Today we’d like to introduce you to Becky Copeland.
Hi Becky, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’ve been employed with Eckerd Drug/CVS Health as a lead pharmacy technician since 1987. I felt that there was nothing else I could do there. I wanted to change careers, but at my age, I was nervous to do so. The man I was dating at the time showed me a video of how to start a shaved ice business. I told him I can do that!!! The rest is history as they say.
I looked all over Facebook marketplace for a trailer that would be ideal to start with.
Once I found the right one, I got my brother on board, and he helped me with everything.
Without the help from him, my son, sister-in-law, and other friends of my brother, I would not be where I am today.
I left my full-time, guaranteed paycheck on February 28, 2020, to pursue something that I love! Shaved Ice!!!
Little did I know that COVID-19 would hit right after I left! I was so afraid that all the hard work, money, and dedication to my new dream would be put on hold and I’d have to go back to something that I wasn’t passionate about.
I found out that because I was considered “take out” that I could still open. Praise the Lord!
My first season started April 3, 2020, and it was wonderful! I met so many people thru their masks. It was like everyone was so excited to get out of the house even if it was just to go out and get a cold sweet treat from a lady they’d never seen.
I am on my 3rd season as we speak. I hope to continue this “fun job” long enough to pass it down to my grandkids. The oldest is 5 1/2 and is in kindergarten. He still has a while before he can work for me, but if he could today, he would along with my 3 other granddaughters. Everyone loves Wawa’s “snocones.”
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The road has actually been smooth despite opening during a shutdown. I thought that Covid-19 would keep people from leaving their houses, but it didn’t. I feel like the area that I’m in was convenient to so many neighborhoods that they thought it’d be safe enough to leave for a few minutes. If I had any struggles, it was finding the right place to park my trailer so everyone could see it. It’s bright pink, so that part wasn’t an issue.
The fact that you have to get the approval of “corporate “ instead of the business owner is crazy!
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
When I started, I wanted to have the best ice and flavors possible. I found the right machine that shaves the ice from a block. A lot of ice machines these days take cubes of ice that you have a good chance of having crunchy ice! No one wants an old-school snocone. My machine shaves it smoothly from the block.
I wanted my flavors to be bold. I didn’t want anyone saying that they couldn’t tell if they had strawberry or watermelon. I needed them to know exactly what they were eating. To this day, I’ve never had a complaint about my flavors. I get compliments daily that they are so good. I can’t begin to tell you how proud I am to be able to serve my community a delicious, cold, sweet treat.
To set me apart from the others, I put ONE gummy bear on the top of my shaved ice. The kids and big kids loved this. Kids would tell their parents I want to go to the pink trailer that gives the gummy bear.
I’ve broadened my menu to serve Mangonadas, Kool-Aid pickles, and Frozen Lemonade with your choice of shaved ice flavor on top.
Can you share something surprising about yourself?
Most people have no idea that I’ve worked for the same company for 34 years and I’m 55 years old! I’m still with them in the winter months as I close down the last day of September. I then take 3 weeks off for vacation and start back to CVS for the winter months. I’m a single mom to two adults that amaze me with their talents.
I have 4 grandkids and one on the way! (March 2023)
Contact Info:
- Instagram: Sassysnoshavedice
- Facebook: Sassy Sno Shaved Ice
