Leigh Kellis, Holy Donut

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Lee Carles is the owner of Holy Donut. This past year she was selected as U.S. small Business Administration's main small business Person of the Year. Congratulations.

Leigh Kellis:

Thank you very much.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

And thanks for coming in because you are incredibly busy.

Leigh Kellis:

We're pretty busy. Three shops keeps us fairly busy.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Yes did you know that when you launched your first store, the donuts were going to be such a big deal?

Leigh Kellis:

Not entirely. I knew that donuts were a big deal, which is why I was craving them and needing them in my life so badly. But that was a personal craving about six and a half years ago where I just needed to eat them and couldn't find them in the form that I wanted them, which was in a wholesome kind of more healthier is way. So yeah, but I, I didn't know they would be a big deal in terms of employing so many people and giving us the opportunity to build three shops and counting.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

So what. What was it six years ago that had you saying I really need to eat some donuts. Some good quality donuts.

Leigh Kellis:

It's just a craving. I think we all have cravings and I know I do. And I just wanted, I wanted comfort food and I couldn't find a donut that that wasn't mass produced or from a factory. And I was just kind of disenchanted with that and discouraged. So I decided to start making my own.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

And you are. You're known for having donuts that lots of different people with dietary issues can eat. You have gluten free donuts, you Have, I believe, vegan donuts.

Leigh Kellis:

Yeah.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

So that's not something that every donut shop is thinking about.

Leigh Kellis:

No. And somehow it just evolved that way. If I were to do it all over again, I would have never seen it in its, you know, incarnation as it is now. But it just slowly blossomed. I started with one recipe, which is just the main potato donut. And then I just started saying, hey, I had all this energy at the beginning to do it all and make up recipes and sit in the kitchen and experiment. I have none of that energy now. Zero. I do not experiment anymore. But for the first few years, I just had. I had unlimited amounts of donut energy.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Why go with the main potato donut?

Leigh Kellis:

That was a suggestion from a friend in town here who owns a well known pizza place. He said, hey, you should use potatoes. Makes everything better. And I said, okay. I really wasn't sure what the outcome would be, but I started experimenting, and when I tasted it, I said, yes, this is exactly what I've been looking for. It was moist and yummy and delicious and wholesome. And I just said, I think this is sellable.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Did it surprise you at the time that there was such a thing as a Maine potato donut?

Leigh Kellis:

Yeah, I had no. I mean, the potato donut thing was not necessarily specific to Maine. But then once I started putting all the pieces together as like a sellable, marketable product. We're in Maine. It's the land of the potatoes. We need a donut shop, home run. This could work. This could be a good business, business model.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

I remember the first time I had a potato donut. It was in the county. So that's where you get a lot of potatoes. And it was probably the most delicious thing I had ever had because it was fresh out of the fryer, which of course makes it not super healthy. But there was something about it that tasted really different than your average, let's say Dunkin donut.

Leigh Kellis:

Totally.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Not to disparage Dunkin Donuts, but just a taste. It had a really different and more of a solidity to it, I think.

Leigh Kellis:

Yeah, it's a little denser. It's a little more. It's a little velvety in that it's not just mix with water. A lot of places just use a mix and add water, but ours are just yummy.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

So where did this interest in experimenting with cooking come from? Is this something that you had always had?

Leigh Kellis:

No, I launched into this with no business experience and no baking experience. It just is a passion for food. That's all I Just think food is a really important part of life and it adds a lot to your day. I think eating well is pretty much it should be priority. It is for me and I think it should be for most people because it's an opportunity to have some enjoyment three times a day. So why not maximize it?

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

You grew up in Portland and went to Deering High School. What were things like as a, I want to say child, but as a high school student, what did you have in your mind that you might want to do for a job?

Leigh Kellis:

The only thing I ever cared about was music. I love to sing. I used to play piano. I've been creatively distracted for the past six years. But I always thought that my mission in life was to be involved in music. I had no other real concept of what else to do. I'd never been career driven or minded. So the donut thing was kind of perfect because it was extremely creative and extremely experimental. And that's, that's kind of my comfort zone is doing things that are completely unstructured, which the business was. At first. It was very. We didn't. I didn't have a solid business plan. I just leapt, took a leap, started making donuts, said, okay, I'm gonna figure this out. Just bring them to people and share them and hopefully start selling them.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

So is that what happened? That people. You brought the donuts to people and they said, wow, these are really good. I need, you know, two dozen more of these.

Leigh Kellis:

Yeah, I just brought them to Coffee by Design. One dozen. And she said, we'll sell them. And then that was on Washington Ave. And every day I brought her a dozen and I just said, oh, okay, they're buying them. Somebody's buying them. It's giving me confirmation that this could be a business concept. And then it just started to blossom from there. One dozen and two dozen. And I kind of hit the pavement trying to sell more of them. And that was about 40 dozen a week for the first several months.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

All of them yourself, you were cooking all of these yourself?

Leigh Kellis:

Yep. Four at a time with little forks.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Wow, that's a lot of work.

Leigh Kellis:

It was a ton of work. So I started really early in the morning and that's when my dad jumped in a few months in and said, you just can't afford to hire anybody, so I'm going to help you at 6am every day. So he started helping me every day for months as a volunteer at 6am to get the business going.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

What was your dad's background?

Leigh Kellis:

He was just a serial entrepreneur. He had Done many different concept business ideas. And he happened to have just retired from the insurance business. And he's like, I need something to do. I'll be there at 6am every day. So he came to deliver my donuts every day at 6am so in part,

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

this was perfect for him because as an entrepreneur, you do end up doing whatever you need to do. You don't say, this is not my job. Everything is your job if it's your business.

Leigh Kellis:

Yeah. And he thought the donut business seemed like a fun thing to do. So he said, hey, I'm in. Let's do it, let's build, let's go for it.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

So what was that like to have the chance to work so closely with your father? Because not all of us have that opportunity.

Leigh Kellis:

It was interesting at 6am every day. You know, not always the chattiest time of day for me, but in retrospect, I really appreciate his help. It was, it was absolutely unusual, uncommon, and incredible that he showed up to help me every single day at 6am for seven months until he helped me open the shop. And then he continued to show up every day at 6am for years.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

That's a lot of love for a daughter.

Leigh Kellis:

I know. He was the very good example of, of a dad who, who shows up and helps. Didn't miss a day in all those years.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Yeah. So is this also a good example for the people that you brought in to start helping you in your stores?

Leigh Kellis:

Yeah, it started out really small. We had just one or two employees at first in addition to my dad and I. And it just, it grew pretty quickly. We started to feel that we couldn't keep up with demand. It was just me cooking donuts, frying donuts, my dad doing everything else, running the counter, mopping the floors, washing the dishes, buying supplies. And so we just had to slowly accumulate employees. And fortunately, we learned as we went because the growth requires. It was a huge learning curve, but it was steady enough that we were able to keep up with it. So now we're at 80 employees in three stores and seven days a week business. And it's a lot, but thank God there are so many wonderful, qualified and competent people involved that it makes it work.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Where was your first store?

Leigh Kellis:

Park Ave. Right over by the Sea Dog Stadium. It's a little old convenience store that was my dad and I just kind of gutted and scrubbed and painted and winged it.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

That's the one that has the big paintings of donuts on the side.

Leigh Kellis:

Yes.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Yeah. And then your next store was that Exchange Street? Yep. So that must have been a big step because that's right in the heart of the old port. And I'm guessing that the cost of opening that type of store would be quite a bit higher than it was.

Leigh Kellis:

It was, it was insane. Yes. But we just. This business has really been founded on many leaps of faith. It really, really, really has. And they keep working. So it's a testament to doing something with passion and faith, which sometimes runs a little low on times. I get a little nervous about how big it's gotten and keeping track of everything. But my brother in law, who's my business partner, yesterday we just talked about it, he just said, faith over fear. Faith over fear. That's our mantra all the time. Because in small business there's always fear. There's always fear of competition. There's always fear of, you know, things just falling apart. It's hard to keep things going and still have integrity and run a business according to our values and keep paychecks clear. And there's a lot of details, but faith over fear is definitely our mantra.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Did you have a sense that faith was important when you were younger?

Leigh Kellis:

No, I don't think I ever had a great foundation. My parents are very deep, introspective people, but we didn't have an actual structured foundation at all. But as I get older, I realize it's important to choose positivity. Or you can call it faith, or you can call it all kinds of things. Trust that what you're doing is what you're meant to be doing. And I do believe this is what I'm meant to be doing. So that's a big part of fueling the faith, of keeping it going and seeing what the next step is. If we grow, if we don't grow, trusting that whatever happens next is what is meant to be.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

So what is it that has you convinced that this is what you were meant to be doing?

Leigh Kellis:

Well, I love feeding people. I love that people come in and they leave happy. The comments we get on Facebook and on our website that, you know, they had such a good experience and that they were treated nicely and that they love the donuts. All of that stuff just, I love that it makes me feel encouraged, that it adds a little something to somebody's day in a world that sometimes doesn't feel so awesome and positive. So a donut shop should be a little moment, a break, where you go, oh, okay. Things are good, we're good. It smells good in here. The music's good. That's the whole point.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

It's Also, donuts are the thing that many people start their days with. It's something that people celebrate with. So there's an interesting intersection with the positivity in people's lives. Really?

Leigh Kellis:

Absolutely. And the nostalgia. People say constantly, this reminds me of my grandmother and it makes me happy. And I have a positive memory with my grandmother. And I just think, yes, exactly. That's what makes me feel like this is the right thing to do.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Is it interesting to you that we have such a focus in one sort of part of our brains on health and fitness and no white sugar, no white flour, no white potatoes, no carbs, no. And yet you have lines outside your doors. And sometimes it's the same people.

Leigh Kellis:

Totally. It's very interesting and I think it's completely. It makes sense because we know we all want deliciousness. Every single person. We all try to be good and we try to be regimented, and it's just everybody, deep down, just wants enjoyment. So the good news is we use good ingredients in unbleached flour and local pureed berries and roasted sweet potatoes and lemons and all that stuff. So it's kind of like, yes, it's a donut, but it's not that bad. So it's kind of like giving people permission to indulge a little bit.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Well, and really, if people are eating small amounts of desserts, it's not. I think the bigger problem is that people want to deprive themselves of everything and then they get so that they need to have too much or they need to just go way beyond just a normal amount of donut eating, I guess, or pastry eating.

Leigh Kellis:

Absolutely. America is totally dysfunctional with food. It's probably pretty. That's a fact. So we're all confused. Are we supposed to eat this gluten free, not gluten free, vegan. What am I supposed to eat? So. And I don't have the answer exactly, except eat what you like, stop when you're full, move on.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

I think that's probably a pretty good way to look at it.

Leigh Kellis:

It's kind of the only way at this point because all the craziness in the diet and the deprivation does not really work that well in the big picture.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

No, that's true. You have a lot of different types of donuts. You were just talking about pureed berries and lemons. And did you yourself come up with each of these individual recipes?

Leigh Kellis:

Most of them I just kind of added to the offerings, things that I was craving. I said, ooh, pomegranate sounds good. Let's figure that out. Maple. Let's figure that out. Let's figure out pureed blueberries on a donut, which is.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

These are.

Leigh Kellis:

I'm not. Didn't invent. Invent these concepts, but just we tried a lot of things that didn't work, but the ones that did work were things that I thought the general public would just love. And yeah, the Allen's Coffee Brandy is just a funny one. I thought of sitting at a bar one night, thought, oh, it's the perfect Maine booze. Let's throw it on a donut. And it's. People love it.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Isn't that like one of the top selling liquors in the state of Maine?

Leigh Kellis:

Definitely. Maybe not in Portland, but I think everywhere else, people, I think, consume many gallons of Alan's Coffee Brandy.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

So what are the most popular donuts that you sell?

Leigh Kellis:

We sell a lot of the chocolate sea salt, which I can see why. I think salt and chocolate's a really good combo. It's a little unusual. Yeah, I would say that's the top. The cannolis are pretty good with the ricotta filling. Yeah, people just love donuts.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

And what are your favorites?

Leigh Kellis:

I like the sweet potato. I think it's interesting. I've never seen that anywhere else. I think it's really good with ginger glaze.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

So what types of stories have you heard around your donuts? When people put something up on Facebook, like make a comment about how this reminds them of their grandparents. What types of things have stayed with you?

Leigh Kellis:

A lot of people have said that they had an association with our shop and they would come in with their dad and their older parent and enjoy a lemon donut, for example, every Sunday. And then all of a sudden their dad died. And I've heard these stories many times. And so they said they still are able to connect with that feeling by coming into the shop and, you know, having something in their honor of somebody who's passed. And I've heard that multiple times. And I've always, like, it's. It's totally heartwarming that people can. I think our shop appeals to all ages, which is what I like. We have a total varied demographic. We get kids, we get tons of older people who just come in and sit for, you know, in the afternoon with their, with their friends and donuts and coffee appeals to all ages. And we're. I don't think we're too trendy that we're out. We're excluding the older population. So I absolutely love that to see them coming in because some places here in town are A little too hipster and trendy that older people would never go. So we're kind of right in the middle. In other words, it makes me happy that any people can. People can share the experience no matter what their age.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

I'm kind of fascinated by the idea of baked goods, in part because I have a child who's 16, she's my youngest, and she works at a coffee shop. And she has this really significant interest in baked goods, which I think is kind of a. It's not necessarily what I would expect of what we call the younger generation, because they're supposed to be known as these digital natives and everything's all about YouTube and social media. But I actually think that there's this important tangibility that people are seeking, and I think they're seeking it from a younger age. Is that something that you've noticed as well?

Leigh Kellis:

Well, I'd like to think that younger people are still human and interested in the. In the arts and food and using their hands and creating things. And I too, I get really nervous. My daughter's 14 and she's starting to actually lose interest in social media, which is a huge turning point where I was, like I said, I was nervous for a while that she wouldn't really have a concept or grasp of the real world because there's so much on the screen. But I think we should give these kids a little credit and hope that there's still interest in creating things in old world crafts. I'm hoping. But I think it's a really good thing to cultivate and nurture in them, for sure.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Has your daughter spent any time working in any of your stores or working on donuts in general?

Leigh Kellis:

She has. She spends most of her time in the ocean surfing, but when given the opportunity, she loves to glaze donuts.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

That's something that's very tangible then.

Leigh Kellis:

Yes. And I, I sometimes she resists it and she says, no, I don't want it to be in the business. I say, well, it's an opportunity and it's a job, and you might want to at least participate a little bit at this point, you know, so I may force her to. To work the counter one day a week soon, which I think would be really good for.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

You know, it's not the first time I've heard this from someone who has a child who's a teenager who has a small business, that there is something really important about being part of the business, in no small part that keeps the family going, really. And that's something that we used to have we used to have small farms where everybody got involved from really young ages, but we don't have it as much anymore.

Leigh Kellis:

Yeah. And I definitely don't want her to be spoiled and think that she doesn't have to work. I think I, pretty soon I probably will implement that. She just turned 14 so she can do a worker's permit to get the concept of working and participating in the family business, which, yes, is a special thing nowadays it's not that common to have a family business where you can really participate and make money and have fun and work hard and contribute. So, yeah, I think it's a really valuable lesson.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

And how about dealing with the public? Is that something that she's had a chance to do, having this association with Holy Donut?

Leigh Kellis:

Not really. I think she needs a little more practice. I think this would be good for her. She's a little, sometimes a little reserved. So, yeah, it's definitely very, very public dealing with a line of people at times. And you just have to smile the whole time and be on. It's not easy.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

No, it's not easy. And I've been having been in only two of your stores, I think your third is in Scarborough, is that right?

Leigh Kellis:

Correct.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

So I haven't been to that one yet. I've been to the other two stores and they're busy. They're very, very busy. So the people who are behind the counter are constant motion, always very pleasant. But, you know, there's a system in place. You know, you have to. I always feel a little nervous. I better know what the donuts are that I want before I get up to the front.

Leigh Kellis:

It is very nerve wracking.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

It is very nerve wracking because you're seeing the donuts and the quantities are going down and you're hoping you're going to get the one you want. But the people are really professional and really pleasant. And both of. Actually all three of my kids have worked in the service industry at one time or another. And I think that that's so important that even under stress, you be able to interact with other humans that aren't necessarily your teammates at school or your classmates at school.

Leigh Kellis:

Yeah, it's an incredible life skill. It's hard to hone in on that and really be friendly and positive and professional person after person after person. It's not for everybody. Also, on occasion I hear feedback and people say, I came into your store and the person was rude. I say, ah, you know, we really, really, really try to have people be consistently friendly and smiling, but there's People have their moments on occasion.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Yes. We're all human.

Leigh Kellis:

Yes. Not that that's an excuse, but there are moments where someone may not be smiling for that 10 second window and someone has a bad experience. So yeah, we're not perfect, but we try, we try to be nice.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Yeah. You want to have, when you have your donut, you want to have that positive association with your donut.

Leigh Kellis:

Yeah. Like with any food, you know, in the service industry, you just want it to feel pleasant.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

You have, you said 80 employees.

Leigh Kellis:

Yes.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

That's a lot of people to be responsible for.

Leigh Kellis:

It is. And we have a good network. So my brother in law is my right hand man and he pretty much manages all of those people. It's not my forte.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

So what would you consider your forte

Leigh Kellis:

to be at this point? I do our social media. I think about donut flavors and I am a single mom

Leigh Kellis:

I kind of think about the business and what we're doing and planning and strategizing. But hands on, not at all. I used to make all the donuts myself and that just really, totally evolved away from that. So I do miss it. I like making donuts, but we had to phase out of that to help the business grow and stabilize, which I did learn from reading many business books that the best thing to do is to back away, which is hard. It's the hardest part of running a business is letting go of it so that it can be on its own and run itself. That was good wisdom I learned in a really Michael E. Gerber book.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Yeah, I would think that would be hard to do. This is your children.

Leigh Kellis:

It's exactly the same. At some point you have to let them find their way to sustain themselves and exist in the world without you. So it's just the perfect metaphor. It's very hard, but it's very necessary.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

So I know that you recently lost your father at a relatively young age.

Leigh Kellis:

I think he was 68. And I think in the big scheme of things, that is, it was probably too young. Yes.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

So as part of this business moving forward without him, the idea that somehow he's still there.

Leigh Kellis:

Yes. Believe it or not, I feel him just as strongly now as ever.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

So does he help lead any of your decisions or does he help.

Leigh Kellis:

It's been two weeks, but his, his energy is really strong and his wisdom was really good. So I, I actually feel very comforted by his presence in the cosmos right now. And I feel it. That's the kind of person I am. I'm totally open and I'm totally receptive and I've been communicating with him. So I feel actually very comforted by potentially tapping into his guidance and protection as we move forward with the business. I know he was psyched about the business. He loved it. He was so proud to be a part of it and to watch it grow and to make sure his kids were good. My sister, my brother in law and I now pretty much run it. And I think my dad is very comforted knowing that the business is doing well and that we all have a job and a place to put our energy and our investments. And yeah, I feel, I'm definitely feeling his presence still.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Why did you call your business the Holy Donut?

Leigh Kellis:

It was really just a pun. It was not religious or deeply meaningful in any way. I just thought it was kind of funny.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Because of the hole.

Leigh Kellis:

Yeah, the donut hole. That's all. But then, you know, the potato is the holy crop of Maine sort of. It's, you know, such an important part of our economy. So I thought it made sense. And I think donuts are fairly divine and or sacred as a food. So for all of these reasons, I just thought it was the perfect name.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Well, now I can't wait to go back to Scarborough and go to that third store and have another one of your donuts. I'll probably bring my 16 year old or one of my older kids when they're back from school. I've been speaking with Lee Kellis, who is the owner of Holy Donut, and this past year she was elected a U.S. small Business Administration's main Small Business Person of the Year. Congratulations and thanks for taking the time out of your busy schedule to come in today.

Leigh Kellis:

Thank you very much. My pleasure.