 We have Adventures in Small Business, a collaborative effort by the U.S. Small Business Administration Hawaii District Office, the Hawaii Small Business Development Center, the Mink Center for Business and Leadership, and the Veterans Business Outreach Center of the Pacific to showcase the stories of local entrepreneurs and small businesses. I'm Colleen McAluni from the Patsy T. Mink Center for Business and Leadership, and today we have Noella Napoleon, Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer of Frozen Fun, LLC. Hey Colleen. Hi Noella. Hi. So much for being here today. Thanks for having me. Definitely. So let's see. Let's get right into it. Okay. And why don't you tell us a little bit about yourself and your business? Okay. So, yes, I'm an entrepreneur and let's see, now I am at the end of my 24th year in business. Woohoo. Yay. Yeah. And I run a family-owned business with my husband and my three children. And it's been a while, right? We are distributors of frozen beverage products and ice cream. Yeah. Great. So now that we're at this stage in our lives, our kids are grown, going to college. They're also involved in operating our business and we're looking to transition passing the baton on to them. Yeah. Second generation. Yeah. Second generation, which is so cool. That's very exciting. Yeah. Very exciting and very challenging. Yes. I'm sure. Yes. So, you know, you raise your children and they're at the point where they're capable to take over, but the transition, teaching them everything, they come with a lot of knowledge because, of course, they learn. They grew up with the business. Growing up. Yeah. So, that's kind of half the battle. There's all these things that still have to be taught and passed over. So, that's where we're at and it's really exciting actually, they are capable and creative. So, I'm really grateful that we have them as the next generation because they bring a completely different perspective and in this entrepreneurial time, it's perfect for young ones to take over the business. Oh, that's very exciting. Yeah. That's wonderful. Yeah. So, let's see. Why don't you tell us the name of your company and what your company does and what you provide. Sure. So, the name of our company is Frozen Fun, LLC. We were formerly known as Flush Puppy Hawaii, but we are actually rebranding. We're going through a rebrand on top of that. So, businesses of life cycles and we decided it was time to just refresh our brand and so we created new logos, new look and we're just starting that process. So, we're now, Slush Puppy Hawaii is now Frozen Fun, LLC and we basically have three branches of our business, three enterprises. We distribute products. So, if you're a hotel, if you are a restaurant, a cafeteria, a hospital, any kind of food service operation, we have beverage products and ice cream products for you to serve. We also have a party rental business, which is people can come and rent the same type of equipment we put out there in the commercial sector for your baby Luau or your graduation party and then we have a big, huge pink and white ice cream truck. It's called the Frozen Fun Mobile. Oh, okay. There it is. And so, we go out, people can rent our truck for parties, we cater really and also for fundraisers. Okay. So, we call our Frozen Funds program. Right. So, if your school or your sports league wants to raise money, we'll come out and donate a percentage of sales to your cause. And that's without cost. We just roll up and donate money. Oh, that's fantastic. Yeah. Oh, amazing. Okay, so let's go back. So, the commercial, just to explain a little bit more for the commercial portion of your business. Yes. So, you will also, you sell products and equipment? Yes. We sell frozen beverage concentrates that are put into machines and dispensed. Okay. And also ice cream. And if you buy one of those pieces of equipment from us, then we also repair the equipment. So, that's a service that we provide. I see. And we're always trying to innovate for many years, for most of the life of our business we sold ice cream, right, and frozen, you know, sweet treats. And we realized that more and more, thankfully, we're becoming more health conscious. And so, we've been working for about a year to create a new product that is not dairy based. Oh, okay. Yeah, it's actually an all plant-based drink. So, no dairy, no lactose, 100% dairy-free. And that's called Niu soft drink. So, Niu means coconut tree. And so, we sell four flavors, coconut, ube, hala kahiki, which is pineapple, and koko lepa. It's soft. Oh, fantastic. Yeah. It's available now. Oh, okay. Yeah. Oh, and there's some pictures of it. Yay, there we are. So, let's see. So, how did this new product come about? Well, yes, my sons are millennials, right? So, they have followed the path of, you know, sort of transparency in food. They want to see what's in the ingredients. They want to know how it was grown. And they're very healthy eaters. Okay. They're super health conscious. And we just thought, taking a lead from them, you know, my two sons, Aikui and Keikahu, and they wanted to create something that would just feel the need for their generation. You know? They eat much healthier. Thank goodness. So, it's really them. They're the spearhead. And they've been working for about a year to develop a healthier product. So, we've brought the sugar down. We've cut the fat, and there's no dairy in it. So, you're not going to ever feel uncomfortable. And this is something that resonates with, you know, the trends in eating. So, we hope that it's something that our market will respond to. They already are. People are, the feedback we're getting is that they're really happy. We've been a traditional, you know, ice cream company for all these years. And now we have something to offer the new generation. So, they're super excited about that. Right. Yeah. So, this new product is a soft serve. It's a soft serve. And it's a coconut base. It's all coconut based. Okay. So, it's 100% coconut, which has been powderized. That's the trick to soft serve. It's not a scoop ice cream, although, you know, we can make that. We can put it in tubs. So, we can pretty much customize any application. So, if you're a restaurant and you have a soft serve machine, you can purchase our product. Or if you don't have a soft serve machine, we can pack it for you. And so, you can scoop it for your soft serve machine. Oh, all righty. Yeah. And the machine, if you really don't want it. Yeah. No need. And the response has been great because at first, we're noticing that the people who would not, we're testing it out in our ice cream truck, actually. Oh, all right. So, it's this ice cream truck, but we have this plant-based product. And some people will walk by and they'll, you know, go like this, lactose intolerant people, of course. And then we'll say, well, it's plant, it's all plant-based. They turn around real quick. And they try it. And they're like, oh, thank God, you know, I can't eat dairy. So, we're super happy. And it took quite a while to develop this product. And it's been a thrill developing it with my sons because we are trying to transition them, you know, up-and-coming entrepreneurs. So, it's a great opportunity to work directly with them, let them take the lead. And so, this is their baby. It's their product. So, they've had almost an immediate impact in your current business back. Oh, yes. And they've brought us into the new era. Oh, that's fantastic. Yeah, they're kind of thrill-blazing for us. It's great. So, you know, if you have a small business out there, if you don't have children, think about, you know, your employees. And really, I'm really glad that we opened up, you know, I'm not saying the road's easy because we do still have old and new mindset, right? Yeah. So, for me, it's a matter of really trying to think forward and be open to what the new generation has to offer. Right. Yeah. I know that that type of transition can be very challenging. So, are there any specific, what are maybe some specific challenges that you and your husband have faced in this transition? It's a slow transition, I'm sure. Yes. But, yeah, what are some of the challenges? Some of the challenges are just remembering that although my children are employees, I mean, although they're our children, they're also professionals, and that's how we're raising them to be. You know, at work, it can be a challenge to remember that you have to, when you go to work, you're not mom and dad. You know, that's your employee, and now there are partners in business. Yeah. So, that transition, and even for them, you know, to remember that I'm not mom at work, and for me to remember that they are our colleague, that's the number one thing, is remembering that you're interacting on a different basis, right? And the other thing is not to have expectations that are too high, you know, we just assume that they were raised in the business, I should know this, you know, but really, they're learning for the first time from a different person, from inside the business. So, they haven't gotten all the mechanics yet. And the third challenge, I would say, is when they do have an idea, and this is the big one for me, is not to just come with your old paradigm, really trying to have a lot of empathy for what they're experiencing as the new generation, and holding back, and really listening to hear, not trying to judge, not trying to patiently wait until you can tell them how it is. Yeah, you know, that's been a huge lesson for me, and I'm still trying to learn how to do that. But it's putting on the true listening ears, and the listening heart, and observation, and hearing what they're trying to say, right? You know, it's all through your ability. Oh, all challenging, definitely, definitely. But it sounds like you're overcoming it, and you're introducing a new product, and a new, a different side of your business is, yes, is starting to develop, and it's been developed already. Yeah, we're, what we're exchanging is, my children are helping us to learn how the market is behaving now, and the new upcoming consumers, and we're able to pass on to them the practical everyday aspects of business management, like how business money really works, the financials, profit and loss, profit margins, all these things, which, unless you really are down in the weeds with your business, you wouldn't know that, you know. So entrepreneurship is, it gets, it gets hard sometimes, you know. It's not all passion, passion, passion. Sometimes you have to get in there and just, just learn and grow, and the passion will come. Right, yeah. Right. So they, they probably know all the logistics of setting up an event, yes, of helping from, you know, helping behind the scenes as they were growing up. Yes. So the actual day-to-day business, running the business, which is what they really are learning now. Yeah, it's the money part, it's the legal part, the liabilities, transactional situations where, you know, we have a situation with a customer and now they need to learn to think fast, you know, how to meet the customer's needs, but also think about our resources and what we can actually do and not do and just providing great customer service. So it's, it is a process that I would just say for all the other families and transitions, patients all around, right, on both sides. It can be fabulous. I'm having a great time, and it's brought us a lot closer. Oh, that's, yeah. So tell us, we're about to go to break. So tell us where the people who are just interested in tasting the new soft serve. Where can we find that? I think the most central location right now would be down at Ohana Halle Marketplace, where the old sports authority used to be. Okay. You can go see Tani to Tani down there. Yeah, he has coconut and ube, which is everybody's loving it. Go see him. He walks straight in and he's in the back. We also are selling at a bakery called Chocolate Vanilla in Kaimuki and also Aloha Whip in Waikiki and ube, ube bakery in Kalihi. Oh, fantastic. There's a couple more, but they're coming on board every day. We just launched the product. So we have some outlets that you can go try. Oh, fantastic. I can't wait to try it. Yeah, go try it. And if you like it, then let me know. That's great. Yeah. Okay, wonderful. Well, we'll be back in just a minute, and we will hear some more from Noella Napoleon from Frozen Fun LLC. Aloha. This is Winston Welch. I am your host of Out and About, where every other week, Mondays at 3, we explore a variety of topics in our city, state, nation and world and events, organizations, the people that fuel them. It's a really interesting show. We welcome you to tune in and we welcome your suggestions for shows. You got a lot of them out there, and we have an awesome studio here where we can get your ideas out as well. So I look forward to you tuning in every other week where we've got some great guests and great topics. You're going to learn a lot. You're going to come away inspired like I do. So I'll see you every other week here at 3 o'clock on Monday afternoon. Aloha. Aloha and Mabuhay. My name is Amy Ortega Anderson, inviting you to join us every Tuesday here on Pinoy Power, Hawaii. With Think Tech, Hawaii, we come to your home at 12 noon every Tuesday. We invite you to listen, watch for our mission of empowerment. We aim to enrich and lighten, educate, entertain, and we hope to empower. Again, Maraming, Kalamatpo, Mabuhay and Aloha. Welcome back to Adventures in Small Business. I'm Colleen McAluni with the Pati T. Mink Center for Business and Leadership. And today we have Noella Napoleon with us from Frozen, I'm sorry, from Frozen Fun LLC. There we go. And let's see, next we're going to talk about Noella's connection and ties with the Small Business Administration partners. And what type, if you did, if you're business, your small business received any funding through the SBA? Or let's just, let's hear about your experience with that. Sure. So when we started our business, we started literally with the money we had in our pocket, right? We actually didn't have two nickels to rub together. We had an opportunity to buy a business and we did. I was pregnant at the time and just everything came together. So we went for it with what little we had. And we tried to get a bank loan. And they said, well, you have to come back later. It's too young in the game. Give us two years in and then we'll see where you're at. So we did. We took out small loans from our parents, actually, which was very nice of them. And off we went. So we put in our two years and right at that mark, we went back to the bank. And they said, well, it's still not 100%. But we're going to go to the SBA, Small Business Administration. We didn't know who that was at the time. And we'll see if they will guarantee your loan. And so we were shocked. We didn't know, you know, the thing existed. Right. And we got it. The SBA agreed to guarantee the loan for us. It was $50,000, not too much. And they said, well, okay. It's enough to be scary though. Yeah. That was more than I've ever borrowed in my life. Definitely. I mean, 31 years old, I think, something like that. Okay. So off we went with our $50,000 loan. But they also wanted us to get some business counseling. You know, not just, here's the money. So they sent us to SCORE. And we met a man named Gene Lithkau, who was a CEO for a car company before. And he was, I'm sorry, CFO, I believe, financial. And he came to our place of business. He taught us how to set up our book. And he was fabulous. And he didn't even use QuickBooks. He was by hand, right? Right. But he taught us the financial equations, all the formulas and how to make money. Leasing versus renting. So for a good, wow, two years, he was our advisor. Amazing. Yeah. Without him, we wouldn't have not. I don't know what we would have done without our scores. He taught us the ropes. I mean, we, you know, we had, we're having fun running the business and selling things. Thinking you're making money. One year probably not. Man, you know, when an accountant sits there, a CPA sits there and he teaches you how money works. There's a trick to it. Who knew, right? Right. And so with that knowledge, my husband and I were able to absorb and grow, because we're both learners, you know, I'm really glad that we're curious about everything. So we sat side by side with him and he didn't hold anything back. He passed away, unfortunately. But thank goodness. And we're grateful that he taught us a lot about the difference between revenue and profit. I know. We thought we were getting rich and he was just showing us, well, you know, not rich yet. Right. So you, you really, you really learned a lot and were able to take advantage of one of the SBA partners with this score. Which is score. Yeah. Oh, that's fantastic. Yeah. So we're very grateful to this day for all that advice we got. And also they sent us to, I believe it was a small business development center. I'm not sure if that was the name of it probably. And our counselor gave us a business plan template. That was a huge challenge because I had never written a business plan before. All the questions were laid out. But I did have some nonprofit experience. So I thought, okay, this looks like a grant application. So I just, you know, went at it. I had no specialized skills in writing a business plan whatsoever. Just a little bit of background in writing proposals. And, you know, had to write a business plan and it was growth, a huge learning curve. Right. And however, because of that, we were able to make profit, revenue and profit within our first three years. And we were growing, I believe at 380% annually. So our accountant, after Gene, he entered us into the business news contest. And yeah, we got to be acknowledged as one of Hawaii's fastest 50 growing companies. Oh, congratulations. And all that fun stuff, you know, get that recognition. And that was our introduction into really promoting our business, learning how to use the tools of advertising, promotion, put your bread out there, you know. And that also is thanks to SCORE and to SBA because I don't think we would have taken the kinds of bold steps to really promote, promote, promote. Had it not been for being surrounded by really wise advisors, you know, knowing when to go forward, knowing when to hold back. That's the difference. Right. And I can honestly say that. Take the leap or not yet. Knowing when to hold up and fold up, you know. So that was it. That made the big difference. And we hit our hard times. You know, when 9-Eleven came, not many people realized, unless you're a business, right, in the market, and the stock market knows this, but on the street, you don't realize, we don't realize how hard small businesses were hit. But with the skills and knowledge we learned through the SBA advisors, we learned to hold steady how to spend money, not to spend money, where to make those decisions. And that guidance, you know, it's the difference between flailing around out there and having someone to advise you. Right. Every step of the way. Oh, that's fantastic. I recommend SBA to you. I'm not just saying that. I mean, that really happened. Right. And it's thanks to the SBA's guidance that we were able to have that knowledge and wisdom. Right. Yeah. Well, if we fast forward a bit from that time, we can explain what Noella's passion is actually and why she is such a staunch supporter of the Small Business Administration and its partners. Yes. So, Noella also is a supporter of the Boots to Business program, which is put on by the Veterans Business Outreach Center, another SBA partner. And Noella is a instructor for that program. And in fact, this year, she is the, let's see, I want to make sure I get it right. She is the SBA Awards and Hawaii Business Magazine Editors Choice Award winner for the Veterans Small Business Advocate of the Year. So, congratulations. Yay! I actually didn't know I was an Editors Choice Award winner. Thank you, Hawaii Business. Yes, definitely. And thank you to SBA. So, congratulations for that. Thank you. And give us just a brief description of Boots to Business and what it is the program does. Sure. So, yeah, just how I got here was when I was headed for 50, I decided that it was time to help the next person, like how the SBA helped me. So, I was looking for a way to give back and I thought, well, I'm just going to try and do a pivot here. I want to be a business advisor of some sort. And a long story, but the SBA gave me the opportunity to come and counsel its small business clients. And so, here I am, and then they gave me another opportunity through the Veterans Business Outreach to go onto the basis and to be an instructor for the Boots to Business program, which is part of their TAP program, Transitional Assistance, so that when enlisted people, soldiers, and officers, they transition back to civilian life, they have options. Employment options or entrepreneurship is another option. And it's a fabulous program that they have to provide high quality information to our veterans so that they can have a variety of pathways to earn money after. And that's a two-day workshop. We cover A to Z. We go from how to recognize what would make a good business, what's a viable business idea, and how to turn that into something that would provide self-employment and then how to make it go the next step to actually profitability and success. And it's great. It's a two-day thing if for those who complete the two-day course, they actually, we partner, the SBA's partnered with Stanford, Syracuse University to provide an eight-week online course. For free. So it's continuing education after the Boots to Business program. Yeah, and it's absolutely free. So it's a wonderful resource. If you're a veteran, take advantage of it. You sign up for the Boots to Business program. You don't have to be just recently? No. Out of the military? No. You can be planning to get out. You can be out already. You can be a veteran or on your way transitioning. You can be a spouse of a veteran. And also we have people that work, civilians that work on base. Yeah. You have to be a veteran to take the free college courses. But it's just a way to help with the knowledge, the skills, and the confidence to get back into civilian life. Okay, excellent. Yeah, so it's my privilege and honor, really. Well, congratulations for the recognition. You really deserve it. And I want to let everybody know that you can actually find Noella as a business counselor at the Patsy T. Mink Center for Business and Leadership downtown on Richard Street at YWCA O'ahu. She is a fantastic counselor for entrepreneurs and people wanting to start a small business or for people wanting to grow their small business. She has many years of experience. And obviously she's doing a fantastic job because she's headed on to Gen 2, our Frozen Fun LLC. Now just give us an email or contact information for Frozen Fun in case anybody's interested in it. Sure. So our website is www.frozenfunhawaii. Frozenfun-hawaii.com. And our number is 808-722-026. And if you go on our website, you can submit an inquiry page if you have graduation party coming up. Well, because now, because we're nearly full, but you know, we try to do what we can. Or just pick up the phone and yeah, 722-0268. Fantastic. Thank you so much for being on today. Thanks, Colleen. And I'd like to thank all the Small Business Administration and all the SBA partners. And just a quick reminder to, if you're a small business you please sign up for Shop Small Hawaii, register yourself online and become a neighborhood champion. That's it for today. Thanks so much.