#WeAreEntrepreneurs Spotlight: O’Dang Hummus and Shark Tank Veteran Jesse Wolfe
Jesse Wolfe is the Founder and CEO of O’Dang Hummus, founded out of the University of Central Florida LaunchPad.
Blackstone Charitable Foundation: Thanks for chatting with us, Jesse. Tell us how you got the idea for O’Dang Hummus while still a student at University of Florida.
Jesse Wolfe: I got my wisdom teeth out in January 2013. While recovering, I was eating soup and slamming milkshakes without any regret. But after a few days, I was craving something a tad healthier. So, I took some hummus in my fridge and doctored it into a buffalo wing hummus dip. BAM! I was so happy to finally have something other than soup, Jell-O, or milkshakes.
It didn’t take long to realize that of all the hummus brands out there, not one company made any fun flavors. It seemed like a no-brainer to me. I researched the market and thought, “I should try to become the Ben & Jerry’s of Hummus!”
BXCF: Had you always been interested in entrepreneurship?
JW: From the classic lemonade stand to shoveling snow covered driveways in Ohio to selling candy bars to neighbors, I was an entrepreneur before I even knew what the term meant. As I entered college, I hated the idea of working a 9-to-5 job. I couldn’t understand working for someone else to achieve their dream when I could build my own.
I started a boat detailing business when I was 19. We did well the first two years, but I had no clue what I was doing and made a ton of mistakes along the way. The business folded, and though I felt embarrassed, I also felt alive — like I had truly found my calling as an entrepreneur.
BXCF: So how did the business get going?
JW: Starting O’Dang Hummus wasn’t easy. I was working 60 hours per week at an auto parts store — in a slow week. I was putting myself through college at UCF and taking night classes. I would come home after a late night of classes and make hummus in my one-bedroom apartment until 3:30 AM. On the weekends, I’d get up at 4:30 AM to sell the hummus at farmer’s markets in the scorching Florida sun.
I was up for a nice promotion at work when I had to tell my boss that, as honored as I was, I had to quit. All I could think about was wanting to take my little hummus company nationwide. I was able to assemble a dream team to support the vision, and I placed my little hummus startup in the Blackstone Launch Pad at UCF and immersed myself in resources beyond my wildest imagination.
BXCF: What have you learned so far?
JW: Early on I recognized I had no idea what I was doing and immediately started finding mentors in business. One of my early mentors was Jerry Bello who created Veggie Straws and Brownie Brittle. I would consult with him over growing pains and issues we were running into as a small startup trying to expand from a farmer’s market into local stores and beyond.
BXCF: And you got lucky with some pretty high-profile exposure for the company, right?
JW: Indeed. I had been obsessed with Shark Tank ever since its first season. I learned the show was hosting open auditions in Miami. I was hesitant at first, but once I got there my only thought was to audition, and build some social media attention from it. Maybe I could even get the Whole Foods in Orlando to notice us.
Well, we definitely got someone’s attention. When our show ran, we got 13 minutes of air time or the equivalent of $11.5 million in free advertising. That’s every startup’s dream!
BXCF: But it came with some challenges, too?
JW: Well, yes. A “fun” fact about Shark Tank: They only give ten days of notice before your episode airs. We had just secured a huge deal with Publix to launch in 1,100 stores nationwide. But the episode aired and all of a sudden our little website with an average of 50 visitors per day swelled to 150,000 visitors per minute, pushing 4,000 orders through our store in less than 12 hours. We had no choice but to move to new manufacturing partners and delay the Publix launch — just so we could fill the Shark Tank orders.
We got knocked down by our own success.
BXCF: But it sounds like you’ve recovered?
JW: I have had quite the education. I’ve been so lucky to work with Jerry Bello whose VC, Keen Venture Capital, invested in O’Dang for a seven-figure valuation. He has been the perfect partner. Beyond funding, Jerry and his team have over 80 years of experience in the food startup industry combined and had the resources necessary to help us hit the national stage.
Now, O’Dang Hummus and Hummus Dressings are sold in over 4,500 grocery stores in 48 states. From small, family-run stores to the largest retailer in the world — Walmart. We also continue to grow our online sales.
Is every day amazing? No, this is business. You still have to ride that roller coaster. But I do wake up every day and count my blessings to be living the absolute dream. I wouldn’t have it any other way.
BXCF: Any parting advice for other budding entrepreneurs thinking of starting a business?
JW: Before you worry about who is going to fund your venture, start with some research. Look around and see if your idea is viable or if someone else has beaten you to it. You don’t need a lot of money to launch something. I started O’Dang Hummus with $3,000 — and $1,200 of that was for a van to haul the coolers to the markets. You don’t need a lot of money to build a prototype or write a business plan or lock down a domain name.
So, my advice is stop thinking. Start doing. There’s one word you need to remember: Execute. Execute and execute fast.
