Natasha Case studied Architecture, Italian Studies & Urban Planning at UC Berkeley and earned her Master’s in Architecture from UCLA in 2008. One year later, she risked everything on an old postal van she purchased on Craigslist.
After working at Walt Disney Imagineering, her partner Freya and Natasha took a barely drivable postal van to Coachella Music Fest and sold their first architecturally-inspired ice cream sandwiches to an audience of 100,000 people. Since then, Coolhaus has become a business with a growth multiple of 2-3x per year—due to popular demand.
They also published a cookbook with over 100 recipes in May 2014 that was praised on Andy Cohen, Martha Stewart and GMA.
My Definition Of Success | Having a work/life balance is so important-if not THE most importance factor- for running your own business. Having personal time outside of work allows you to be focused, clear-minded and more productive the next day.
I Am Driven By | My versatile work week, business development, public speaking, mid-day adventures hiking or playing tennis!
My Highlights | I’ll never forget the day we were picked up in Whole Foods, or the day our cookbook was released. I also feel extremely proud (and sometimes emotional) just hearing from our fans… some people seem almost as passionate about our ice cream as I am!
Principles I Live By | #1: Trust your instincts, especially if those instincts are saying you don’t have to play by the rules. Be creative and confident with your ideas!
Lessons I Have Learnt | During our first year of business, I learned the importance of being proactive as opposed to reactive. A lot of things went wrong with our only truck that year because we didn’t know how to care for it. The truck would break down and we would have to get it fixed, but if we had had a maintenance routine (like we do now), we would have been able to avoid a lot of issues.
Dealing With Doubt | You have to make the best of fear. Is the fear because of risk, pioneering new territory, feeling like you are going to have to grow and evolve to meet demands? In the end, those are all positives. Overcoming the fear will lead to an even bigger payoff.
The Best Advice I’ve Received | “You can walk through a wall when you don’t know it’s there.”
I Am Inspired By | Lisa Salzer, Jenna Lyons and Marisa Mayer.
The Legacy I Would Like To Leave | I’d like to help other women entrepreneurs have access to capital, resources, and the confidence to realize their vision.
