Tag Archives: crowdsource funding

T-minus 2 days until Asulia’s first crowdsource funding campaign

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Asulia Dumpling Packaging

T-minus 2 days until I hit the green button on Asulia’s first crowdsource funding campaign! I’m feeling nervous and excited at the same time.

It’s been non-stop getting everything lined up to go live on Indiegogo as well as responding to amazing opportunities that have come up. After two attempts at filming, I feel a lot better about the video that will be used. Sourcing rewards was challenging, but I’m happy with where we landed. I can’t wait to share more very soon!

A successful funding campaign will allow Asulia to take some important steps, including making dumplings and giving back right away.

Keep an eye out for more info regarding Asulia’s Indiegogo campaign next week on 9/17! We have some awesome rewards lined up for supporters.

Summer Fancy Food Show


Above, pics I snapped along The High Line in Manhattan en route to Wong, the big apple’s first Asian restaurant to emphasize local and seasonal fare. The food was amazing! I highly recommend going if you love delis Asian food and supporting our local farmers.


Clockwise from left to right, whole raw lobster hand shelled using high pressure, whole grain vermicelli, black alkaline water, my new must have hot sauce! Just a small sample of products from the food show.
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Last week, I went to the Summer Fancy Food Show in NYC. Although I’ve been before, the sheer enormity of it is overwhelming each time. Food companies near and far from around the world were in attendance. I felt like a food nerd, in awe of all the brands I love, talking with the founders, and discovering new products that are coming to the market. I loved every minute of it, even if it gave me heart burn at times. One of our staffers came along with me to the show. One thing that has stuck in my mind is her comment about how she’s been paying attention to the people in the industry and noticing how nice they are. I can tell you from first hand experience that people in food are really great! I think creating food is a universal, fulfilling and relatable expression of creativity that also has the ability to evoke emotion, and it brings out the best in its creators.

Asulia is not ready to exhibit, but we hope to be soon! While I was looking, chatting, and, of course, eating at the show, I discovered a company with packaging all too similar to what we’ve been working on. This means we’re back to the drawing board. When I got back home, I immediately went to work and sketched out a bunch of new design layouts and sent them to our packaging designer. My obsession with aesthetics probably doesn’t help the cause, but I’m determined to make it beautiful and unique.

This means delays in other areas. Our crowdsource funding video can’t be finalized until the packaging design is complete. Launching a crowdsource funding campaign without finalized packaging is possible, but it’s far from ideal, so we’re going to wait until we get it right. When you launch, you need to be able to show supporters that your project is not just a figment of your imagination, but that it’s real. I also want to be able to deliver the dumplings to supporters right away, since the whole point is to get the project sent out.

Our permanent website has been coded, but the new revised packaging will also have an impact on the final site. As a result, we will not hit the launch button for our permanent home until the packaging is finalized, so we can tie it together with the website design and create a cohesive look and feel.

I recently came across Inc magazine’s videos you should watch before you start a business. I loved Simon Sinek’s comment about motivation that people “don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it.” I can’t wait to share my story when our permanent website launches! It’s the reason I get up every morning and push forward when people think I’m crazy for not switching to a shelf-stable product. I have no doubt that I’m doing exactly what I’m supposed to be doing, right here, right now.

Lights, camera, crowdsource funding

Crowdsource funding has helped launch a lot of cool projects. With so many options, where and how do you decide which platform to use? A breakdown of the top sites as well as helpful tips will help you determine the best fit for your project.  I was at an event recently about this topic. Some  things I didn’t consider was accounting for taxes as well as the level of support I’m seeking for my upcoming campaign. It was nice to not only learn more about Indiegogo, but I was also able to directly talk with one of their leads. Unlike other platforms, they will give you feedback and offer guidance to help you make your campaign successful. Others are more hands off. It really depends on what type of project you have since it’s best to go where your audience is most likely to be.

From Kickstarter’s stats, those with a video have higher rate of success than those without 50% vs. 30%. Make a video! It doesn’t have to be fancy.  People need to be able to hear what you’re saying. This is why home video cameras are not that great. If you already have some type of gear to film with, figure out if you can attach a mic to it.  Music is nice, but not necessary. It was fun to pick out some jams for Asulia on Soundcloud that we might use in the video though!

Besides being obsessed with getting people to eat their veggies, I’m also obsessed with how things look. Luckily Morning Fog Film set me up with a lighting plan.  I rented all my equipment from Rule Boston Camera and had friends help me shoot the footage.  Andrew at Rule was awesome!  He was extremely patient as I asked tons of questions. We spent hours preparing for the shoot. I never thought a short video would entail so much time or that I would be learning about film!  Scouting veggies once again, renting equipment, picking up an emergency hot roller kit, and more. On the day of, I was frantically spraying hairspray but it wasn’t working. I kept spraying anyway. When I unpacked the next day, I found out it was dry shampoo! No wonder it wasn’t holding. Hopefully, my hair doesn’t look white in the footage.

In the evening, I made a gluten free kimchi quesadilla.
two brown rice tortillas
1 cup charred romaine lettuce
1 cup kimchi
1/3 cup of aged white cheddar
2 tbs sriracha

On high heat, charr romaine lettuce on a grill or skillet.  Adjust to low heat, place 1 tortilla in a pan with half the cheese. Layer romaine, kimchi, sriracha, and remaining cheese. Flip the tortilla over until the cheese has melted and both sides have browned.