We had the good fortune of connecting with Audrey Harrison and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Audrey, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I was five years old when I told my Dad that I wanted my own business. I didn’t know what it would be, but I knew I wanted something that was mine. We thought about it for months and decided to make caramel popcorn. So, my Dad and I made caramel popcorn in our kitchen and sold it door-to-door. I didn’t have a business plan or anything fancy, just a desire to make people smile.

What should our readers know about your business?
I was five when I decided to start a business. Not a pretend one—a real one. My Dad and I decided to sell caramel popcorn, so we made it in our kitchen, burning a few batches and making a huge mess. Then I packed it up, gave it a name—Audrey’s Popcorn—and went door to door. No plan. No budget. Just sticky hands and big dreams. No fancy strategy. Just popcorn, a smile, and this feeling that I was onto something. I wasn’t playing business. I was in business.

Being flexible is the key to business. You can’t predict the future, and things change fast. I started Audrey’s Popcorn in 2019. A year later—boom—2020 happened. No one saw that coming. We had to pivot, get creative, and figure things out one bag at a time. And it hasn’t just been the big stuff. Sometimes we’d be selling at a location, doing great, and then—suddenly—we’re not allowed to sell there anymore. No warning. Just… gone. You learn to adapt fast or you don’t last.

But it’s not all bad. Some surprises are amazing. Like in 2022, I was out selling our caramel popcorn like usual, and this guy walks up and asks to try it. Turns out, he owns a world-class popcorn factory. A real one. He asked how I make it. I told him. Next thing I know, he’s inviting me to tour his factory. And by the end of that visit, he wanted to partner. Just like that. We went from making 80 bags a day in our kitchen to 80,000 a day at his factory. Total game changer. Flexibility isn’t just about surviving—it’s how you end up in the right place at the right time.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If my best friend came to visit me for a week, this is what we would do.

Day 1: Grapevine Main Street: We would walk around and look at everything. Then we would eat the best Tex-Mex in the World at Esparza’s Restaurante Mexicano.

Day 2: Fort Worth Stockyards: I would take the Vintage train from Grapevine to the Stockyards. Walk around, eat BBQ, and watch the cattle drive.

Day 3: Perot Museum: We would spend most of the day walking through it and having a blast.

Day 4: Six Flags: One of the best amusement parks in the country.

Day 5: Hurricane Harbor: Best waterpark in town

Day 6: Stonebriar Mall: Shop until we drop

Day 7: Spa Day: Recover from all the fun.

Who would want to leave after a week of that awesomeness?

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I want to dedicate my shoutout to my parents. They have done so much to help me build Audrey’s Popcorn into what it is today. My Mom is always helping me be the best I can be. My Dad consistently coaches me on sales techniques, leadership skills, and decision-making strategies. He literally wrote a book that was #1 on Amazon for Small Businesses, to teach me how to be successful. The book is titled “Winning Formula: 3 Principles to Succeed at Anything; Racing Strategies for Business”. It’s available on Amazon, and there is an audiobook version.

Website: https://www.audreyspopcorn.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/audreyspopcorn

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/audreyspopcorn

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@audreyspopcornfans

Image Credits
Jeff Harrison

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