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Key Takeaways While living in UAE for her husband’s work, Sundlie learned about the nutritional value of dates.
She couldn’t find similar products when she returned home — so Date Lady was born.
Date Lady generated more than $2 million in annual revenue in 2021 and is on track for $10 million.
This Side Hustle Q&A features Colleen Sundlie, 50, of Moscow, Idaho. Sundlie is a mom of five and founder of Date Lady, a line of better-for-you organic date products including syrups, spreads, sauces and sugar. The products are manufactured in a facility based in Springfield, Missouri. Sundlie has grown the business for 15 years. Date Lady exceeded $2 million in annual revenue in 2021, hit $6.8 million within the next four years and is anticipating $10 million this year. Responses have been edited for length and clarity.
Image Credit: Date Lady. Colleen Sundlie.
When did you start your side hustle, and where did you find the inspiration for it?
Years ago, while living overseas in Al Ain, UAE for my husband’s work, I came across a market selling pure date syrup. Dates are very much a part of the culture there. Everywhere you go you are offered dates and Arabic coffee. The malls and local souks were also full of varieties of all kinds, very different from what you see here in the U.S., where most people have only tried the two main date varieties.
The fateful day I spotted date syrup on a market shelf, I pulled it off to investigate. The Emirati ladies standing around who were admiring my baby in tow started telling me it would be good for my baby and about how their ancestors had used it for many years. I took it home and was blown away by the flavor profile. The more I researched it, the more I realized that it had a really high nutritional value.
When we moved back to the states, I couldn’t find it anywhere. That was the moment I knew I had to figure out a way to bring the date syrup we loved to the U.S. It seemed like a no-brainer for the American market, and I needed to be able to buy it locally myself!
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