It’s not everyday you see a woman venturing into the world of business at 70-years-old.
But 69-year-old retiree Jenny Holten saw a gap in the market ten years ago, and decided to stuff it full of her delightful bread.
You see, Jenny is coeliac. And when she retired, came to the realisation that gluten free baked goods weren’t all that easily accessible.
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So. From her little home kitchen in Perth, WA, Jenny kickstarted her gluten-free, artisan bakery Strange Grains. Within six weeks, she couldn’t keep up with demand, and had to move into a commercial kitchen. Last year, she made a cool $1M in profit.
Last night, she pottered onto Shark Tank, Channel 10’s show whereby entrepreneurs dangle their (usually crummy) start-up companies in front of Australia’s most successful investors (the ‘sharks’) in a bid to win some of their hard earned cash.
When I say she ‘pottered’ in, I’m not kidding. Entrepreneurs on the show usually enter the room of investors (the tank) sweat-covered and shaking. Jenny doddered in as if walking into the kitchen to put the kettle on.
“I’m 70 next year,” she told the five sharks. “I started a little retirement business to keep me from getting bored at home.”
“I don’t know what a CEO is but I think I need one.”