I met Seb at MaBrasserie, a brewing co-op where he’s Director of quality assurance. His hands were yellow from pressing turmeric all day for a special-edition kombucha. Those that know Seb can vouch that he is the ultimate food scientist, and this was a sitdown I was looking forward to.
What’s his project all about?
MannaNova, a food science consulting service. Essentially, if you want to start making or selling food or beverages in large quantities, you come to Seb and MannaNova. Specialized in helping people ramp up and commercialize their kombucha productions, there’s little that MannaNova hasn’t seen before. It helps that he was VP of R&D at Rise Kombucha for 6 years!
Where did the inspiration come from?
“I’ve always liked cooking, and I started taking it seriously once I was a teenager. That being said, I didn’t want the hard life of a chef. I studied microbiology and biochemistry with an aim at creating new types of food and plants, but the idea of playing God kinda turned me off. So, instead, I focused on trying to understand food, especially complex chemical processes like fermentation. I realised I like to come in, help someone build their project, and then let it fly of its own wings, so I set MannaNova up that way, as a sort of consulting company.”
What’s been difficult?
“Trying to say yes to everything [laughs]! We’re in a space that’s very communal, and I talk a lot about making the world a better place through healthier and more natural foods. When so many people come for help with making the world a better place, it’s hard to say no!”
What are some of the lessons you’ve learned?
“At the beginning of all this, I picked up “Starting a Business, for Dummies”, and the first two things that book sets out is 1. Get a lawyer, and 2. Get an accountant. That has saved me so many headaches over the years, and I’m glad I was enough of a “dummy” to follow that advice!
Another bit is listen to your body. That means working when you’re the most productive (for me that’s 10pm-2am). I tried changing my beat when I moved in with my girlfriend, who has a more conventional schedule, but found myself tired, unproductive and kinda grumpy. We’ve since worked out our asynchronicity!
Ooh, here’s good advice for people who don’t know how much to charge a client: charge what your mom would tell you to charge. Charging an appropriate hourly rate allows you to work an hour more here or there and still be OK with your deal and, thanks mom, it allows you to fully understand the value you’re bringing to the table. If you need to pay rent, you’re better off working at a café until you get more clients than making your services too inexpensive and stifling your potential growth.
Finally, if you’re ever in an ethical conundrum, think of what 5-year-old you would say: is this OK or not? That helps you cut through your own BS and make the right decision.”
Wow, so much advice [laughs]! Thanks for sharing, and thanks for the inspiration!
“You’re welcome! Here – taste this!”
For more info on MannaNova, visit www.MannaNova.com (website by yours truly).