The Side Hustle She Started After Age 60 Hit $2 Million and Landed in Starbucks: ‘Time to Realize My Own Dream.’

This Side Hustle Spotlight Q&A features Theresa Burnley, 65, of Milford, New Hampshire. Burnley was the owner of Wiley Road Foods, which creates and manufactures unusual clean-label baked goods for brands like Trader Joe’s and Milk Bar, when she started her protein-bite brand, Circ, on the side in 2023. 

At the end of 2024, Burnley left Wiley Road Foods to focus on Circ full-time. Today, Circ offers six flavors of protein bites. The brand saw about $2 million in revenue last year and is available in over 13,000 retail locations nationwide, including Starbucks and Walmart. Responses have been edited for length and clarity. 

A lifetime of health and nutrition inspires a side hustle

When did you start your side hustle, and where did you find the inspiration for it?
As a runner my entire life and a mother to three college athletes, I have always prioritized health and nutrition. After 16 years working behind-the-scenes to ensure other people’s brands tasted amazing, I finally decided it was time to realize my own dream of building an independent natural food brand with my family. 

I was inspired to create Circ after realizing how antiquated the protein bar space had really become. The bar form no longer met the functional needs of how people eat today: grazing, on the go, GLP-1s, portion control, etc. 

What were some of the first steps you took to get your side hustle off the ground? How much money/investment did it take to launch?
Because we didn’t rely on a co-packer, we could write our own script. We had taught ourselves to make ball-shaped food working for Milk Bar. Our R&D team were pastry chefs, not food scientists, so they knew how to make food that people love. But our innovative packaging, which took a couple of years to develop, was really transformative. We worked to adapt packaging equipment to form the packs, which hold five protein bites, and then with material suppliers to develop the resealable lid. All-in, we invested over $1 million in process and product development.

Navigating manufacturing and brand-building

If you could go back in your business journey and change one process or approach, what would it be, and how do you wish you’d done it differently?
We approached Circ as a manufacturer that has its own brand and over time realized that we’re now a brand that has its own manufacturing. If we had it to do again, we’d focus on brand-building earlier.

When it comes to this specific business, what is something you’ve found particularly challenging and/or surprising that people who get into this type of work should be prepared for, but likely aren’t? 
There are hundreds of failed consumer brands every year. You read about the winners, see them on shelves and in your feed, and I think a lot of people think, How hard can it be? Even with a differentiated product that meets a consumer need, going from zero to one is very hard.  You need a high tolerance for pain.

Can you recall a specific instance when something went very wrong — how did you fix it?
Knock wood, I wouldn’t say anything has gone very wrong. But when you’re a manufacturer and not just a brand, you have to deal with the physical world of trucks that don’t show up, machines that break, materials not to spec. A tool for managing all of them is keeping slack in the system: extra capacity, spare parts, buffer inventory, comfortable lead times.

About $2 million in revenue with a 4X expected run rate

How long did it take you to see consistent monthly revenue? What does growth and revenue look like now?
We were lucky to get some early retail placements and had steady revenue soon after we launched at Expo West. But it takes longer to become profitable. By manufacturing ourselves, we initially face higher fixed costs than a co-packed brand. But at scale, manufacturing ourselves will give us a significant cost advantage. We did about $2 million in top-line revenue last year and expect we will 4X our run-rate this year.

How much time do you spend working on your business on a daily, weekly or monthly basis?
In the very beginning, as a side hustle, it was minimal. I was running another business, and we were developing packaging, machines, branding and product. Initially, there’s a lot of waiting time. But when Circ started to gain traction, we sold our bakery business. Now, I’m full-time growing Circ. It reminds me of when I had infant twins. The company can’t run itself yet. I’m responsible for everything; the days are long, but it’s very rewarding.

No one will understand your business like you do

What do you enjoy most about running this business?
Hearing from our customers! We’ve been embraced nationwide since Circ’s inception, and there is nothing like receiving rave reviews from those who love all our brand embodies. I especially love hearing from parents who tell me about how Circ is “the only healthy food their kids will eat.”

What is your best piece of specific, actionable business advice?  
Mentors and community can be a good source of perspective, but as a founder, you ultimately have to embrace the pain of hours, complexity and rejection. No one else will spend one-tenth of the time you do thinking about your business, and no one can ever understand it as well. You have to listen to all of the voices around you, but ultimately own it completely.