From Kitchen Startup to Award‑Winning Energy Bar: Jennifer Rizzo’s Earth Sugar Journey
In this episode of What Keeps You Awake.TV, host David Hooser sits down with Jennifer Rizzo, founder of Earth Sugar Energy Bars—an organically made, desert-born snack brand recently named Best Hiking Bar by Phoenix Magazine. A Jersey transplant who landed in Arizona with a one-way ticket and a big idea, Jennifer shares how she built a community-first food company from her apartment to 100+ wholesale accounts.
🎯 Inside This Episode:
• Leaping first: moving states, starting a business with zero local network
• Testing → pivoting: from 1-lb “bricks” to grab-and-go bars that actually sell
• How AZ’s farmers market ecosystem + cottage laws jumpstart food startups
• Scaling smart: 300+ events/year, 115+ wholesale accounts, tiny footprint (≈800 sq ft)
• Product DNA: whole foods, soft (not chalky!), 7-month shelf life, no-melt in AZ heat
• Sales craft: improv for booths, “always be selling,” kindness as a competitive edge
• Founder mindset: start now, iterate fast, kill bad ideas, serve the community first
📌 Learn more: Find Earth Sugar at Uptown & Gilbert Farmers Markets | Instagram: @loveearthsugar
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🔑 Hashtags:
#EarthSugar #BestHikingBar #PhoenixMagazine #ArizonaEntrepreneurs #FoodStartup #FarmersMarkets #CottageFood #EnergyBars #SmallBusiness #WhatKeepsYouAwakeTV
