Birch Creek Farmery , Teddi Maslowski
When Teddi Maslowski – owner of Birch Creek Farmery in Washington, PA – first reached out to SCORE Pittsburgh, she was full of ideas, fueled by a passion for sustainable agriculture and a desire to supply high-quality heritage meats to health-conscious carnivores. Her previous experience in farming and education in environmental studies gave her a unique perspective on building a successful heritage farming operation. What she lacked was business acumen, strategic planning skills, and funding to turn her vision into a reality.
She contacted Score in January 2020, not quite sure what to expect. It was an easy decision because she could "walk in blind with virtually no risk," unlike using a paid advisor where "your profit is our profit." She could ask candid questions without an agenda and with no fear of being judged. Her mentor, Mark Fallek, took an immediate interest in Teddi’s vision and helped her look at her farm like an experienced business owner. He asked her all the WHY questions, which translated into the HOW of realizing her vision.
Says Teddi, “It’s amazing that SCORE even exists.” With the support of her mentor, she gained the confidence to follow her ideas, create detailed business plans, and adapt to continual change. “Mark was with us every step of the way, helping us to make critical decisions.” “You get out of it what you put into it. Keep an open mind and use the resources available.” SCORE taught her to always keep moving forward and adapt to challenges as they come.
I have a deep passion for elevating both new ventures and established entities to greater...
