a tad unruly, My daughter looked at me, looked at my hair and, said “Mom, you have crazy hair” then proceeded to shake her head and get a brush.

 

What do you want your children to see when they look at their mom?

Someone who loves them unconditionally, someone who is working hard to provide a great life for them and provide them things that I didn’t have growing up.

 

Let’s talk about BELLA BARS

What is the elevator pitch for “Bella Bars”?

Bella Bars are a gluten-free, low sugar, keto-friendly protein snack bars whose TASTE is unparalleled to anything else on the market.

 

How are your bars different from all the others?

Simple. Taste and 1g of sugar. We created over 150+ iterations of these bars to ensure that the taste was there with only having 1g of sugar.

 

Where can we find the bars in the local DFW?

The best place is order is our website. www.thebellabars.com

You can also find them in these locations across DFW:

The Juice Bar (All 4 locations)

I Love Juice Bar (Hillcrest, Allen, Mckinney)

The Green Spot

Lounge Coffee Bar

Elite Dance Company

Spenga Southlake, and Flowermound.

 

What are your business goals for 2021?

Expand locally within DFW, continue to build the brand, and create awareness. Eventually, get into larger chains like Central Market and Wholefoods but we are still growing!

 

So many good flavors! What is your personal favorite?

Cinnamon Roll

 

What should we expect next from Bella Bars?

Hopefully, continuing to expand in DFW and grow the brand with our online presence. Also, maybe additional flavors down the road. 

 

Want more? Check out her website

www.thebellabars.com

Follow Bella Bars

INSTAGRAM: www.instagram.com/thebellabars

FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/thebellabars

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