ASHLAND CITY, Tenn. (WTVF) — So there's always the great debate of what's better. A salty or sweet snack?
A Cheatham County mom was forced to pivot, which has led her to her new opportunity.
"I pop and stir, and pop and stir, and pop and stir, and pop and -- that's all I do," said Harmony Hensley.
It's no ordinary popcorn at Barney's Sweet Shop. There are flavors like confetti and even some that sparkle.
"From scratch, small batch," Hensley said. "It's butter, it's sugar. I'm not going to tell you all the things."
It's an old family recipe, where the roots begin with her grandparents.
"Barney is my grandfather and he had an incredible sweet tooth and so we've named the sweet shop after him," Hensley said.
Barney would bring popcorn to the bank tellers. Hensley's journey to this wasn't exactly part of her plan.
"My life blew up spectacularly," she said. "I'm a single mom, found myself unemployed, and needed to pivot."
That pivot went in a dream direction back in November.
"You can't stop me from popping popcorn," she said. "I don't need a multi-million dollar investor. I need my stove, my microwave, my mom, and my friends. And I can pop popcorn."
"I think with every dream you have to begin with the end in mind and our goal is to become a household name in the snack world," Hensley said. "I want to be the only caramel corn that people think of."
Now with 25 flavors in the farmer's market and online stores. She has flavors like Pink and Bubbly, Dark Chocolate Sea Salt, and Bourbon Butter Pecan.
"This isn't just a popcorn business," she said. "This is about creating space for people to feel included, to feel special."
There's a whole deeper meaning. This summer, Hensley plans to have positions for individuals with disabilities. This has always been one of her goals in various endeavors she has pursued.
"There's just so many opportunities for learning and our hope is that our employees build these valuable skills to add to their resume," said Gigi Jordan, the Director of Vocational Training for Barney's Sweet Shop.
"If my grandpa were here, he'd say I'll be damned, I think you're onto something," Hensley said with a smile. "I would love if everyone had a Barney in their life."
To learn more about Hensley's story and see her products, click here.
Fostering Hope provides Christmas for kids in foster care. I'm delighted to see Fostering Hope expand this year to expand their reach to now include kids in Foster care in metro AND foster kids in East TN hard hit by Helene.
-Bree Smith
