Side hustles are all about making a few extra bucks apart from your regular job. But sometimes a side project or an initiative taken up part-time can become profitable beyond imagination. Such is the case of 65-year-old Theresa Burnley from Milford, New Hampshire.
Burnley was 63 when she started off Circ, a protein-bite brand. She was already the owner of another firm, Wiley Road Foods, which creates and manufactures unusual clean-lable baked goods for companies like Trader Joe’s. Circ was a side hustle for Burnley. It soon became so profitable that she quit Wiley Road Foods in 2024 to focus on Circ.
Today, the brand generates almost $2 million in revenue, according to Entrepreneur. Circ offers six flavours of protein bites. Its products are available at 13,000 retail locations in the US, including Walmart and Starbucks.
How A Side Hustle Became A New Career Path
Burnley told the Entrepreneur that after working behind-the-scenes for 16 years to ensure that other brands “tasted amazing,” she decided to fulfil her dream of building “an independent natural food brand” with her family.
The 65-year-old has always prioritised health and nutrition. She was inspired to create Circ after she realised “how antiquated” the protein bar space had become.
“The bar form no longer met the functional needs of how people eat today: grazing, on the go, GLP-1s, portion control, etc,” Burnley explained.
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Circ’s Journey
In the beginning, Burnley was focused on another venture. But when Circ started gaining traction, the entrepreneur sold her business to focus on the protein bite brand.
The focus of the startup was on “developing packaging, machines, branding and product.” The days at Milk Bar had helped Burnley learn how to make ball-shaped food. The initial research and development team at Circ comprised pastry chefs so they could make food that people loved.
The brand’s innovative reusable and recyclable packaging took a few years to take shape properly. The packs hold five protein bites and come with a resealable lid.
Overall, the company spent $1 million on process and product development. The investment paid off. Circ started gaining traction. Last month, Starbucks started stocking the protein bites at its US outlets. Burnley’s brand offers 10 grams of protein in each product. It comes in flavours like peanut chocolate chip, chocolate mint, and lemon blueberry.
Burnley’s story proves that a side hustle can bring enough success to turn around careers.
Also Read: This IIT Bombay, Harvard Alumna Quit Her IT Job And Built A Rs 87 Crore Snack Brand
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