SmartSweets Founder: From Working at McDonald's to Dropping Out of College & Selling Her Company for $360M in 4 Years – Tara Bosch

Tara Bosch is the founder of SmartSweets, the brand that
redefined the candy aisle with its low-sugar treats.


Tara’s journey wasn’t always sweet. At 21, she dropped out of
college and moved into her grandmother’s basement with a bold
vision: to create a global brand that would revolutionize candy.
Armed with a gummy bear mold from Amazon and zero food science
experience, she spent months perfecting a sugar-free recipe. But
turning an idea into reality wasn’t easy—she faced failed
ventures, skeptical investors, and major manufacturing
roadblocks. Determined to make it work, she bet everything,
taking out personal loans to launch SmartSweets in 2016. Just
four years later, she scaled it into a $100+ million business
before selling a majority stake for $360 million.


In this week’s episode, Tara shares how her challenging family
background fueled her drive for independence and shaped her
understanding of money. She opens up about how a personal
connection to candy sparked the vision for SmartSweets and the
scrappy tactics she used to get it off the ground, like
leveraging debt, securing a loan with her car, and finding a
manufacturer against the odds.


Tara takes us behind the scenes of the unexpected challenges of
scaling fast and explains why resilience matters more than having
all the answers. She reflects on how mindset was key to
overcoming early failures and the serendipitous moment that got
her in front of Whole Foods, a game-changing opportunity. We dive
into the emotional rollercoaster of entrepreneurship, including
the self-doubt, the tough decisions, and the reality of burnout.
She also shares how she knew it was time to sell, the valuable
lessons she’s taking into her next chapter, and so much more.


In this episode, we’ll talk to Tara about:


* Challenging upbringing & her drive for independence.
[03:05]


* First business in college and the biggest lessons learned.
[08:00]


* Tara's vision for SmartSweets. [14:32]


* Dropping out of college and starting SmartSweets. [18:51]


* Overcoming self-doubt in her entrepreneurial journey. [21:01]


* Scrappiness in the early stages of building SmartSweets.
[23:11]


* Mindset plays a significant role in entrepreneurship. [29:20]


* Finding a manufacturer in the candy industry. [31:04]


* Turning to debt financing to launch the product. [35:38]


* Building brand awareness in the early stage. [38:44]


* The journey of going into retail. [40:17]


* Scaling and manufacturing challenges. [45:46]


* Deciding to sell and transitioning leadership. [55:31]


* Operating in fight or flight mode isn’t sustainable. [59:21]


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Follow Yasmin:


* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri


* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com


Follow Tara: 


* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tarabosch


* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/smartsweets


* Website: https://smartsweets.com


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