In this episode of The Heart of Food & Beverage, Andrea sits down with Nora Iliakis and Jenny Sior, the powerhouse sisters behind Grandpa J’s, to talk about building a seasoning brand with staying power, and doing it their own way. Originally started by their great-uncle, a veteran Vancouver chef, Grandpa J’s was passed down through the family and kept alive through passion, creativity, and an uncompromising love of great food. From fax orders and food service mystery buyers to viral retail growth and national shelf space, their journey is full of unexpected turns and powerful lessons. They share what it’s like growing a business for 20+ years, navigating a male-dominated industry as women founders, and why they waited to tell people the brand was woman-owned. We also dig into the emotional toll of entrepreneurship, how they pivoted during the pandemic, and why they’ve chosen to scale without a distributor (for now).