What does it truly take to transform a simple side hustle into a nationally recognized brand—and what if you could change lives along the way? In this episode of The Angel Next Door Podcast, host Marcia invites Angie Bastian, co-founder of the beloved snack brand BOOMCHICKAPOP, to share the remarkable journey of building a business from the family garage all the way to a multimillion-dollar acquisition. Angie’s story challenges the traditional image of entrepreneurship, laying bare both the financial scrambles and the deeply human rewards that accompany the pursuit of a dream. Angie Bastian, who, along with her husband, Dan, started popping kettle corn in 2001 to help fund their children’s college education, never imagined she’d become a leader in the natural foods movement. With no prior business experience—Angie was a nurse, her husband a teacher—the Bastians hustled at farmers markets, connected with local sports teams, and relentlessly pushed through setbacks to turn their “Angie’s Kettle Corn” into the global phenomenon BOOMCHICKAPOP. Angie’s dedication to transparency, clean ingredients, and her community sets her apart as an entrepreneurial role model. This episode is packed with invaluable lessons as Angie details the scrappy financing tactics, the reimagining of their brand, the leap to building their own manufacturing plant, and the deep impact of sharing success with their employees. It’s a candid conversation about perseverance, integrity, and redefining what business can mean for families and communities. And don’t miss the tear-jerking story Angie tells at the end of the episode – it’s a true heart warmer.