Written by Brenna

Guys. I got to visit with one cool #girlboss yesterday. Her name is Lottie and she owns Lottie's Shivers Shaved Ice in Conroe, TX. If you haven't had her snow, finish reading this post and then head over because you're seriously missing out. We agreed that you're never too old for a snow cone, so no excuses! I'm not going to lie, I was a little nervous going into this interview with an eight-year-old who has more business experience than I do at 25 years old. Needless to say, I took some serious notes. 

Let me back up for a second- A few Thursdays ago we took the Bronco out while Callie was in town for some snow and actually wound up meeting Lottie's mom, Deb. She gave us a quick history lesson and I knew I needed to meet Miss Lottie my self. So, I got in touch a few days later and the rest is history. 

Lottie gave me a tour of the shop and showed how her operation runs while filling me in on how the syrup and ice is made. Did you know their ice is made in house?! 

What made you fall in love with serving snow to your community?

 She proudly let me know that her main reason is "because she wants everyone to be happy and snow cones make people happy. Then because you can maybe make a lot of money".  I also learned that she's already started to save money for the smart car she wants to buy when she's old enough to drive. 

Did you know that this snow cone stand actually started as a lemonade stand bribe? Deb told me that the deal was if Lottie served lemonade every day for an entire summer they would buy her a building. She told me in front of Lottie that they made that deal thinking she'd be over it in a week. I looked at Lottie and asked, "Did you decide to prove them wrong or because you love snow that much?" She just smirked and said, "Both". TALK about someone with some serious ambition. Let me also add that this happened when she was FOUR. Now she's 8, headed to the third grade with a business in a real air-conditioned building, her own ice machine and not one but two ice shavers. One is a backup though, but still! Let me also add that no matter how many times her parents have offered to help financially she continues to blow them away with her, "I-got-this" attitude. For instance, when Deb took her to Lowe's so they could pick out cabinets during her kitchen renovation, Lottie gave her a quick lesson over quartz vs. linoleum. Quartz isn't as porous and it was important they chose white so she could clean up spills quicker. What?! I know, she's legit and has one sweet kitchen.

What do you want to be when you grow up?

 "Maybe a chef." So, I asked what kind and her answer was, "the kind that makes cupcakes or cakes or all the delicious sweets". I mean why would you want to bake anything other than sweets? Her mom mentioned at one-point neurosurgeon made it on the list but Lottie quickly shot that down because it's "too icky". We talked about how she balances school and snow because they are open from April to September. Our teacher readers will be happy to know that school time is for school only and when she's at the stand that's when it's snow time. Grades come first! 

Do a portion of your profits go to a specific charity? If so, which one?

"Yes! Mom gave me a list to choose from and my pick was Meals on Wheels". She likes that they deliver meals to people who might not be able to make or get a meal. Deb said that her and her husband have really worked on helping her understand the importance of altruistic giving in addition to balancing work, school and being a kid. Ultimately, the Lord comes first, then family, work, and finally self. The first two will take care of her when she needs it and Lottie gets it. I'm so impressed. 

Let me fill you in on the secret menu because I've got the scoop. In case you were wondering, yes there's absolutely a password required to order from Lottie's Secret Menu. It's a line from her favorite song and it's pretty catchy so I think you'll remember it.  

I won't tell you what's on the secret menu because it's a secret (duh) but I will tell you that a few flavors have juice in them straight from Hawaii! Lottie found this juice guy on YouTube and said, "I need this for my snow!" She let me know that if you don't know the password at first, it's okay because she has it written on the secret menu so you can remember for next time. 

There's a chance you might have heard of "Lottie's Gray Stuff". According to some it tastes like a sweet tart but Lottie says, "it's sweet but also sour at the same time". When I asked what flavors were in it she said, "I can't remember because I was five when I came up with it". So, it's even a mystery to the boss lady herself. I have a feeling Mom might know the recipe in case she ever runs out. I'm definitely trying it next time I go and you should too!

What's your favorite part of being the boss?

"Getting to tell everyone what to do". We all laughed. She then went on to add that she enjoys getting to do stuff like this and meeting people (and she knows a lot!). She let me know that she knows all of her employees' parents' names. This prompted me to ask if she gets to help interview people when they are hiring or if her mom takes care of that. Sometimes she does and once she asked Billy, who's been here for two seasons now, if he washes his hands after he picks his nose! That's a very valid question! No one wants boogers in their snow! Her dream for the stand is to one day make it bigger and maybe even serve ice cream. Which I think is genius because some people like ice cream more than snow and vice versa.

I told Lottie at the end of our visit that I was nervous coming into this because it was my first interview for the blog and this series! She giggled and asked why?! I told her a little bit about why we started the blog and how much we admire her entrepreneurial spirit so it was important we had her kick off our interview series and she just smiled big. Which totally made my day, especially after her mom let me know that we were the first people Lottie agreed to do an interview with! She liked that we were local.

This blog post could go on a lot longer about Miss Lottie but I'll leave you with this... Lottie has a heart of gold and she probably doesn't even realized yet what kind of impact she's making with each person who buys her snow. 

Here are my takeaways from our visit:

-Everyone deserves to be happy.

-Silly sayings help you remember things. Like "Glove Up Buttercup"!

-Go big or go home. Always. 

-If you follow your passion and it's good, nothing bad will come from it. God will bless it and you.

I think you should visit her for yourself! Lottie's Shivers Shaved Ice is located at:

2101 Maurel Drive, Conroe, TX. 77304