Since then, Coolhaus has scaled to a national fleet of trucks in LA and NYC, a flagship store and innovation center in Culver City, and a national grocery business of ice cream sammies, pints, cups, mini sammies, and cones in stores ranging from Whole Foods to Sprouts to Kroger.
"One thing that I've found to be really helpful is a really high level of transparency. I rarely find moments when that hurts, and bringing teams in the loop and providing that lens and that openness in the environment. So I said, involving your employees early will allow them to feel connected to the task . It's almost like giving this access that feels special and empowering, and therefore creates this spirit of, hey, we're all part of this. This is not me telling you to do something, this is us all discovering this at the same time."
I believe there's two components to brainstorming that are important. And one is to have the time to reflect individually and to prepare your team for what is going to be a group brainstorm. What should they be bringing? Where should their mind be at? What work can they do in advance?
Maybe some people don't do work in advance, and that may be okay. But a lot of people like to come with some creative preparedness to that brainstorm. So you have more confidence around these creative ideas, and then you can collaborate and share. So this is the homework versus teamwork mentality.
It creates trust, because you know each other beyond just the the basic day to day tasks of work. And it allows you to have access to their personality mentality, and help you to learn what motivates them. And no two people are motivated in the exact same way. Every person on your team is different. This allows you to have a special window into that.
Based on a creative task, who's going to be the best for this? How much time do they need? What information level do they need? This personal connection allows you to know that.
It is important to be actually executing and honoring ideas. I think people can become fatigued if it's brainstorm after brainstorm and you're not really bringing anything to life. So making a commitment and honoring it that you will.
More about Natasha
Natasha is devoted to leading Coolhaus’ social mission of inspiring the next generation of women and LGBTQ founders, entrepreneurs, and creators of diverse backgrounds to feel empowered to turn their dreams into realities in an equitable environment. Natasha has partnered with Black Girl Ventures to create ice cream to raise funds for entrepreneurial grants, and she is committed to teaching courses and frequent public speaking engagements to push the envelope for the next generation. In December 2021, Coolhaus was acquired by The Urgent Company, a CPG company for the future with a mission to make more sustainable products without compromise. As part of the acquisition, Coolhaus traditional dairy products will transition to animal-free dairy in the months ahead, using Perfect Day animal-free whey protein, which generates up to 97% less greenhouse gas emissions than traditional dairy products. The only change Coolhaus fans can expect is reduction in the environmental impact from the products they already know and love. Natasha joined The Urgent Company as its new President of Brand Experience, bringing her passion and unparalleled leadership to the team in this exciting next chapter for both companies.
Natasha has been named a Forbes 30 under 30 Food & Beverage, Zagat 30 Under 30, LinkedIn 10 under 35 for Food & Leisure, 10 Most Successful Women in Business by Leaders Globe, and UCLA’s LGBTQ+ 2019 Alum of the Year. She has been featured in many national publications and media outlets like Entrepreneur, LA Times, and Bon Appetit, and has judged Food Network’s Chopped, King of Cones, and Top Chef Jr. She co-hosted her own podcast, ‘Start to Sale’ through Eater/Vox Media. In 2019, she joined YPO in the Beverly Hills chapter. Natasha is a board member of UCLA Arts Dept, Larchmont Charter School, Startup UCLA, Naturally LA and a member of the Lyft Council (Los Angeles). Today, Coolhaus is the leading women and LGBTQ-founded and led ice cream brand in the country.
