{"id":93871,"date":"2024-08-02T14:51:47","date_gmt":"2024-08-02T14:51:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/?post_type=articles&p=93871"},"modified":"2024-08-02T17:07:29","modified_gmt":"2024-08-02T17:07:29","slug":"game-changers-elyse-oleksak","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/articles\/game-changers-elyse-oleksak\/","title":{"rendered":"Game Changers: Elyse Oleksak"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Game Changers: Elyse Oleksak<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Bantam Bagel co-founder Elyse Oleksak calls the idea for the company \u201cThe Dream.\u201d It did, after all, come to her husband and business partner, Nick, in the middle of the night. According to Oleksak from an excerpt in her memoir “A Shark Ate My Bagel: How We Built Bantam Bagels”<\/a>: He \u201cwoke up in the middle of the night and wrote these two ideas in [his] phone: Tater Tot Truck. All different flavors of Tater Tots, all different kinds of sauces.\u201d<\/p>\n

While she hated that idea and told him so, it led to his next idea: \u201cMini bagels stuffed with cream cheese. Sort of like doughnut holes, but bagels,\u201d Oleksak recalls him nonchalantly offering up as an alternative. She loved it, and the pair tasked themselves with creating and perfecting the recipe while maintaining their demanding Wall Street careers. Oleksak recalls that it took 71 tries to get it right before the company officially launched in 2013 and quickly gained traction, earning widespread acclaim for its innovative approach to breakfast.<\/p>\n

A pitch on ABC’s Shark Tank<\/em> led to the brand\u2019s big break. \u201cLori Greiner, our partner from Shark Tank<\/em>, was an incredible mentor to us,\u201d Oleksak explains. \u201cShe guided us by teaching us how to approach business as a human being first. She was willing to offer advice without ego, allowing us to make our own decisions.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Major ingredients in Oleksak\u2019s success was her attention to detail and ability to map out different scenarios. \u201cI\u2019m a planner,\u201d she says. \u201cI find safety and calm in organization and planning. That said, in my business with my husband, I was always the planner, breaking down each and every micro- step, day-by-day, hour-by-hour in order to get where we needed to go. We used to joke that he\u2019d wake up with sticky notes pasted to his face \u2014 put there by me \u2014 to begin his day.\u201d<\/p>\n

Oleksek\u2019s commitment to quality and innovation propelled Bantam Bagels to nationwide success, earning accolades from both customers and industry insiders alike along with lucrative deals with major companies including Starbucks and QVC; a storefront on Bleecker Street in New York City offered the brand a brick- and-mortar home and they were featured everywhere from The Today Show<\/em> and Jimmy Fallon<\/em> to being one of Oprah\u2019s Favorite Things. \u201cThose moments were so incredible because we were two hard working nobody\u2019s who were just chasing a dream, it showed us the humanity behind each and every person in this world. Humanity and connection became the fuel that kept us running despite a cyclone of ups and downs in the journey of building Bantam Bagels.\u201d<\/p>\n

Oleksak admits that having built the successful brand gave her a level of control over the future that was thrilling. \u201cI was living in a state of constant jubilation, bursting with adrenaline,\u201d she says. \u201cSomething to dream about, to feel great about, to aspire to, and to achieve.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The brand was sold in 2018 for $34 million to T. Marzetti Co. (it was ultimately shuttered in 2022 due to pandemic pressures), and Oleksak focused on raising her children. But the entrepreneurial spirit is still there. \u201cI\u2019m hoping to get back involved in small business, to give back to other companies some of the lessons that I learned along the way,\u201d she says. \u201cI\u2019m currently consulting with several growth companies and am happy to get involved in more.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read GRAZIA USA<\/em>\u2018s Summer Issue featuring cover star Sienna Miller:<\/a><\/h4>\n