I dial up Susanne Greelish, co-founder and creative director of GingerGems, a candied ginger brand delivering treats like turmeric, and sesame coated ginger bites, on a Thursday evening to see if I might be able to catch the always-busy woman between tasks. Sure enough, when she answers the phone she is stringing bracelets for her other business, a jewelry company, Dovera Designs. Apart from GingerGems, her newest business venture, Greelish is a longtime partner at Dovera. The task at hand does not stop her from launching into a detailed and animated discussion with me about where her businesses are at this stage of the pandemic since we last spoke at the Cambridge Unified Farmers Market in November of 2020.
It appears that entrepreneurial women have not given up hope for businesses they began at the outset of the pandemic. Rather, they took their efforts into fourth gear. Among the other business women I have spoken to and observed, Greelish is a continual reminder of the power of dedication in the face of hurdles and uncertainty. When the world shut down, creating a wall for her budding food business, she did not let go when things were at their toughest. And now, with the strength GingerGems built chipping it away, Greelish and her company have emerged on the other side of the slowly eroding wall. Although her business is still growing, she has managed several hurdles on the way to success.
However, progress does not mean rest. “I haven’t even eaten dinner yet!” remarks Greelish as we chat about her new ventures. GingerGems, Greelish’s delectable homemade candied ginger, is now in approximately 10 stores in Massachusetts, including Pemberton Farms in Cambridge and Russo’s in Watertown. With little prompting on my part, Greelish launches into an explanation of her new flavor in development which she believes will definitely be number one. Among other updates, the candied ginger now has fun new packaging, which is available to view on their updated website.
Because Greelish prevailed during the toughest times, the height of the pandemic, she is still here to seize rising opportunities as shops begin to open up and function at higher capacity; they can invest and grow as opposed to just getting by. “It’s starting to open up.” says Greelish. “There’s more traffic on the streets and more people out. You just get the feeling…”
Stay tuned for the promising, and currently confidential business ventures of Greelish and her Gems. “I can’t focus on just one thing, I focus on whatever needs to be done that day,” she exclaims. Evidently, lots is brewing.
The excitement of Greelish’s business initiatives continues. Connecting with clientele and developing a reputation of good character can be defining factors for small business owners. It seems this characteristic of Greelish’s has led her to develop important relationships where it matters. Trust is a huge element of the entrepreneurial business in the current climate. Greelish’s years in the food business render her a trusted advisor to many.
“A lot of people will buy GingerGems because whenI tell them it’s good, they believe me!” Greelish exclaims. The same surely cannot be said for every salesperson in America.
With all this activity, Greelish doesn’t even know if she’ll be able to spend her Fridays at the Charles River Farmers Market, the sunny square where I first met her this fall. But who else can sell the goods like Greelish? The core of the dilemma is that she is protective of her business, as any loyal creator would be! She wants everything done how she envisions it, with the best quality possible. Her dedication to her product makes delegation difficult, a trend that is common in many other female, small-business owners. My current boss, the CEO of a farm, Sweet Wheel Farm and Flowers, so often cannot tear herself from the stand where her employees sell fruits and baked scones, for she adores telling customers about the organic produce and freshly baked scones. Despite the other ten things she has to do that day, the quality of her product and the way the customer sees it comes first.
“I don’t have enough hours in the day,” chuckles Greelish. “At night I’m crafting bracelets, during the day I’m going to meetings… and I have to do Dovera work… and I have to clean my car.” In the world of an entrepreneur, there are no scheduled days off or people to clean your car while you do the heavy lifting. Work and life become intertwined, one in the same. Our conversation wraps up as Greelish finishes expanding on her around-the-clock hours and remembers, “I haven’t even eaten dinner yet!”
I leave Greelish to her weaving and dinner-making adventures with a smile on my face. This is just the beginning of her business; if the spicy ginger candies can survive the torrents of the pandemic, I cannot wait to see what comes next.
Kate Tunnell ’24 (katetunnell@college.harvard.edu) is a staff writer for the Independent.