Who to Watch Wednesday: Amy Wilson, CEO & Founder of Milk Jawn
I(ce) Scream, You Scream, We all scream for…Milk Jawn?
Brown Sugar Brown Butter Brownie
Okay, now you’ve stopped reading because that heading made you salivate and you’re already halfway to your nearest grocery store or Wawa to get some ice cream.
Brown Sugar Brown Butter Brownie is just one example of the unique flavors coming to Philadelphia from entrepreneur Amy Wilson’s kitchen turned ice cream startup, Milk Jawn. We sat down to talk with Amy about her new business, background, and what inspired her to “just go for it” and make Milk Jawn a real jawn.
Amy Wilson, CEO & Founder of Milk Jawn
Amy graduated from Eugene Lang College and Parsons School of Design, which are part of The New School in NYC. She studied writing, literature, and photography. Upon graduation, Amy worked in publishing and then, as a freelance writer for some time. It was a common Christmas gift that got the wheels in her head churning about a new passion and potential profession she would pursue.
In 2010, Amy’s husband, Alex, got her an ice cream maker. Her sister-in-law gave her an ice cream recipe book. Amy tried the first recipe in the book with her new ice cream machine, but the batch didn’t turn out as well as she had hoped. She began re-working the recipes and reading up on the science of ice cream in order to create the perfect pint. Then Amy began to wonder, “What recipes and new flavors could she create from a basic formula?” Her mindset began to shift around this science. She would walk down the aisles of the grocery store in her regular shopping routine, or be out to dinner with friends and see a “Rose Lemonade Soda” item on the menu…Could that flavor be an ice cream?
Amy was determined to find out. Despite her lack of culinary background, Amy decided to teach herself through experimentation using her resources, including that recipe book. She turned her kitchen into its own “Sundae School” and went to work.
The Advertising of “Homemade” Products
As Amy scoured the novelty aisles of local grocery stores, she realized that she had an advantage. Amy was the sole producer, distributor, and marketer of her product. As Amy and I sat down to talk, she made an important point I hadn’t realized. There is no regulation of what producers can brand as “homemade” on their label. Ice creams sold in stores are typically made in factories and produced with chemical stabilizers and preservatives. Additionally, many flavors are made using artificial ingredients.
A New England native, Amy noticed that the ice creams she bought in the store were missing the rich, dense, chewy texture she grew up tasting. Many commercial ice creams add lots of extra air to their production process.
I researched what role air played on ice cream production and found the following excerpt from the American Chemical Society’s “Ice, Cream...and Chemistry:”
“The amount of air added to ice cream is known as overrun. If the volume of ice cream is doubled by adding air, then the overrun is 100%, which is the maximum allowable amount of air that can be added to commercial ice cream. The less expensive brands usually contain more air than the premium brands. One side effect of adding a lot of air to ice cream is that it tends to melt more quickly than ice cream with less air. The amount of air also has a huge effect on the density of ice cream. A gallon (3.8 liters) of ice cream must weigh at least 4.5 pounds, making the minimum density 0.54 gram per milliliter. Better brands have higher densities—up to 0.9 grams per milliliter.”
Out of all the ice cream types, brands, and flavors in the freezer sold on the shelf, hers was the only one that was truly fresh. There is no denying that the ice cream, produced in a 3,000-gallon vat is any comparison to the homemade delicacy that Amy makes in small batches.
Amy quickly realized that creating the perfect product was only one variable in the entrepreneurial equation. Amy’s restaurant experience was limited to a barista job in college. What business licenses would she need? Food licenses? I also learned from our sit-down that there are even licenses required for specialized desserts and frozen desserts! Luckily, Amy and Alex’s longtime friend Ryan Miller, an Executive chef and restaurant industry veteran, jumped on board as a partner. Then Alex thought of another friend, Cathryn Sanderson, who had an extensive background on the business and marketing side. In the Summer of 2019, Amy utilized her resources and friends who had the experience she lacked and started applying for the licenses and requirements for the business.
How did she come up with “Milk Jawn?”
In the organization and beginnings of the business, Alex sent an email to the group of involved friends + business partners and mentioned “this ice cream jawn.” Her husband’s use of some classic Philly slang served as inspiration to Amy who named her ice cream venture, “Milk Jawn.”
She went on to further explain that it went beyond the name:
“I realized I was already taking inspiration for my flavors from Philly itself—-the neighborhoods, the people, the food. To me, Milk Jawn is not just about great ice cream, it’s about celebrating our awesome city and strengthening our community. The name just felt right.”
After many iterations, Milk Jawn’s logo was finalized. Amy began to host “ice cream socials” or ice cream parties as a type of focus group to get feedback from friends and family.
Entrepreneurship isn’t Always Sweet
(Even though Amy’s ice cream is - especially my personal favorite, the Chocolate Brownie). Despite the rapid and immense momentum Milk Jawn was gaining, in March, Amy said her business hit a wall. She kept the momentum going by enrolling in and attending a 3.5 hour weekly intensive at the Philadelphia Chapter of the Women’s Business Enterprise Center. The program was 10 weeks and covered many of the details Amy didn’t have prior experience handling, such as creating a business plan. Amy recalled the instructor of the intensive saying: “I’d rather see you fail on paper than in real life,” something that stuck with her. The intensive was a lot of time, dedication, and work. Amy’s class, which was twenty individuals the first Thursday, dwindled to 8 at the finish. Another advantage of this program was networking with other local entrepreneurs going through the same thing.
I asked Amy what gave her the confidence to really bite the bullet and make her business a reality. She credited much of her motivation to the intensive at the Women’s Business Enterprise Center, in conjunction with her partners in the restaurant and marketing world. She also cited a chef and story that inspired her from Netflix’s “Chef’s Table.”
“When contemplating the idea of pursuing Milk Jawn, I was super-inspired by the story of Slovenian chef Ana Roš of Hiša Franco. She is completely self-taught. When her father-in-law retired, she stepped into the position as chef at Hiša Franco with no culinary experience whatsoever, besides knowing how to cook pasta. She spent five years experimenting and researching cooking techniques from her local library and consulting with other chefs, all the while running her restaurant. And now she’s one of the most admired chefs in the world.”
Chef Ana Roš.
Photo Credit: Kate Springer, CNN
She also cited much of her motivation to the idea of growing something for her kids. Amy told us that her daughter is always asking when they can work in their mom’s ice cream shop.
I asked Amy if she had any advice to share with someone who wants to do something, start something, has an idea, etc. Her biggest advice was to have the confidence to figure it out. “Go for it, take a course.”
What’s Next?
I asked Amy where she sees Milk Jawn five years from now. “We’ll see. That’s the fun part,” she said. Amy did clue us in that in five years, she envisions Milk Jawn a recognized name in Philadelphia. She sees her brand at different events, her own “Scoop Shop,” selling pints in retail stores, and even possible expansion beyond Philly. Hopefully, by then, her daughter will be able to work in that shop she’s dreaming of when the time comes.
Photo Credit: Milk Jawn
Get Your Milk Jawn
For now, visit milkjawn.com to sign up for Milk Jawn’s future mailing list and to contact the team. Follow Milk Jawn on Instagram. Milk Jawn’s ice cream subscription service (SIGN! ME! UP!) and Kickstarter are coming soon...
