The Scoop on Building A Business From Scratch with Kim Malek

“Money is always available, you will find it believe it or not, it really is, but finding the right money. It could not be more important.”  

Kim Malek is the Co-Founder and CEO of Salt & Straw, an ice cream company that produces and serves boldly unique flavors made by hand, where customers can taste the difference with each spoonful. Opening up an ice-cream shop that could serve as a community gathering place was a lifelong dream of Kim’s, so much so she wrote a business plan while working for Starbucks in their early years. She carried this plan around with her for years, while working as an Intrapreneur for major Fortune 500 companies. Until one day, Kim came across a file in her office labeled ’401k’ and decided to cash it, max out her credit cards, put her boyfriend's house up for collateral, and started her dream business! All while navigating The Great Recession. Call her crazy, call her the luckiest woman alive, either way Kim’s bold decision made way for her company to now be scaled to over 30 stores, 1500 employees, and holds the coveted spot for ice cream - in Disney Springs. In today’s episode, we sit down with Kim Malek to discuss her journey. She shares with us how she learned to navigate the technical side of business vs. just the communication and vision side operations, the game changing advice Kim received from the founder of Shake Shack, why its so important to focus on what you're best at and what you uniquely bring to the table, and so much more!   

This episode was made possible by our friends at Square, who are passionate about empowering women to Just Get Started with their business idea. Square is offering Entreprenista listeners 20% off your first POS hardware device. Click here for more.   

We talked about:  

Using bank loans vs. investors for funding your business 

Investing in expertise 

Financial management + Book Keeping 

Realizing a business plan + honoring your vision 

Identifying what makes your business unique  

Leaving a legacy rooted in community 

Standing firm on your values during negotiations 

Running food operations 

Unwavering belief in your business idea  



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Connect with Kim: 

Salt & Straw 


Instagram 


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