As she stood in the kitchen with flour and her grandmother’s laughter surrounding her, a spark was lit inside senior Emery Sill, igniting her passion for cooking. In 2020, Emery decided to launch her business and website, Emery’s Kitchen, allowing her grandma’s granola and cookie recipes to be shared with the public.

Currently, Emery’s Kitchen employs two full-time staff, as well as Emery and her family to work on the products. Before she knew it, her products transitioned from being offered at farmers’ markets to multiple grocery stores, including Fresh Thyme Market, Green Grocer, and Olivia’s Market.

“It started as a passion project and turned into something that other people could love and enjoy,” Emery said.

Emery’s Kitchen was born from the foundation of Emery’s grandmother and her recipes. What started as sharing her grandmother’s recipes with close friends became a business that has spread statewide, explained Emery’s dad, Paul.

“Grandma’s granola recipe had always been something that I was really fond of,” Paul said. “We decided to play around with that and see if we could reproduce it as well as Grandma, and sure enough, we did.”

Throughout her journey with Emery’s Kitchen, Emery received encouragement from many people, providing her with the motivation she needed to follow her passion.

“I would not be here had it not been for the support of my family, my friends, [and employees],” Emery said. “All of those relationships are what got us here.”

Emery’s parents, Andrea and Paul Sill, have been a constant support system in her life, and were at the forefront of her business, encouraging her passions without worry and judgment.

“[Emery has] loved being in the kitchen from the time she was little,” Andrea said. “We’ve really tried to give her not just the space but the guardrails for her to be able to do this and succeed.”

Getting started in the food industry, considering its vicissitudes, proved difficult, Emery explained. However, Emery and her family were able to find their role, Paul explained. Running a small business requires flexibility, from trying to get your business officially certified, to the high prices and inflation on buying food, she explained. Not only did these challenges teach her valuable lessons, but they also showed her that she can persevere, she added.

Emery has no regrets and encourages others to pursue their passion, whatever it may be, as well as not fearing the unknowns that come with starting a business.

“Believe in yourself, believe in your product, and let it make you a better person,” Emery said. “[It will] teach you so much about yourself and different industries.”