key takeaways
- The Lertlamprasert sisters were inspired to start their brand after bringing back snacks from Thailand.
- He invested $28,000 to work with a branding agency and has since successfully grown his business.
This Side Hustle Spotlight Q&A is Washington, DC-based Lertlumprasert sisters Lisa, 36; Lita, 34; Charlene, 31; and Charlie, 27. He started and runs his own Thai-inspired popcorn brand party of As a side hustle. Lisa owns and operates a Thai restaurant; Lita is a data scientist; Charlene is a UX designer; And Charlie is a product manager. Responses have been edited for length and clarity.
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When did you start your side and where did you get the inspiration from?
Lita: The idea to party off started in February 2023 – but the idea of starting a business together is something we’ve been talking about since we were kids.
We just came back from a trip to Thailand to visit family. We brought lots of Thai snacks for our friends. They all loved everything we brought back, and it was a fun way for us to share our culture with our American friends. This, combined with being completely uninspired by the better-for-you snack options in America, gave us the idea to take classic, readily available and nutritious snack foods and give them our own signature spin.
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What were the first steps you took to get your cause off the ground? How much money/investment did it take to launch?
Lita: We started by defining six dimensions of product-market fit (after all, Charlie is a product manager): target customer, problem, value proposition, competitive advantage, growth strategy, and business model. Through this exercise, we knew that one of our competitive advantages was going to be branding, so we invested $28,000 to work with an amazing branding agency, Outline.
Since Lisa owns a Thai restaurant, recipe development and inventory were fairly inexpensive. She used ingredients she had at the restaurant, bought some corn, some brown bags, put a “Zingpop” (now Party Off) sticker Charlene made on Canva, and we called it a day.
Are there any free or paid resources that have been particularly helpful to you in getting this business up and running?
Charlie: The StartupCPG Slack group has been an invaluable free resource. There are plenty of events, learning opportunities, and other CPG entrepreneurs willing to share their experiences and offer advice.
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If you could go back in your business journey and change one process or approach, what would it be, and how do you wish you had done it differently?
Charlene: Tracking Finance. Neither of us have experience in accounting, and we have put off learning how to use QuickBooks for some time. While finances may seem easy, being diligent about it from the beginning could have saved us a lot of headaches later on.
When it comes to this specific business, what is something that you have found particularly challenging and/or surprising that people who get into this type of work should be prepared for, but perhaps aren’t?
Charlie: Starting a CPG business is very capital-intensive, and the road to profitability is longer than we expected. We have learned to be more patient and persistent along the way.
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Can you remember a specific example when something went horribly wrong? How did you fix it?
Charlie: During our participation in Compass Group’s Retail Incubator Program, we faced several unexpected obstacles. They wanted us to produce more than 30,000 units in less than four months – more than the total units we had sold since launching seven months earlier.
A new bag form factor (pillow pouch) was needed to meet cost and production requirements, which meant redesigning the bag, learning about ideal material compositions, and making adjustments to the way the film roll was cut. We also had to work with a new co-packer due to equipment and scale limitations.
In addition to very tight turnaround times, there were also unexpected obstacles: the blades didn’t cut the bags cleanly, our materials got held up at customs, and we were hit with tariffs. Despite having no experience producing at this scale, we persevered, leveraging our networks to find solutions and making the best educated guess with the knowledge and data we had at the time.
How long did it take you to see consistent monthly revenue?
Lisa: a few months. When we launched, we really prioritized demos – spending as much time as possible with potential customers and more importantly, retailers who will be your biggest supporters when you’re not in the room. Investing in those relationships early on made a big difference.
What do growth and revenues look like now?
Lisa: So far in 2025, we have quadrupled revenues compared to 2024 and reduced cost of goods sold (COGS) by nearly 25%. We have doubled our reach over the last year to validate our hypotheses about our target customers and value proposition. One opportunity leads to others, and we’re proud of the progress we’ve made so far and grateful for the lessons (and growing pains) that came with it. Right now, we’re consistently generating about $7,000 in monthly revenue. Occasionally, we receive larger orders ranging from $5,000 to $50,000, but they are irregular and not part of our steady revenue stream.
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What do you enjoy most about running this business?
Charlene: This is ours. We have complete agency and control over every decision and detail. This is a kind of reward that we did not feel in a corporate job.
What is your best specific, actionable business advice?
Lisa: One of the most valuable things we did early on was practice product-market fit. It forced us to be really clear about who our customer was, what problem we were solving for them, how our product uniquely fit that need and what our competitive advantage was. That clarity shaped our product strategy from day one and has guided our decisions ever since. For new entrepreneurs, taking the time to do this beforehand can save you a lot of wasted time and resources in the future.
key takeaways
- The Lertlamprasert sisters were inspired to start their brand after bringing back snacks from Thailand.
- He invested $28,000 to work with a branding agency and has since successfully grown his business.
This Side Hustle Spotlight Q&A is Washington, DC-based Lertlumprasert sisters Lisa, 36; Lita, 34; Charlene, 31; and Charlie, 27. He started and runs his own Thai-inspired popcorn brand party of As a side hustle. Lisa owns and operates a Thai restaurant; Lita is a data scientist; Charlene is a UX designer; And Charlie is a product manager. Responses have been edited for length and clarity.
Want to read more stories like this? agree money makersOur free newsletter is full of creative side hustle ideas and successful strategies. Sign up here.
When did you start your side and where did you get the inspiration from?
Lita: The idea to party off started in February 2023 – but the idea of starting a business together is something we’ve been talking about since we were kids.
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