Meet Dana Matl, Owner and Managing Director of Fierce Fruit – this week’s Woman in Business Interview
Dana’s passion for quality fruit purees comes from the six years she spent in Colombia exploring the land, culture, and people, getting to know the ways of life and unique fruits of South America. Her company, Fierce Fruit , has set the standard for real fruit purees with aseptic packaging and pasteurization processes that ensure premium quality for craft brewing, microbrewing, and homebrewing. At Fierce Fruit they are constantly pushing the boundaries of the craft brewing world. New fruits, new combinations, new styles, new surprises!
This is her story
Tell us about your business
We sell 100% Real Fruit Purees for food and beverage manufacturing. Our mission is to help manufacturers innovate with real fruit instead of artificial flavors and additives. We are making more of the world’s incredible fruit varieties available in industrial quantities. We work with craft brewers, bakers and producers of ice cream, yogurts, sauces, gummies, kombuchas, juices, and any other product made with fruit!
Please tell us what being a business owner means to you and why you became an entrepreneur in the first place?
My family emigrated from Czechoslovakia when I was a little girl. We left everything behind and started again from zero in the United States. As a family, we had to create something from nothing, and this taught me a unique kind of resourcefulness. It taught me to have a vision and to believe in possibilities. It taught me to find hidden opportunities, to start with whatever I had at hand, no matter how imperfect. And it taught me faith that if I keep taking small steps in the right direction, the momentum will build. All of this really prepared me to be an entrepreneur, which is a lot of faith and creating something from nothing!
What or who has been your greatest influence in business and why?
There have been so many influences and mentors, but there are three excellent books that have been influential for me:
Chris Voss – Never Split the Difference
A truly transformational book about the power of tactical empathy and creating confidence in negotiations and difficult situations, using the insights of a former FBI hostage negotiator. It’s a powerful book and very practical.
Greg Crabtree – Simple Number, Straight Talk, Big Profits
An essential guide to finances for entrepreneurs. It was the first book that gave very specific guides that applied to our size business.
Rick Rubin – The Creative Act – A Way of Being
Creating anything in life is truly an art form, and creating a business from the ground up is an art. Scaling a business is an art. It’s easy to get lost in the day-to-day details and forget the part that connects us to our creativity and insight. This book is a great reminder and guide on staying connected to the deeper part of ourselves that was the genesis of our business or any creative endeavor.
What would you say is your greatest professional accomplishment to date?
Creating Fierce Fruit. It has been a journey, full of vision, surprises, challenges, and joys. Creating something from zero is very powerful, it becomes its own entity. One of my favorite things is seeing the impact we can have even as a small business. We impact smallholder farmers in developing countries. We are customers to many businesses throughout our supply chain, providing them business and revenue. And we’ve been fortunate to hire amazing team members and create full-time jobs directly.
What’s the best advice you have received in business that you wish to pass on to our readers?
Just start! Create a small prototype of your business idea and start talking with people. Keep learning, keep changing and flowing. Don’t be afraid to change direction.
What has been the most effective marketing initiatives or programs you have used to promote your business?
We do mostly online marketing and direct sales. However, we’ve incorporated snail mail postcards into the mix and had a surprisingly great response! We kept hearing people say, “Oh yeah, I got your postcard in the mail. It’s on my desk!”
What one thing have you learned as a small business owner that has served you well over the years?
Grit. Rest and keep going. There are days when mistakes are made. Something important is overlooked. Factors outside of our control are hindering our business. There are days I wonder if it’s worth it and days I wonder if something is going to bring down our business. And we keep going, we keep solving. Invite in the days when there are problems and trust that there is a solution.
Are there any resources or tools you’d like to share with other small business owners that have helped you run your business?
Klaviyo predictive analytics
Shopify for e-commerce
E-Commerce Fuel Podcasts and Community
Do you have any new projects coming up?
We are sourcing some exciting new fruits to add to our portfolio. We are also expanding our warehouse presence in the US.
What do you do for fun/relaxation?
As a family, we love to travel. We have family in several different countries and love spending time together. We also enjoy sports — judo, soccer, tennis, yoga, and music. I’ve also started learning digital graphic design as a hobby. 🙂
What is the Number One Business Goal you plan to accomplish over the next year?
Reaching more customers in diverse food and beverage manufacturing segments.
You want to write a book on … Resourcefulness
As an immigrant, you get a lot of experience in starting something from nothing. The process has its own magic.
Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
What’s the best way for the readers of WE Magazine for Women to connect with you?
Fiercefruit.com
@fierce.fruit
