Founder of BWOWNIES
"For me, it was to always be willing to learn. I looked at what my competitors were doing and I put my own spin on it."
Please provide a brief introduction to yourself & BWOWNIES
Hey, I am Keelan the founder of BWOWNIES. BWOWNIES is a postal brownie business which makes the fudgiest BWOWNIES in the entire world! In 2021, BWOWNIES grew over 1000% which is mad considering I was in the middle of completing my sport science degree. I am on a mission to become the best and most exciting brownie business in the world, and I want to take you all on this journey with me, documenting an honest insight into the life of a 21 year old entrepreneur on social media!
What prompted you to start BWOWNIES?
At the time of starting the business I was 16 and working a part time job at McDonalds alongside sixth form. I have always been a keen foodie and loved cooking! However, the one thing that I could make that was miles better than anything else was banging chocolate brownies! My Nan told me I should start selling them and that is exactly what I did. I set up an Instagram page and took samples into sixth form. I went round offering these samples to fellow students but in order to get one, they had to share and follow my Instagram page. This got the ball rolling and eventually orders began to flow in. I managed to persuade my Mum to let me quit my part time job at McDonalds and ever since then, BWOWNIES has been my passion.
What’s been your most memorable day with your company to date?
The most memorable day was asking Steven Bartlett if I could sell my BWOWNIES at his Diary of a CEO live tour, to which he replied and made it happen! I will never forget this experience. Meeting and working with a long time inspiration of mine was huge, I hope one day I can follow in his footsteps.
What tips do you have for a new company trying to grow their social media following?
For me, it was to always be willing to learn. I looked at what my competitors were doing and I put my own spin on it. For me and BWOWNIES, being transparent and authentic is so important. Many of these huge brands can come across as robots. They have little personality on their social pages, but I want BWOWNIES to be that one person who is dancing on the table at the bar! I can’t stress how important it is to build a personal connection with your followers, but that entails putting yourself out there. That might mean taking the leap out of your comfort zone but if you don’t you will get left behind.
Tell us about any exciting plans BWOWNIES has coming up in 2022
I have so many big plans, some of which I cannot reveal just yet, but definitely keep your eyes peeled! My main goals are to finish my degree, get BWOWNIES into at least 3 retail stores and relocate to a permanent unit back home after my university degree.
What advice would you give to someone trying to start their own business?
Always look for opportunities, then use your initiative to come up with an idea of how you can maximise this opportunity, then take action. It is crucial that you execute this idea. Everyone has good ideas but not everyone can execute them.
Tell us something interesting we don’t know about you!
I am a massive Ipswich Town FC fan, I often spend my Saturdays (when I am not working) following them up and down the country!
@_bwownies_