Heather Saffer: Port Labs Coach & Entrepreneur

Port Labs coach Heather Saffer is our packaged foods expert, and our online community manager. She’s the face behind our recurring Hustle Circle, and is coaching businesses developing products ranging from packaged foods to vehicle electrification and educational products.

Heather’s history as a multiple-time entrepreneur makes her uniquely capable of coaching businesses with a wide range of needs.

Heather launched her own cupcake bar, participated and won Cupcake Wars, founded Dollop Gourmet, a better-for-you vegan frosting brand, Pitched on Shark Tank (and got funded!). She went on to sell Dollop Gourmet after building it into a nationwide brand. Heather has been featured in Forbes, People Magazine, Huffington Post, USA Today, Oprah, Hallmark Channel, Steve Harvey Show, QVC, and Sirius XM, and has authored two bestselling cookbooks: The Dollop Book of Frosting (Simon & Schuster/F+W Media) and Crazy Easy Vegan Desserts (Sterling Epicure).

Who or what inspired you to be an entrepreneur?

I didn't know any entrepreneurs when I was growing up. No one in my family was an entrepreneur and I can't recall ever really hearing the word entrepreneur until I was an adult. After working 30+ dead-end jobs that I either quit or was fired from, I was asking, “what am I going to do with my life?” That's when I heard about the cupcake craze taking over larger cities like Los Angeles and NYC, and I decided to to teach myself how to start a business.

What excites you about coaching and mentoring entrepreneurs?

I've achieved so many of my goals and dreams over the past 10 years as an entrepreneur that I started to run out of them.

I know how empowering and fulfilling it feels to see your vision come to life. When I have the chance to help someone else realize some their goals and dreams, it feels almost as great as it did when it was my own journey. I know from my own experience how lonely entrepreneurship can be. I know how much I got from others in my journey, and I want to be that for others.

Watching the success of founders I've coached and mentored, and knowing I played even an itty bitty role, fills me with joy.

What are 3 tips you have for entrepreneurs today?

1) If you want something, ask for it. If the answer is no, ask again in a different way. You are your own greatest advocate.

When I was in the greenroom on the set of Shark Tank, waiting to find out if I would get the chance to pitch to the sharks, I discovered I was the last entrepreneur on the list to pitch. I knew if the producers ran out of time, I would be going home without getting on.

So what did I do? I told the producers to how badly I wanted to pitch. I bugged them, again and again, until they bumped me up the list. I walked down that famous carpet to pitch to the Sharks. The person who got bumped behind me didn’t pitch. My perserverance got me that opportunity.

2) Maintain relationships. Be open to meeting people and stay active in communities.

A lot of success in business is created through networking and being a person other people want to do business with. Join online communities, support other entrepreneurs, involve yourself in causes that are important to you.

3) Always be working on your pitch

I work a lot with entrepreneurs, helping them write and hone their pitches. Becoming a good storyteller builds confidence, hooks advocates for your business, and opens a lot of doors. You should have a solid 30 second pitch, one-minute pitch, and 5-minute pitch in your back pocket to pull out at any moment. Don't be afraid to share your accomplishments. There is a way to be humble and show your successes at the same time.