(08/22/24) BATON ROUGE, La. — Inspiration can be found through a variety of situations, but sitting in front of the TV with a bowl of snacks and watching “Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas” might not be the first way one thinks of to start a business.

Yet this perennial Christmas favorite was the jumping-off point for young entrepreneurs, or “kidpreneurs,” Bailey and Harper Galloway and their mom, Ebony McCallister. The trio started their own gourmet popcorn business, Posh Pop, with assistance from the LSU AgCenter Food Innovation Institute, or FOODii.

“It was Christmas of 2020, the world was still shut down due to COVID and we were settling down to watch the Grinch,” McCallister recalled. “I had just had a brand-new baby and didn’t really feel like going through the process of a lot of baking, so I figured we’d get some pretzel rods, chocolate, marshmallows and other treats to combine into gift bags to deliver to family and friends.”

McCallister’s youngest daughter, Harper, who was 5 at time, was eager to get the popcorn popping for the movie. Before that, McCallister had told her to help her sister put some of the snack ingredients in zipper bags.

As McCallister tells it, once the popcorn was popped, there were leftover ingredients from the snack bags, so the girls mixed all the leftover ingredients on a cookie sheet: popcorn, pretzels, cookie pieces, marshmallows, drizzled chocolate and, of course, sprinkles.

The girls told their mother how delicious their creation was, to which McCallister responded, “Harper’s going to think anything is good that she created because she’s the crafter in the house.”

Older sister Bailey, then 10, said, “No, Mom, it’s really good. I think we’ve got something here.” And the idea of the company that would eventually become Posh Pop was born.

McCallister put together a business plan and began making popcorn combinations out of her house while the girls put Instagram videos together to sell the treats, which led to a spot at the Zachary Farmers and Artisans Market as COVID restrictions began to relax. This was done under the Louisiana Cottage Food Law, which allows direct sales. McCallister invested in a popcorn trailer, acting as the girls’ “momager.”

As sales and recognition quickly grew, including a spot at Live After 5, McCallister knew the business needed expanding into a commercial kitchen, which is where FOODii came in.

Because FOODii had a youth program, the family went in for a formal interview, which McCallister said the girls nailed due to their love of certain TV programming.

“They saw kids cooking on Food Network and anticipated questions like those on ‘Shark Tank,’” she said. “We got the invitation from FOODii a few days later and have now been here two years.”

Andrea Armstrong, facility coordinator at FOODii, explained the amenities offered, such as product development, a shelf-life study to determine how long products last and resources for marketing and branding.

“We also just had a seminar with food safety, so we'll actually show clients how to have a safe environment around your product, how to clean up and how to properly wash your hands,” Armstrong said. “We’re an incubator, just like a chicken incubator, but we help businesses grow.”

According to Armstrong, FOODii currently has a total of 40 companies and can serve the needs of multiple food types and needs.

“Popcorn has a longer shelf life, so Posh Pop comes maybe once a month, whereas with things like cakes have to come in more frequently,” she said. “It just depends on the company.”

With varieties like Cheesy Cheddar Bomb, Cajun Critter and Praline Paradise, Posh Pop products are available at many LSU sporting events.

Harper, now 8, and Bailey, now 13, work hard at mixing the products and in sales. They also have advice for other folks considering a food startup.

“Whether you’re a ‘kidpreneur’ or a grownup, you can do anything as long as you put your mind to it,” Harper said.

Posh Pop proprietors Bailey, left, and Harper Galloway, along with their “momager” Ebony McCallister, display their wares at the FOODii industrial kitchen on the LSU campus. Photo by V. Todd Miller/LSU AgCenter

Posh Pop “kidpreneur” sisters Harper, left, and Bailey Galloway mix batches of Cheesy Cheddar Bomb popcorn in in the FOODii industrial kitchen. FOODii provides a number of services for food-based startup companies, such as food safety training and marketing assistance. Photo by V. Todd Miller/LSU AgCenter