Today we’d like to introduce you to Daniel Geerts.
Hi Daniel, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today.
It all started a few years ago when I started a garden in my backyard, after running out of things to do with the cucumbers, I started playing around with a fridge-pickling recipe. Fridge pickles are not shelf-stable like canned pickles. Through a bunch of trial and error with friends and family, I pinned it down to the perfect dill recipe and called it “Original” and the less spicy version “Wimpy Original”. I found that not only could I turn cucumbers into amazing pickles, but I could also do it with asparagus, carrots, cauliflower, green beans, jalapenos, etc.
Not only that but you can continue to load the jar up as you eat. The longer they sit the softer they get or eat right away for a crisp bite. I knew I had something, everyone would say “you have to sell these”, but I struggled with how to sell them. That’s when I came up with the idea to sell pickling kits. This would allow others to pickle whatever vegetables they would like.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Earlier this year I was working a full-time and on-call corporate IT job, along with a side business I’d started over a decade ago doing IT support for small businesses – Mitten Geeks (MittenGeeks.com). I started toying with the idea of creating a pickle business. It takes a lot of work to go from an idea to something you can sell.
Thankfully I have a very supportive wife who encouraged me to take the leap, quit my corporate job, and invest in these two companies.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
After quitting my corporate job I poured all my free time into starting a pickle business, I picked up DIYPickles.com and before I knew it I was filing an LLC for DIY Pickles Company. I think the best comment I’ve heard so far has to be “your pickles are better than the storks”. We currently offer two dill-based flavors – Original which is a bit spicy and Wimpy Original which is not spicy at all.
It takes about 10 minutes to cut and make the pickles and in 24 hours they’re ready to eat. People can pickle whatever they want. My favorite has to be pickles and jalapenos. I’d like for DIY Pickles Company to be the home for others to sell their pickling recipes but for now, we’re just sticking with the two flavors.
What were you like growing up?
I think it’s the combination of problem-solving while helping others that has always made me love working with people and technology. Every weekend growing up we’d head up north to our place in Northern Michigan where we’d swim, fish, hunt, etc. We had a place in the woods and would visit my cousins on a lake. I loved it up there but as I grew older I started working at a pizza place that was busy on the weekends which prevented me from heading up north.
After having kids I wanted to recreate that childhood I’d had up north so we sold my parent’s place in the woods and purchased a family cottage on the same lake as my cousins. We swim and fish in the summertime, hunt in the spring and the fall, ice fish and ride snowmobiles in the winter. The whole family loves it. It is our happy place.
Pricing:
- Spice Pack $5
- Spice Pack + Mason Jar $10
- Subscribe for monthly refills for a discount
Contact Info:
- Website: diypickles.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/diypickles/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DIYPickles/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/PicklesDiy
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@diypickles
Image Credits
JenQPhotography
