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Azzizah Rahim makes popcorn that is emerald green, shockingly healthy and compulsively munchable. She tested her first batches on musicians and kids, and hit her stride at festivals in LA. Online, the team doesn’t start popping until your order is placed, then they add spirulina, herbs and spices.
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This superfood popcorn brings a bit of purpose to snacking.
I was honestly hungry and the kids needed a quick and tasty snack. I’m not the kind of mother who feeds her children preservative-laden foods, so I used the staples in my kitchen cabinet. The idea to add spirulina came because it was colorful, which the children liked; and it allowed me to sneak in a high-nutrition superfood without them ever knowing.
We sold our tasty snack at festivals in Los Angeles, mainly in Leimert Park where we operated a storefront on Leimert Boulevard. Herbal Green Popcorn launched in health food stores in spring of 2014. My daughter, Moona, is the angel of my business; she wears many hats from assistant to manager, she has done it all. Her focus and tenacity are my inspiration everyday.
I hot-air popped organic kernels on the stove top and it was a hit. At the time I lived in a communal living space for musicians and we often had lots of visitors. Everyone who tasted it loved it.
Did you ever consider giving up?
I have considered throwing in the towel countless times. Thankfully, I surround myself with people who remind me of who I am and what I’ve come to do.
In my early 20s, I became a licensed massage therapist and created essential oil whipped shea butter to incorporate into my body work therapy practice. I did pregnancy massage, hospice care, grievance massage and just general relaxation. It was then that I realized that I wanted to provide a service or product for healing.
Last Word
My family is always on my mind as I experience the peaks and valleys of owning a small business. My goal is to create opportunities and the multi-generational wealth that they deserve.