Ep 329 | Tara Bosch

Written By Yasmin Nouri

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

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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.

Show Notes:

  • Tara opens up about her challenging upbringing & her drive for independence. [03:05]

  • Tara’s financial awareness at a young age. [04:39]

  • Tara’s first business in college and the biggest lessons learned. [08:00]

  • The vision for SmartSweets was born from a personal connection to candy. [14:32]

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

  • Overcoming self-doubt was crucial for Tara in her entrepreneurial journey. [21:01]

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

  • Why an idea is only an idea without execution. [25:47]

  • 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]

  • Tara’s non-negotiables in bringing on an investor. [42:20]

  • Scaling and manufacturing challenges. [45:46]

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

  • Reflection on burnout: operating in fight or flight mode isn’t sustainable. [59:21]

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Ep 330 | Dr. Yvonne Burkart
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Ep 328 | Keren Eldad