Meet Anya Yarranton | Partner & COO of The Nutty Duo

We had the good fortune of connecting with Anya Yarranton and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Anya, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I have always known that I want to have a business of my own. The vision of working for myself and for a company that I whole-heartedly believe in has always been a goal of mine. The idea of starting a granola company was one of those ideas that literally just popped into my head and I instantly knew I was on to something. As soon as I got home I told my husband and his reaction was what solidified the idea. We both saw the potential and were passionate about sharing the granola we had created for ourselves with those around us.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
My husband and I started our own granola company called The Nutty Duo. When Chris and I were creating our brand and the company we created five core values: passion, dedication, commitment, authenticity, and integrity. The one that matters most to me is integrity. We define integrity in reference to our company by stating that “we hold integrity to the highest standard. We promise to always be honest and transparent about the ingredients we put into our products because we know how misleading packages and labels can be. We will always prioritize your health when we create our products.” There was one day when I was shopping in the store, looking for a healthy granola for the week and was unable to find a healthy option. I think we can all attest to the fact that the front of some packages can be very misleading, but not everyone reads what is on the back. Companies know this and so they make the front as appealing as possible to get customers to purchase it without even having to turn it over and read the labels. I stood there reading every single label on the back of every package of granola hoping to find one without added sugars, oils high in saturated fats, and/or without any additives or preservatives. I could not find one, but so many front labels made it seem like I had finally found the one that I was looking for. I made a promise to myself that I would never mislead our customers or stretch the truth just to increase our sales. I remember how defeated and frustrated I felt that day and I knew that I never want to make someone else feel the same way.

Through the use of whole food, organic, and gluten free ingredients, we created a granola that not only tastes good, but is also good for your health. One of the biggest differentiates between us and other granola companies is that we have zero grams added sugar. We use 100% medjool date syrup to sweeten all of our products, something that you can’t find on the shelf in the grocery store.

The thing that I am most proud of about our business thus far is that it has been fully funded by us. We were able to save enough money to cover the startup costs and to support us through the first year of being in business. By doing so, it truly is a family business that we are proud and excited to call our own.

My family has had a major impact on my life and where I am today because I have learned a lot of what I know today from them. I learned from their examples and was able to take what I learned and apply it to the person I am today. I wouldn’t be where I am now without the experiences I had growing up and the lessons I learned from them. My family wasn’t perfect, and we had some challenges throughout the years, but those challenges, and the way that my family members responded to those challenges taught me most of what I know today.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Places we would eat throughout the week – Lofty Coffee (I love exploring new coffee shops), Cafe Gratitude, Blue Ocean Robata & Sushi Bar in Carlsbad, The Plot, Wrench & Rodent, Urbn Pizza, Blade 1936, and Shorehouse kitchen Carlsbad. I would also do some fun home cooked meals too with my husband’s homemade margaritas.

Places we would visit/hang out – Carlsbad beach, I would take them to walk around San Clemente, Potato Chip Rock hike, Old Town, and bike around Coronado. The Shout House in downtown is also a really fun experience.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would like to dedicate my shoutout to my mom, Tanya Bugbee, and my Husband, Chris Yarranton. My mom has been one of our biggest supporters throughout this entire process and I am so grateful for her support.

This company would not have been possible without my husband. He could have told me my idea was crazy and that we could never pull something like this off, but he did the opposite. His commitment to this business has been steadfast and has helped get us through some of the more difficult parts of starting your own business.

Website: https://www.thenuttyduo.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_nuttyduo/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anya-yarranton/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-nutty-duo/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thenuttyduo

Image Credits
Lindsey McCoy