Check Her Out: Tricia Reddy from Coastline Bowls!

What exactly is your business?

Coastline Bowls is ‘The Exotically Fresh Café’. A mobile super fruit café featuring #Exoticallyfresh Acai and Pitaya bowls!

How did you come up with your business idea?

I had a great opportunity, through work, to live in California! Dreaming of living at the beach my whole life, I instantly adapted to the SoCAL lifestyle! Active beach life was the best! When it was time to come home, I wanted to find some way to bring my California experience back home to Cle to share with all my friends and family…. And selfishly keep California with me! I always dreamed of starting a company by the age of 30 years old —- I am 25 years old and very fortunate to be living out that dream!

Everything that we do at Coastline is local and socially responsible. Our supply chain was chosen based on a very cool human interest story – we work directly with a USDA Organic Farms in Central America. The farmers on this farm are mostly single mothers who harvest the fruit! Essentially, every bowl purchased from Coastline Bowls, LLC contributes to employment opportunities for these single moms in Central America! Not only are you eating a great healthy treat, but also contributing to making a difference in a person’s life!

How did you find out about Aviatra?

I have been a huge fan of spinning since I was in high school, and now even a spinning instructor! A friend introduced me to Harness Cycle right when it opened about 3 years ago; being an entrepreneur, I naturally was curious about the story behind Harness Cycle. I reached out to Anne Hartnett (Founder of Harness Cycle) to learn her story & to see what advice she had for a young, hopeful entrepreneur striving to follow in similar footprints one day. During our phone conversation, she told me about her experience with BGV, which is now Aviatra. After hearing the positivity about the program & seeing Harness’s success, I was hooked. Ironically this conversation happened 1 year before I even thought of Coastline, but when I returned home from California, I remembered the information that Anne shared with me & applying to BGV/Aviatra were two of the first things I did to get started!

What is your favorite thing about your company?

The fact that my 2-year project is coming to life! I absolutely love everything that Coastline Bowls has to offer! I have been told by numerous people that it is my personality consolidated in one product! The product has a ton of community involvement, very active & engaging, fun, out-going, and socially responsible. I love that my company allows me to be everywhere and meet many new faces, while making a difference/impact in people’s lives!

What was the most valuable thing you gained from your experience with Aviatra?

Definitely, the connections I made while participating in the course. The material & content was incredible, but the number of people I met and connections I made was the real ROI! The support system within Aviatra is tremendously strong, allowing all graduates to have the ability to align with many people inside and outside of the program! There are a few connections that I was fortunate to have made while I was going through the program that quite honestly, have helped me get to where I am today – I am extremely thankful for this!

What was the biggest challenge you faced when starting your business?

The biggest challenge I faced when starting Coastline was: “How do I start a business when I’m only 24 years old?” I had the business plan, the vision, and the drive, but reality set in and I needed help navigating the path of a startup! BGV/Aviatra was an answer to my prayers and taught me the entrepreneur fundamentals on how to start a company- from concept all the way through to execution.

Any advice for future Aviatras?

I recently heard this quote from a Harness instructor: “If you enjoy the process, you won’t be too worried about the outcome.” This really hit home for me. I have been very fortunate to be on this journey and have the opportunity to live out a dream. My advice to any young entrepreneur is to work hard, put in the extra effort, and believe that your dreams can become reality. Everyone has the potential to become the person who they want to be. It may not be easy, but it is possible. The harder you work, the luckier you become – Create your luck! But if you enjoy the journey and experiences along the way, you will automatically enjoy the outcome!