Check out the inspiring stories of Intuit IDEAS program entrepreneurs who are making a difference in their communities.
Building something joyful
For Lynette, Nutz About Popcorn started with a simple goal: create something that makes people smile.
Based in Pennsylvania, Lynette’s business makes more than 135 handcrafted popcorn flavors. It’s grown into a thriving operation, with industrial equipment, popcorn trailers, and large corporate orders.
She saw potential in a concept that felt fresh, creative, and full of possibility. After investing time to learn the craft and understand the business, she moved quickly. Within a month of getting started, she launched her own popcorn business.
Now, she says, “It’s exciting because who would’ve thought that you mix dill pickle and jalapeno to make fried pickle popcorn? We’re here to think of it for you and let you enjoy it!”
Creating an experience people remember
Lynette has built a reputation for being highly particular about quality, using only non-GMO corn and other carefully chosen ingredients. Her business also works from a made-to-order system that helps reduce waste while still offering customers a wide range of flavors.
Lynette’s goal isn’t just to sell popcorn; it’s to offer people memorable, joyful moments. “What drives me and keeps me going is definitely just spreading a little joy,” she says. “I feel like the world is so heavy right now. And if I can do something that makes people say “Wow!” then that’s my purpose.”
Growing with Intuit IDEAS
When Lynette joined the Intuit IDEAS program, one of her biggest challenges was bookkeeping. “My books were a mess,” she admits. After losing key support from her previous bookkeeper and accountant, she had fallen behind and felt overwhelmed.
Through the IDEAS program, she worked with QuickBooks experts who helped her get caught up, stay current, and understand the financial side of her business better. Now, she says, everything is up to date. “I’m able to breathe a sigh of relief, knowing my books are done and my taxes will be done.” she says. “What I liked about having a QuickBooks expert is that it’s not people-specific. If, say, Lucy isn’t available, there’s somebody else there who falls right into place.”
Lynette adds, “With QuickBooks, my experts kept me accountable. They’re like, ‘I need answers, Lynette! I need you to go and review these entries.’ So knowing that my books and my taxes are up to date, I feel better about my ability to manage my business.”
IDEAS also provided Lynette with helpful business coaching. She says she learned how to slow down, be more present, and stop operating in constant chaos. That shift helped her step back and look at the business from a higher level.
“I was always afraid of growth,” she says. “But now that I have processes in place, the growth doesn’t seem as intimidating.”
Lynette no longer feels buried in the day-to-day. She says she’s now better equipped to grow the business without losing the quality and care that matter most to her.
Leading by example
For Lynette, success is about more than just leading a company. It’s about building something meaningful, creating opportunities for others, and continuing to bring a little more happiness into the world.
It’s also about setting a great example for her loved ones: Lynette was the first in her family to graduate from college, and today she has shown her children that there’s more than one path to success. In fact, her daughter started her own spa and skincare line, and is part of the next Intuit IDEAS cohort—continuing the entrepreneurial path Lynette helped inspire.
About Intuit IDEAS
IDEAS stands for Invest, Develop, Empower, Accelerate and Scale.
Intuit IDEAS is a program empowering small business owners in cities across the United States to help improve entrepreneurs with their functioning, efficiency, earnings, and capital readiness.
Through Intuit IDEAS, small business owners receive free access to Intuit’s AI-driven expert platform and products, including QuickBooks, Mailchimp, and TurboTax. In addition to support from Intuit’s expert network, Intuit IDEAS participants also receive business counseling, executive coaching, and a grant to help them grow their businesses. Small business owners are boosting their revenue by an average of 23% and saving 16.5 hours monthly, enabling them to focus on growing their businesses and make a bigger impact in their communities.