Trishonna Helm is the CEO and founder of the Black female-owned ice cream franchise called Mixins, which was established in 2017 in Omaha, Nebraska.
After immersing herself and enjoying the experience of rolled ice cream during a trip to California, she decided to bring the concept to her hometown.
Fast forward, after five successful years in business, she knew it was time to expand the franchise and offer the confection in Atlanta.
Helm shared what makes her brand stand out from others.
What has the process been like expanding the Mixins franchise to Atlanta?
I was scared. A lot of entrepreneurs are like, “Oh, I’m scared,” or they don’t talk about it, or the ones who say, “Do it scared.” … I was terrified because I’d been here for two years and I didn’t know the places [to go]. I’m always in the house. [I’m thinking] like, “Where do people like to go? Where do people eat? Where do people hang out? It was very nerve-wracking, but I was just hoping if I could just open [the shop], I could get the marketing, get the customers, and ultimately believe in myself. It was rewarding to take something from a different state five years later, and still have a great turnout.
What made you want to make Atlanta your next location?
To be honest, I was bored. My ice cream shop in Omaha was running itself. At this time, I had two stores. I had to close one of them because I bought a business partner out and that was kind of our whole thing. We got to close one of the stores.
This was my first store by myself, so it was even more nerve-wracking in an entirely different state, but I was just kind of bored. I was in Omaha like, “There’s nothing for me here outside of ice cream, so let me just move.” I came to Atlanta and I loved it. I was just like, “Let me just see what happens in life.”
What makes your brand stand out from others?
I always say I don’t want my business to look like me. Sometimes as women, we change our minds and we don’t want to be bothered. I wanted my ice cream business to be grand and the opposite of me. I’m a homebody and everything, but my story is outlandish and over the top. We got called a novelty from a lender. They’re like, “You’re not going to last. It’s just too novelty,” and it’s actually the opposite. What kept us in the business is being very novelty.
We pride ourselves on the way ice cream looks, the presentation, and the experience. I understand people are spending their last dollars to be with us sometimes or maybe it’s their kid’s birthday party, this is their last, and they’re like, “I want to give my kid something.” We pride ourselves in every single customer that walks through that door. The goal is to give them that hibachi-style steakhouse experience of ice cream.
