Today we’d like to introduce you to Jessica Harris and Regina Antunes.
Hi Jessica and Regina, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
It’s a funny story… I was sitting at my desk at work. At that time, I worked for a major corporation in Kansas. I had already been thinking about starting a business selling brigadeiros but never acted on it. On this particular day, I said to myself, thats it. I am going for it. I immediately called my mother who was also at her job and said, “Mom, let’s start our own business together and sell brigadeiro. She said, ‘Jessica, I am working and can talk later. I said okay, but are you in or are you out? She laughed and said, I am in! Without any knowledge on how to start a business, we decided to found Sweet Kiss Brigadeiro in 2015. We spent the first few years doing a lot of local events to introduce Brigadeiro to Kansas City. No one had ever seen or tried a brigadeiro before but everyone fell in love with their very first bite. What started in our home kitchen has now grown into our own commercial kitchen and a holiday pop-up on the Country Club Plaza coming this fall.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I haven’t met an entrepreneur who has had a smooth road and let’s be honest if you have had a smooth road, something is not right. Most entrepreneurs get their drive from the struggles we go thru and that’s how we learn and grow. Our biggest struggle has been finding the right packaging for brigadeiros. Brigadeiro is a very delicate handcrafted candy so it is important to have the right package that will protect them during shipping. We have finally found the right packaging for our brigadeiros and can’t wait to show them this fall.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
We make Brigadeiro. Brigadeiro is the heart of Brazil. They are creamy, luscious chocolate delight. They are carefully handcrafted and perfect for giving, sharing and enjoying. At Sweet Kiss Brigadeiro we use only premium quality of ingredients. When we make brigadeiro, we are sharing not only an authentic part of the Brazilian culture but also a piece of our own history of making and eating brigadeiro from childhood. Although Brigadeiro is from Brazil, we make them here in KC and ship them all over the country.
We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
There is no luck. We gotta hustle!
Contact Info:
- Email: Contact@sweetkissbrigadeiro.com
- Website: www.sweetkissbrigadeiro.com
- Instagram: @sweetkissbrigadeiro
Image Credits
Bailey Pianalto Anna Petrow
