A Sticky & Sweet (Peaks) Interview with Marissa Keenan
by Ella Kobelt
One of the Flathead’s sweetest claims to fame is Sweet Peaks ice cream. Located across the valley, Sweet Peaks has been serving up delicious, inventive homemade flavors for several years.
The brains behind the operation source from Marissa Keenan and Sam Dauenhauer, a local couple who strongly believe in building a company that embodies the local opportunity. And they just to happen to be my bosses too. So I sat down with Marissa over a cone of (my favorite) Salty Caramel ice cream and got to learn more about her story, and where her affinity for the sweet stuff derives.
“It’s because I’m passionate about ice cream, local food, community, and having a space where I can create something.”
When you walk into a Sweet Peaks shop (they are located in Whitefish, Kalispell, Bigfork and Missoula) the board of flavors feature Montana grown or locally made ingredients, from the raspberries in Raspberries & Cream to the fudge topping. It’s the commitment to quality that keeps customers coming back again and again.
“I’m really inspired by the growers, producers and creators that work in the Flathead Valley who are trying to make a living and find what they can grow here. There are so many local advocates trying to promote the area and provide a product. For example, we recently bought Flathead Lake grown peaches from farmers who took advantage of the micro climates.”
The abundance of opportunity keep the two busy hunting down local ingredients for their newest creations.
Part of the reason I love working at Sweet Peaks is because Sam and Marissa empower their employees to be their best person. Each employee truly enjoys being a scooper.
And while it may sound like the best job in the world (hello..free ice cream!), scooping for the masses of Northwest MT is often stressful and quite sticky. But we all have a sense of ownership over the business, as if we put just as much soul into the business as our managers.
Their dedication to the business doesn’t end at the ice cream or keeping their employees thrilled about their jobs. The stores themselves are equally as homemade and soulful as every other component. Keenan explained,
“we’re a very DIY company.”
From remodeling their stores to designing the t-shirts and logo, it’s all made with their own hands.
Some things can’t be hand made, and when technology comes in to play, Keenan swears by the Square card reader and register.
“It’s not just a way to charge credit cards, it’s revolutionized the way I’m able to analyze the business. I can be involved when I’m not in the stores, and it’s changed the way we do business and expanded our capabilities.”
It took Sam and Marissa years to learn their craft before they could open their doors to the public. Keenan’s biggest piece of advice for getting off the ground:
Leave your ego at the door and seek out advice.
“There is no shame in asking questions. Ask people you admire and who you want to emulate. The worst someone can say to you is no.
If I was ever struggling I would turn to an expert and find out what I could learn from them. It provides you with something maybe you hadn’t thought about previously.
In general, there are a lot of women who are supportive of other women, and that’s the way it should be.
I love talking about my business and someone’s other business and comparing experiences. It doesn’t mean you’re copying them, just learning from one another.
I often looked at other businesses that didn’t have anything to do with ice cream. I worked with great women who taught me and noticed their strengths and weaknesses and learned how they navigated through their business.
“[In the ice cream business] no one will give you the secret formula because it took them so long to get there. No one wants to give out recipes and share what works. Sometimes you just have to figure it out.”
When it comes to sharing what works, though, Marissa is happy to contribute her take on the balancing act of running a business and trying to have a life, too.
“I don’t. Sometimes you have to admit that you aren’t going to be able to do everything. I will never have the perfect amount of time with every staff member, my kids, and husband. You try to do the best you can, and you must be able to forgive yourself. You don’t have to hide behind the guise of being the perfect mom/woman/business partner.
Some days you will only get two things done on your list and you have to be okay with that.”
She often comes into the shop with her one year old in the stroller, boxes of ice cream in hand, and a mile long list of to-do’s, but she’ll always fit in time to ask you how your day was. And she’s really listening, too.
“I look at other moms and business partners and at how Sam operates. I’m a workaholic, and I have to make myself stop and find a different release.”
She finds alternative releases from ice cream in and out of her community. “it’s great to have friends that can take you out of your business and do things together. I also just love traveling. Sometimes it takes getting out of the state and physically separating yourself from the business to feel reinvigorated about coming back.”
Running a highly successful ice cream shop isn’t all about rainbow sprinkles and hot fudge sundaes, but when you have individuals who put this much heart and soul into something as simple as ice cream, a thriving business can’t be far behind.
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Ella’s Note:
Having grown up in the Flathead Valley, I’ve watched business struggle to find their feet (and then they never do), and families leave town because “there’s no work in this place.” But others are more fortunate, and find a niche here in the Flathead. You have to truly understand the culture of the area to find success around here.
In light of this thought, we’ve combed through Northwest Montana to discover women entrepreneurs who have honed their craft and developed a prosperous business from it.
I hope this series of articles to come serves as advice to people seeking maybe that one hidden key to success, or maybe a boost of inspiration. If they can do it, so can you!