Are you looking for all-natural snacks for an on-the-go lifestyle? Or, for that matter, any lifestyle at all? AMG Snacks is dedicated to creating delicious bites for individuals who want clean on-the-go snacks for themselves and their families. And at 6AM Health, we are obsessed! We promise you won’t be disappointed.
AMG Snacks come in six flavors: PB Chocolate Chip, Espresso, Almond Chai, Strawberry Vanilla, Chocolate Raspberry, and Cherry Pistachio. And here’s the best part: if you are having trouble deciding which flavor sounds the best, there is also the option to purchase a two or three flavor variety pack.
For this week’s Boston Partner Spotlight Blog, we spoke with Amanda Gilman, Founder of AMG Snacks.
Here’s what we learned:
Can you tell me a little bit about yourself and how you came up with the idea for AMG Snacks?
Amanda, who grew up in MA, graduated from Merrimack College with majors in Economics and Finance. Upon graduation, she worked in finance in MA for a year and then worked at an investment bank in NYC, where she stayed for nine years. She noted that at one point, she was sitting at her desk for hours on end, sometimes 7 in the morning to 10 or 11 at night. Throughout her time at the firm, she was always looking for a snack for her desk. She wanted something that was portioned and a better texture than a traditional protein or meal-replacement bar.
So, Amanda took advantage of her passion for cooking to try to develop her own snack! Before she knew it, different people on her trading floor in NYC were coming by her desk to see if she had more of her (soon to be FAMOUS) snack bites. It is then that Amanda realized that everyone liked her kitchen creation, not just people focused on health and wellness. It was only a bonus that they were healthy.
How did you decide which ingredients to use?
There are three main ingredients in AMG Snacks, all with a reason behind their use. The dates provide sustained energy from natural sugars. Yet, they are a low glycemic food, which means they have natural sugars that don’t cause a spike or crash of energy as one would have with processed sugar. The oats contain fiber, which helps people feel full for longer. The nuts bring protein to AMG Snacks. Amanda knew that everyone wants protein, but she wanted to find a natural source.
What was the most challenging part about starting your business?
As one might expect, starting a business is exceptionally overwhelming–everyone sees the bigger picture and wants to get there fast, but there is a lot to do before that point. What was Amanda’s strategy to make progress and move her business forward? She came up with a list of what she needed to do and made sure to do one to two things a day, even if that meant just doing some research initially.
What do you see as your next step with AMG Snacks?
Right now, Amanda is working on finalizing more distributors. She is being strategic and trying to get into the right stores. It’s all about relationships, she told us.
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Look out for AMG Snacks in our Fresh Fridges – they are definitely worth a try. And let us know what you think!
Until next time, Boston!