Check Out Ray Bray’s Story

I’m a dreamer and lover of all things art. My family moved to the states 26yrs ago when I was 9. We moved around a lot and in 2003 we ended up in Texas.  Then in 2006 my father moved to Canada but I decided to stay and build a more stable life for myself. I worked hard to save for college and my citizenship. By 2012 I graduated, got married, and started a family. Then in 2015, I put my career on hold to stay home with our first baby. The transition was challenging; being a stay-at-home mom was never in my plans, but God had a bigger plan. Fortunately, I have a great support system, and as I adjusted into my new role, I found serenity in cooking. I wanted to share my Palestinian roots with my family, so I tried remaking recipes my parents prepared. I was terrible at first but thankfully, practice makes progress. Cooking allowed me to express my passion for food and art; before I knew it, I was creating nutritious, timeless recipes and food styling. At the advice of a friend, I created an Instagram handle (@Raynboweats) as an outlet to share my creativity, inspire, and be inspired. I didn’t know much about blogging or entrepreneurship, I was simply sharing recipes and pictures when I had free time.

One of the recipes I kept working on was the hummus. I didn’t like any store-bought hummus, so I made my own from dried chickpeas, and since the batches are too large for one family, I would share with neighbors and friends. Everyone that tasted it kept telling me to sell it, and while it was an awesome compliment, I never thought more of it because I didn’t know the first thing about creating a product, let alone running a business. Then in February of 2020, I decided to take a leap of faith and apply for an LLC, hoping to share our hummus with everyone across Texas. As soon as we were approved, we had to quarantine but I didn’t let it stop us. We got our licensing and started to promote Raynboweats hummus through social media and throughout our community. It was a slow start, so I used my love for art to feature our hummus on grazing spreads and before I knew it, our arrangements started to get very popular. I’ve worked with charities, hosted virtual corporate events, and started offering online workshops to build your own board. Meanwhile, I was still working with local restaurants to carry our product. I’m proud to say that after a year of hard work and determination, you can now find our hummus at The Nook CKMC in Celina and Didi’s Downtown in Frisco. We also have an online store that features all the different hummus flavors that we offer and our grazing gallery.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
No, it has been a bit of a rollercoaster and I’m very grateful for that. Starting an LLC right before the start of a pandemic was not how I pictured our first year, but in a way, it’s exactly what we needed. It made me realize how innovative and resilient you have to be when you are working for yourself. My husband has a full-time job, our daughters (5 and 4yrs old) are doing virtual learning, so finding time to take care of my family and run all aspects of a small business can be very stressful and overwhelming at times. You learn to prioritize and figure what you can delegate when possible. The hardest part is not finding help when you need it. I think it’s inevitable to struggle in all aspects of life; that’s why it’s really important to find a support system and to have a growth mindset.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Our hummus is a hit even with babies! It’s made from scratch in boutique batches, so its always fresh and preservative-free.  We use the best ingredients and technique to create a creamy, smooth, and delicious dip in 5 flavors: authentic, coriander, jalaparsley, spicy roasted pepper and herbs, and chocolate. We love featuring our hummus on platters overflowing with charcuterie, a variety of cheese, organic seasonal fruits and vegetables, nuts and sweets, but the crackers always on the side. Every request is tailored and unique and we never repeat the same design. I love what I do and work hard to show that through my presentations.

If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
Self-discipline. The main thing I’ve learned in life is that self-discipline is key to accomplishing your goals. To get results, you have to be consistent and to be consistent, you have to be disciplined.