Theresa Burnley’s Journey: From Wiley Road Foods to Circ’s Rapid Growth
At 65, Theresa Burnley of Milford, New Hampshire, embodies the spirit of entrepreneurship with her remarkable transition from running Wiley Road Foods to founding the innovative protein-bite brand, Circ. After 16 years of crafting clean-label baked goods behind the scenes for notable brands like Trader Joe’s and Milk Bar, Burnley embarked on a side hustle in 2023 that has since blossomed into a thriving business.
Circ offers six flavors of protein bites designed to meet modern consumers’ needs for convenient, healthy snacking. The brand reported approximately $2 million in revenue last year and is available in over 13,000 retail locations nationwide, including major retailers like Starbucks and Walmart. At the close of 2024, Burnley made the pivotal decision to leave Wiley Road Foods and dedicate herself full-time to growing Circ. Her journey offers valuable insights into the challenges and triumphs of launching a food brand in today’s competitive market.
A Lifetime of Health and Nutrition Inspires a Side Hustle
Finding Inspiration in a Lifetime of Wellness
Burnley’s passion for health and nutrition stems from a lifelong commitment to wellness as a dedicated runner and mother to three college athletes. This background fueled her desire to create a natural food brand that reflected her values and family’s needs. She recognized that the traditional protein bar market had become outdated, no longer catering to evolving consumer behaviors such as grazing, on-the-go consumption, GLP-1 diets, and portion control.
Her vision for Circ was to innovate beyond the standard protein bar format by creating bite-sized protein snacks that align with contemporary lifestyles. This insight was rooted not only in personal experience but also in her extensive industry expertise, gained from years of product development and manufacturing.
Launching Circ: Innovation Meets Investment
Unlike many emerging brands that rely on co-packers, Circ leveraged Burnley’s manufacturing background to maintain control over product quality and innovation. The team, consisting primarily of pastry chefs rather than traditional food scientists, applied their culinary expertise to develop protein bites that are both delicious and functional.
A critical innovation was the development of unique packaging—a resealable pack holding five protein bites—that took several years to perfect. This packaging innovation addressed consumer needs for convenience and freshness, setting Circ apart in a crowded market. The investment into product and process development exceeded $1 million, underscoring the significant resources required to bring such a concept to life.
Navigating Manufacturing and Brand-Building Challenges
Lessons Learned: From Manufacturer to Brand
Initially, Circ was approached as a manufacturing operation with its own brand identity, but Burnley soon realized the importance of prioritizing brand-building earlier in the process. This shift reflects a broader industry understanding that strong brand presence is crucial for consumer engagement and long-term success.
Burnley highlights the underestimated challenges in launching consumer food brands. Despite product differentiation and addressing real consumer needs, the path from concept to market success is fraught with obstacles. She emphasizes the necessity for founders to cultivate a high tolerance for complexity, setbacks, and rejection.
Operational Hurdles and Strategic Resilience
Manufacturing adds layers of complexity not always visible to consumers. Burnley points out the physical realities of production: unpredictable delivery schedules, equipment malfunctions, and inconsistent material quality. Her strategy to mitigate these risks involves maintaining buffers such as extra capacity, spare parts, and comfortable lead times—practices essential for operational stability.
Rapid Growth and Revenue Milestones
From Side Hustle to Full-Time Focus
Burnley’s side hustle quickly transitioned into a full-time endeavor as Circ gained traction. Early retail placements, including a successful launch at Expo West, helped establish steady revenue streams. However, achieving profitability required patience, especially given the higher fixed costs associated with self-manufacturing compared to co-packing.
Last year, Circ generated around $2 million in revenue, and the company projects a fourfold increase in its run rate this year. This impressive growth trajectory underscores the effectiveness of Burnley’s hands-on approach and innovative product strategy.
The Commitment Behind the Scenes
At the outset, Burnley balanced her time between running Wiley Road Foods and developing Circ, often facing significant downtime due to the complexities of product and packaging development. Now fully dedicated to Circ, she likens managing the business to caring for infant twins: demanding, all-encompassing, and deeply rewarding.
Insights on Leadership and Founder Mindset
Customer Connection and Motivation
One of Burnley’s greatest joys in running Circ is the direct feedback from customers. The brand’s nationwide embrace includes heartfelt testimonials, especially from parents who appreciate Circ as “the only healthy food their kids will eat.” This connection motivates Burnley to continue refining and expanding her product offerings.
Advice for Aspiring Founders
Burnley emphasizes that while mentors and communities can offer valuable perspectives, founders must ultimately own their business with relentless dedication. She advises embracing the inevitable hours of complexity, rejection, and perseverance required to succeed. “No one else will spend one-tenth of the time you do thinking about your business, and no one can ever understand it as well,” she notes. This mindset of ownership and resilience is critical for navigating the realities of entrepreneurship.
Key Takeaways
- Burnley was running Wiley Road Foods when she started her protein-bar brand Circ.
- Circ is on track to 4X its run rate this year and is available in over 13,000 retail locations.
- Burnley says founders have to embrace hours of complexity and rejection to succeed.
This Side Hustle Spotlight Q&A features Theresa Burnley, 65, of Milford, New Hampshire. Burnley was the owner of Wiley Road Foods, which creates and manufactures unusual clean-label baked goods for brands like Trader Joe’s and Milk Bar, when she started her protein-bite brand, Circ, on the side in 2023.
At the end of 2024, Burnley left Wiley Road Foods to focus on Circ full-time. Today, Circ offers six flavors of protein bites. The brand saw about $2 million in revenue last year and is available in over 13,000 retail locations nationwide, including Starbucks and Walmart. Responses have been edited for length and clarity.
For the full interview and more insights, visit Here.
