The Flavor Seed was planted 20 years ago with my Dad, he had some old family recipes and wanted to start a spice company. I helped him with a business plan and some leg work, but was in college at the time and pursuing my own dreams and interests. After some time, his spice company dream withered away, and my dad was off pursuing another venture. That might have been the end of the story if life hadn't taken one of its many strange twists. You see in 2010 after some unfortunate events I found myself mourning the death of my Dad and rummaging through the remains of his meager belongings. Buried within his prized box of treasures was a plastic folder containing all the leg work and information I had given him to start his own spice company. It was then that I realized he truly valued my work and while he had not seen the company through to its completion, he always held out hope that the contents of that package would be useful...treasured…
That day stayed with me, and as time went by, a still small voice kept whispering to me, what about those seasonings.
It wasn't until 2016 when I was laid off from my corporate career with General Electric that I actually had time to reflect on what I was doing in life, and whether it still carried meaning to me. It was then that I decided no longer would I allow myself to wonder, What If. Everything needed to change and it started with the nutritional health of my family. We embraced all things Organic and immediately saw the benefits of the lifestyle but quickly realized there was still a limited Organic selection of many of the the things we enjoyed, seasonings included.
That was the A-Ha moment, when two worlds collided and almost overnight Flavor Seed, that thing my Dad planted over 20 years ago, came roaring out of hibernation and began sprouting. Today, we have 12 USDA Organic Seasonings to offer with more currently in development and many more yet to be perfected.
I would never have been able to do what I have done without the support of my family and my wonderful wife. Together we hope to continue providing other families with easy ways to create a delicious nutritious Organic meal for their own family.
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http://www.charlotteparent.com/CLT/5-Local-Parent-Entrepreneurs-Talk-Innovative-Ideas/
Adam Jenkins, Flavor Seed
Adam Jenkins chased corporate career dreams until a layoff changed his direction. The seed for his next step was planted 20 years prior by his late father who had hopes to one day open a spice company. With the job shift, Jenkins decided to improve the nutritional health of his family while growing his father’s dream. The family embraced an organic lifestyle.
“While I was able to take the time to hand blend and combine flavorful combinations for my family, I knew it was very time-consuming and expensive for other busy families,” he says.
Jenkins, 43, is principal of Flavor Seed, a spice company featuring organic seasonings that can be purchased online or at local retail locations. He works with the support of his wife, Ashley Jenkins, whom he calls vice president and super mom, while raising their children, Adler, 11, and Finn, 8.
Jenkins focuses on flavors he grew up with that were family favorites, plus flavor profiles of his favorite foods. Since overcoming the challenge to achieve organic certification, Flavor Seed’s offerings have sprouted to feature six USDA organic seasonings, from traditional barbecue rub to taco seasoning. More spice mixes are in development, with still others in the test lab. Seeds are a major part of the ingredient list that he uses to evoke flavor.
“Before a seed can grow it must first be cultivated, planted in the right environment, given plenty of the proper nutrients, and most importantly, cared for,” he says. “Similar to raising kids.”
At the root of his success, Jenkins loves what he does. He hopes to turn Flavor Seed into a family legacy while expanding product reach. In the meantime, he’s focused on flavors and family.
“You only get 18 years or so to mold your kids into who you want them to become, and you can’t get that time back.”