Taking the leap: my journey to Full-Time Pierogi Entrepreneur

Humble pierogi making beginnings.

There comes a moment in every entrepreneur's life when you have to decide: keep the safety net or spread your wings. For me, that moment has arrived. Tomorrow, April 5th, 2025, marks my first official day as a full-time pierogi maker and business owner at Poppy Ski's Pierogi. As I stand at this threshold of transformation, I can't help but reflect on the journey that brought me here.

Roots in Tradition

My pierogi story begins at age seven, sitting on the edge of my seat in my family's dining room, little hands clumsily folding dough around potato filling. What started as passing down a cherished family tradition blossomed over the years into something more. For the past decade, we've been sharing our family recipe with friends and neighbors, each bite carrying the authenticity of generations of Polish cooking.

These humble beginnings taught me something important: food made with love creates community. Each batch of pierogi we sold to friends and family wasn't just sustenance—it was sharing our heritage, our story, one dumpling at a time.

From Kitchen Table to Business Plan

January 2024 marked a pivotal moment when I decided to transform our family tradition into an official business. Filing those state paperwork forms felt both terrifying and exhilarating—the first concrete step toward a dream I barely allowed myself to acknowledge.

The real game-changer came last October when we secured kitchen space at the Coatesville Polish American Citizens Club. The timing couldn't have been more perfect as we headed into the holiday season. Christmas 2024 exceeded all our expectations, with orders flowing in faster than we could fold dough.

Testing the Waters

Last month's farmers markets were our litmus test. Would strangers appreciate our family recipe the way our loved ones had? The answer came in the form of lines at our booth, repeat customers, and the sweetest words an entrepreneur can hear: "These remind me of my grandmother's."

Each market showed us something incredible—the demand for authentic, handcrafted pierogi wasn't just strong; it was growing. People weren't just buying food; they were connecting with tradition, with craftsmanship, with something genuine in a world of mass production.

The Leap

Which brings me to today, my last day at my 9-to-5 job. Tomorrow, I step fully into being a pierogi entrepreneur—a dream this Polish girl has harbored while standing at kitchen counters for decades.

The decision wasn't made lightly. But when your side hustle begins consuming your thoughts during meetings, when you find yourself sketching booth layouts in your work notebook, when customers track you down to place orders... you know it's time.

Looking Forward

As Poppy Ski's enters this new chapter, we're focused on expanding our reach while maintaining the quality and authenticity that got us here. Our family recipe remains our foundation, unchanged across generations except for the scale of our mixing bowls.

We'll be adding more farmers markets to our schedule, exploring wholesale opportunities, and continuing to build our community presence. Each pierogi is still created with the same care my family taught me all those years ago.

A Thank You

None of this would be possible without you—our customers, supporters, and cheerleaders - our Pierogi Squad. Every purchase, every shared post, every recommendation has built the momentum that allows me to take this leap. You've embraced not just our pierogi but our story, and in doing so, you've helped write its next chapter.

As I trade my desk job for an apron full-time, I carry with me the profound gratitude for everyone who has supported Poppy Ski's journey. Here's to traditions honored, dreams pursued, and many, many more pierogi to come.

The adventure begins tomorrow. I hope you'll continue to be part of our story.