How To Start A Successful Business Before You Turn 30

Laura O’Neill cofounded Van Leeuwen Ice Cream with her then-romantic partner Ben Van Leeuwen and his brother Pete Van Leeuwen in 2008, when Laura was in her 20s. Not only that, but O’Neill was new to the U.S. at the time, having just relocated to Brooklyn, NY from Melbourne, Australia. Fast forward 12 years, and Van Leeuwen Ice Cream operates 21 scoop shops across New York City and Los Angeles, and sells pints in grocery stores across the country. In addition to leading Van Leeuwen creatively and operationally, O’Neill co-owned the popular Brooklyn restaurant Selamat Pagi with her two business partners for eight years (before they made the decision to close it in February 2020). She also comprises half of the indie-pop band Laura and Greg, and still finds time to rock climb.

The Van Leeuwen brothers and O’Neill opened their ice cream truck in NYC after discovering a gap in the market for truly premium ice cream made with just a few, all-natural ingredients and without stabilizers and gums. They launched with ten classic flavors. “Starting an ice cream business was definitely something I stumbled into, but now I can’t imagine my life any other way,” says O’Neill. “I always knew I would end up doing my own thing, but I didn’t know that ‘thing’ would be ice cream.”

O’Neill met Ben Van Leeuwen, one of her business partners, in London when he was studying abroad and she was visiting her brother. The two ended up dating long distance and decided to move to NYC together after his graduation. Shortly before arriving in the United States, Ben told O’Neill about his idea to start a premium ice cream truck with his brother Pete, and asked if she wanted to join in on the fun. “I loved the idea at once and said I was in!” O’Neill explains. “Ben and I split up in 2011, but we remain best friends and great business partners.” 

With just $60K from friends and family, O’Neill and her cofounders grew Van Leeuwen without any outside investment for the first 10 years. They grew smartly and profitably, so that when they raised capital in 2018, Van Leeuwen Ice Cream had a strong, proven business model and could raise additional funds for growth without giving up control.

 Here, O’Neill offers her top six business lessons for young aspiring entrepreneurs:

1. Find great people to collaborate with. Good partners are the most important ingredient to starting a business.
2. Love what you do. Make sure you’re truly passionate about what you are doing. Starting a business is a lot of work and you may be doing it for a lot of your life, so make sure it is something you really believe in.
3. Build a great team who aligns with your vision. You can’t wear all the hats forever.
4. Don’t compromise on quality. The best way to do things usually won’t be the easiest or the cheapest, but don’t cut corners.
5. Grow lean and profitably. Anyone can start a business with a ton of money. If you can do it lean and succeed, then you’re actually a business.
6. Listen to your audience and pivot when needed. For us, this was the move to vegan.

When they started Van Leeuwen Ice Cream, it was one of just a few premium, all-natural ice cream brands in the freezer. Now there are many. Van Leeuwen has pivoted to focus on vegan, cashew- and oat milk-based ice cream to maintain brand loyalty and win new customers. “We eat ice cream for no other reason than pure enjoyment,” says O’Neill. “It makes us happy, and that’s a powerful thing. I’m especially proud of our vegan innovations. Not only are our vegan flavors delicious and being enjoyed by people who thought they’d never like anything vegan, but they are also better for you and the environment.” 

Prior to founding Van Leeuwen, O’Neill worked in event production in Melbourne, Australia. She believes this was a great foundation for building a powerful business. Ultimately, she feels that her life purpose is “to create and collaborate. What we do at Van Leeuwen feels meaningful to me on many levels. We make a product with integrity that makes people happy, and our team can feel proud to be a part of that.”

To young people looking to tap into their life purpose, O’Neill offers this advice.

·     Find the things you love and shape a career around them.

·     Dabble. I worked a bunch of jobs over the years in various fields and many of them helped me find my path.

·     Engage in side projects. Make time for the other things you love. For me, it’s playing music and rock climbing!

·     Don’t wait. Changing careers or starting something on your own can be daunting, but once you are ready, take the plunge.