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- bts: shawn allard
mornin’ merry makers 🍦🍪🍨🍩🧁
most people think retail entrepreneurship starts with a dream & a blank slate. but sometimes it starts with someone else's foundation & a very good spreadsheet.
enter: shawn allard.
he didn’t invent novel ice cream. he acquired it in 2023. since then, he’s added a new location, a mobile unit, & a whole lot of fresh energy to the brand.
before ice cream, shawn was in dental consulting. his job was helping dentists buy practices. so when it came time to buy a retail business of his own, he already knew the playbook.
he just swapped crowns for cones 😏
his story is a perfect case study in entrepreneurship through acquisition (eta), & a reminder that sometimes the best founders don’t start from scratch.
in today’s letter, you're getting the scoop on:
→ how to leverage entrepreneurship through acquisition to enter retail without starting from zero
→ his approach to maintaining consistency across locations
→ why slowing down can actually help you scale faster (especially with team management)
bts q&a: shawn allard
I’m originally from Montreal and moved to Arizona in the early 2000s to pursue a career in Dentistry. After graduating, I shifted into dental consulting, helping dentists acquire private practices.
In 2023, I bought Novel Ice Cream, a retail brand with two locations at the time, and have since grown it to three shops and a mobile unit.
Alongside that, I’m building ParkSMB, a small business community focused on connection, growth, and local collaboration in Phoenix.
you’ve made it to the good part 😎
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