Former Industry Executive Turns Homemade Snack Into Growing Business

From corporate America to her own small business, Lisa Makowski knows how to lead a team to success. 

The idea to turn her legendary homemade snack mix into a profitable business was born in 2014 while working at United Hardware Distributing Co. Around this time, Makowski noticed another snack food flying off the shelves in hardware stores and was inspired by that company’s success. Sharing samples of her snack mix, now named Maks Mix, with her friends and coworkers brought in resoundingly positive responses, planting the idea to profit off of her creation.

“Every time I would bring it into the office or give away batches around the holidays, everyone would ask, ‘How can I get more of this,’ or say, ‘You need to sell this,” Makowski says. “After hearing that so many times I thought maybe I should give this a try.”

Makowski served as vice president of marketing at United Hardware in Minneapolis for 14 years. In this role, Makowski established essential relationships in the industry and led many initiatives, including revamping the company’s brand. 

“The main things I learned at United Hardware that help me with Maks Mix now is my value of my relationships, the impact from mentors that I had along the way and the importance of creating a strong brand,” she says. 

A key feature of Maks Mix is its partnership with local businesses. Last fall, Maks Mix collaborated with Hanover, Minnesota, barbecue restaurant, Big Bore Barbecue, to create custom flavors of snack mix. Working with and supporting local small businesses is important to Makowski and a core value of the Maks Mix company. 

“Every community has their own local favorite flavors and that’s what makes the Midwest so fantastic,” Makowski says. “The regional preferences, the family recipes, the close-knit communities—that’s what we want to continue to celebrate with Maks Mix.”

Makowski says transitioning from a high-powered corporate role at United Hardware to owning and running her own business has provided more time for her to spend with her family and loved ones. 

“Entrepreneurship has been so rewarding because I can make the flexible hours I need to,” Makowski says. “I can schedule things when I need to and the flexibility has been amazing to help with my kids schedules and their activities.”

Maks Mix is a family endeavor, Makowski says.

“My family is very involved in the business, which is really fun,” she says. “My husband is very supportive, and he helps with the kids. They label containers and work the booth when we do markets or trade shows.”

In 2025, Maks Mix will continue to sell in local small businesses, like hardware stores, restaurants and breweries, and collaborate with “flavor partners” to construct new flavors.

“We are looking at upcoming partners, hopefully at least three this next year,” Makowski says. “One of them is in the works for testing their product.”

Makowski hopes to keep the company’s current momentum going. Makowski says Maks Mix will expand its reach as a business in 2025 through social media, fundraisers and online sales.

“Our biggest thing right now is expanding our reach and increasing our brand awareness with our different local businesses,” she says. “We’ve been pretty lucky. Selling has not been easy necessarily, but it’s gone well. Our biggest problem now is producing it, which is a great problem.”