Meet the Maker Interview: Emily O’Brien, Founder of Comeback Snacks

Meet Emily, the founder of Comeback Snacks. It’s popcorn with a mission – to make fun and delicious snacks while making a difference in the lives of people trying to make a comeback - especially those who have made a mistake in the past – starting with herself.

One thing we love about your business is that you have more than just amazing snacks – you have a mission to help people. Can you share a little about how you found your idea? 

I was going through a very challenging time emotionally. Obviously, I'm not the only one that goes through these things. But I wasn't well equipped to go through big changes in my family. I was just living in limbo, along with this kind of free spirited lifestyle. During this time, I was also running my own business in Toronto. With entrepreneurship comes all other sorts of boxes that you want to fill, places you want to be, parties – I got a lot of deals by being out all the time. I didn't realize how much of a toll it took on my mental health until it was really too late. I found comfort in someone that had really terrible intentions for me and I ignored all the red flags. I took all the red flags and made them into a drug smuggling dress. I ended up on a trip with the guy that I was dating. He told me when we were down on this trip that I was going to be bringing drugs back into the country. I was shocked. I was scared. I wanted to go home, so I just did it.We got back and we were caught and arrested. I got arrested again for breaching my bail conditions. Luckily, my lawyer said “...you know, there's so many people that believe in you, but if you get arrested again, they're going to keep you in there until it's finalized and you won't be able to prove that you're the person that so many people know you are.” From that day on, I cut a lot of negative people out of my life, I started taking charge and owning it and instead of pushing everyone away. When I got to prison, I decided that I was going to find something there that I could build, but I didn't know what that was going to be. We were having a Super Bowl gathering, and when we were making snacks, we played with a combination of lemon pepper and dill on it. It was really good and healthy.We talked about how we knew we were better than the mistakes we made. I wanted to turn that into a purpose, into a mission to help to find employment myself and others. I wasn't afraid to use my voice because if there's anything that I was going to own, it was going to be my story. 

We love that mission. Prison is more than paying a debt, it’s about reform and new chances to add value to our society. 

It’s just about realizing that people in jail and people on the outside are very similar. We all make very similar decisions, some people have access to the resources to hide those decisions and some people don't. 

This is a comeback story, not just a comeback for you, but a comeback for anyone who is trying to make amends for mistakes that they've made. How did that process to come up with the name Comeback Snacks go?

It actually started out as Cons and Kernels. We loved it, but as we wanted to expand into different channels, we realized the name actually separated us – it was kind of alienating. A comeback is something where you have to learn to forgive the wrongs that have been done to you. but also be willing to take responsibility for your role in whatever you have caused.

What does a “day in the life” look like for you now?

I love what I do. I find that in my life, repetition will honestly cause boredom. It's the way that I'm wired. We do so much work with different organizations, different charities, different market channels, different types of content creation, interviews, podcasts – just getting the story out there. 

Stories that help people will spread. That's kind of what you have to do and do it every day. Brand building is like going to the gym – you have to go and you have to eat properly and you have to inject good things into your business.

Being an entrepreneur is great because no two days are the same. With Comeback Snacks, is there something new you've learned about being an entrepreneur?

I think the best way to build a business is through lived experience. For me what's worked the best is doing a combination of something that I love and something that has impacted me and the ones that I love. It’s also helping others help the ones that they love. People love to connect over food and share stories over food. So if you can connect with people that way, it really makes a memorable experience.

Part of your mission is helping former inmates find work when they’re reintegrating into their communities. How does that work? 

We have an open hiring policy – that was one of the first things that I wanted to do. We also work with other organizations and their HR departments on education around open hiring policies and the importance of hiring former inmates.

That’s amazing! We love that one of the products in our boxes is helping people like this. What's your experience been like working with Chocolate Soup?

We love Chocolate Soup. We love the name. We made a special trip out there before the pandemic to meet everyone. It's great to see people innovating by being compassionate. 

Last question! What's your favourite popcorn flavour?

Cheesey caramel!

To learn more about including Comeback Snacks products in your next Chocolate Soup employee recognition gift box order, please contact us at [email protected].