My guest on today’s episode is Sarah Schlafly, the pioneering founder and driving force behind Mighty Cricket, whose mission is “to build a more sustainable food supply to feed the world’s exponentially growing population.” You’ll hear her remarkable story about launching a clean protein company with global aspirations—and crickets as its primary ingredient; the unexpected twists and turns she has encountered while navigating her journey; and her sage advice for entrepreneurs about following a passion and mastering the art of the pivot.
If you’re looking for an enlightening, engaging way to learn more about being a successful entrepreneur, you’re only a click away. Simply hit the Play button above and hold on for the glorious ride.
The Backstory
I first met Sarah in 2021 through TEDxStLouis (yes, that TED!), which curates and hosts TED-oriented presentations by outstanding thought leaders from the Saint Louis region. That year was my first as a TEDx facilitator—i.e., a volunteer who assists one of the speakers in crafting, honing, and rehearsing his or her presentation for a TEDx event. Happily, I had the good fortune of working with Peggy Neufeld as a veteran co-facilitator and Sarah as our star speaker.
Watching Sarah polish and perfect her speech over that three-month period was truly delightful. As an accomplished speaker, she was a joy to work with: smart, witty, committed, and open to feedback and suggestions. Her TEDx talk, It’s Time to Embrace Insects as a Food Source, was compelling, informative, and memorable. When the evening arrived, the audience LOVED her presentation. In fact, her talk was so good that the video was selected by “big TED” to be published on the organization’s TEDx YouTube channel in 2022, quite an accomplishment.
Given her remarkable story as an innovator and difference maker, and her dedication to making food equitable across the globe, Sarah topped my list of podcast guests this season. Happily, she said yes, and I’m thrilled to share her wonderful story with you.
The Interview
In this inspiring interview, Sarah talks about her journey launching and growing Mighty Cricket, how international travel has informed her perspective regarding bugs as an alternative food source, and the fuel that drives her passion. She also shares the strengths that have served her best and the amazing team that helps to drive the company.
My three favorite parts of the interview are when she talks about how she has navigated the ups and downs of bringing her products to market, particularly during a global pandemic; the pivotal moment when she reached a crossroads and asked herself whether she should give up or keep moving forward (her answer is especially inspiring); and her exceptionally practical advice for anyone who wishes to pursue a passion.
You’ll love hearing about the first time she tried eating cricket and the chef whom she would most like to meet in the kitchen. You’ll also be fascinated when she talks about what’s next for Mighty Cricket. (You don’t want to miss her preview of things to come.)
Fun Facts
- Founder and chief product officer of Mighty Cricket
- Great granddaughter of late political activist Phyllis Schlafly
- Trained chef who has appeared on multiple TV cooking segments
- Has backpacked the world as a solo female
- Passion: Food equity around the globe
Cool Links
Sarah’s Interview w/ Medium.com
Quotes by Sarah Schlafly
“Mighty Cricket’s whole mission was founded on global disruptions of climate change and food scarcity, and this is just the beginning. There are going to be more and more of these. So, if I can build a company that can be highly resilient to these incredible global disruptions that I already experienced…in the company, then we can build a company that’s going to last for the next hundred years.”
[On the influence of travel] “…when you’re in a totally different culture and by yourself, the way things are done is the way the people around you are doing it, so you have a different perspective on what is good manners and my biggest takeaway: what is food.”
“The challenge of getting Americans to eat bugs is pretty lofty…and so was lobster 200 years ago—it was not accepted…. But we love lobster today.”
“I want people to realize that we can’t wait until the future to start building more sustainable food sources.”
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Great interview Deb. I really like Sara’s resilience. She really has had some setbacks that she had to get through and she still has a great attitude. Plus she isn’t just talking about the food issues facing us, she is doing something about them.
Thank you, Scott. You’re so right! Sara is doing such important work. And what a lovely person!