IN THIS EPISODE…
Host Bobbie Bailey sits down with Molly Moon Neitzel, founder and CEO of Molly Moon’s Homemade Ice Cream. The conversation moves from Molly’s politically divided childhood in Boise, Idaho, through her years registering young voters with Music for America, to the founding of a values-driven ice cream company now in its eighteenth year. Along the way, Molly and Bobbie explore what it looks like to run a business that treats profitability and progressive values as partners rather than competitors.
Molly shares the market research that shaped her first shop’s hours and location, the return-on-investment thinking behind her industry-leading childcare benefit, and the instincts she still trusts over data. She also opens up about her fear of the 2020 shutdown, the sourcing decisions that keep her ingredients local and sustainable, and the mentors and grandparents who shaped her leadership style. This episode is for creatives, entrepreneurs, and mission-driven leaders who want to see what it looks like to build a growing business without losing sight of the people it’s built to serve.
ABOUT OUR GUEST:
Molly Moon Neitzel is the founder and CEO of Molly Moon’s Homemade Ice Cream, with ten ice cream shops, 200 employees, and pints available in nearly 200 grocery stores in Western Washington. Molly Moon’s aims to create the most delicious ice creams, life changing jobs, and welcoming spaces in every neighborhood in the Seattle region. Molly graduated from the University of Montana, where she served as student body president, with a BS in journalism. She went on to found Music for America, an organization that partnered with bands and music venues to register and turn out young people to vote. In 2008, Molly started her business, building it to be a leader in living wages and benefits for employees, local and sustainable food business practices, pay transparency and philanthropic giving.
A granddaughter of small business owners and Idaho Democrats, Molly has worked to ensure that Molly Moon’s embodies her original family values. She has advocated for fair business practices and worker rights on the local, state, and national levels, helping to win minimum-wage increases, paid sick time, secure scheduling for predictable hours, and paid family and medical leave for workers in the PNW. She is a leader in living wages and benefits, an advocate for working parents, and leads a 100% pay-transparency company. Molly Moon’s has been featured in Food & Wine and Bon Appetit for making and scooping some of the nation’s most delectable ice cream, all with the objective of making the world better, one scoop at a time.
HERE’S A GLIMPSE OF WHAT YOU’LL LEARN:
- [07:47] Molly recalls her grandmother’s leadership and strategy on political campaigns.
- [10:03] Molly traces her entrepreneurial scrappiness back to her grandparents, including the “feed two birds with one scone” flyer story.
- [13:41] Molly discusses founding Music for America and mobilizing young voters through music.
- [18:08] Molly shares the story of leaving politics and her mom’s suggestion to open an ice cream shop.
- [20:37] Molly walks through writing her business plan, raising investment money, and opening in Wallingford in 2008.
- [23:50] Molly reflects on the fear of having no safety net before opening day, and the fear that returned during the 2020 pandemic.
- [26:02] Molly explains how “Stay Home, Eat Ice Cream” sweatshirts helped fund health insurance for laid-off employees during COVID.
- [29:33] Molly and Bobbie discuss building a consistent, intentional brand vision across every location.
- [33:29] Molly talks about hiring for marketing “vibe” and bringing back marketing director James Mose.
- [36:22] Molly describes the Career Pathways program and Molly Moon’s preference for internal promotion.
- [39:15] Molly and Bobbie compare leading from gut instinct versus leaning on research.
- [43:39] Molly reveals the ice cream-buying data that determined her first shop’s hours and Wallingford location.
- [45:43] Molly and Bobbie talk about Jimothy the raccoon and how the internet meme turned into playful marketing.
- [48:41] Molly outlines her sustainable, local sourcing decisions, including sourcing chocolate from women-owned farm collectives.
- [53:53] Molly details Molly Moon’s industry-leading benefits, with a focus on the company’s childcare program.
- [58:12] Molly advocates for universal childcare policy in Washington state and previews the “No Country for Mothers” screening.
RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
- Molly Moon’s Homemade Ice Cream and Instagram
- Mollys Grandmother:
- “No Country for Mothers”
(film screening at Cinerama in Seattle, September 30th)
- Kul, chocolate processor based in Bellingham, WA
- Jimothy the raccoon
- Parker Posey (Molly’s dog and Molly Moon’s logo)
Quotable Moments:
- “There are some of us in the world that just can’t follow instructions.”
- “Our mission at Molly Moon’s is to make the world better, one scoop at a time.”
- “When you have to survive, you survive.”
- “I cannot have scoopers bring babies to the ice cream shop, but I can pay for the child care.”
What We Learned:
- Audit hours against buying data: Molly found that most ice cream is bought after 8pm, exactly when most shops closed, so she opened until 11pm and beat every competitor in late-night sales. Look at when your customers actually want you, not when convention says you should be open.
- Calculate the ROI on employee benefits: Molly Moon’s worked with Moms First to run its childcare benefit through a return-on-investment calculator and found a 128% return through decreased turnover and increased promotions. Before assuming a benefit is too expensive, run the numbers on what it saves you in retention and productivity.
- Promote from within before hiring externally: Molly’s current graphic designer and visual specialist both started as scoopers before moving into HQ roles, and she says she’s now “very, very hesitant” to hire externally. Build a pathway for your frontline employees to grow into the roles you’d otherwise post outside the company.
- Let your values set non-negotiable boundaries: Despite constant requests, Molly refuses to make mango ice cream because importing tropical fruit conflicts with her commitment to local sourcing. Decide which values you won’t compromise on, then hold that line, even when it means saying no to popular requests.
- Pair gut instinct with a research check: Molly says most of her decisions come from her gut, but her leadership team has pushed her to “trust but verify” by researching ideas before acting on them. Pair your instinct with a lightweight research step so you catch blind spots without losing your speed.
- Support your team creatively during a crisis: During COVID, Molly Moon’s sold “Stay Home, Eat Ice Cream” sweatshirts to help cover a $60,000-a-month health insurance bill so laid-off employees kept their coverage. Look for creative, community-facing ways to to support your people instead of just cutting costs in a downturn.
SPONSOR FOR THIS EPISODE…
This episode is brought to you by M Agency, a full-service creative marketing agency in Tacoma, Washington.
We are a strategic partner for companies wanting to build memorable brands, websites, and marketing campaigns.
Our team of creative professionals leverages their unique talents and skills to provide various branding, design and development, marketing, and creative services.
If you’re ready to take action with your marketing, visit https://whatisyourm.com/.