We had the good fortune of connecting with Desirae Newell and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Desirae, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
My family been in the business of commercial salmon fishing my entire life so I grew up with top-grade salmon as a staple in our diet. I have lived in Colorado for over 15 years and have always been acutely aware of the lacking quality of fresh fish in our landlocked state. My brother initially had the idea a few years ago of bringing some of his annual salmon catch back to Colorado when he briefly lived in Fraser, CO. The timing was just not right. A couple years later in 2023, our 2 children had both started school so the idea was resurrected. After more research & several discussions with my husband and my dad, we decided we could definitely fill a need in our market & Fisherman’s Pride Wild Alaskan Seafood was born.
Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
In our landlocked region, high quality seafood is not always easy to come by. By offering wild seafood, our product immediately stands out from the more readily-available farmed product. Furthermore, we take pride in making sure our product is the top shelf of wild Alaskan seafood. It is always processed & flash frozen immediately in a professional facility, Our customers value not only the best in taste, but are also typically environmentally conscious consumers. Gaining access to high-quality certified sustainable, certified wild-caught salmon was the easy part given my family connections. Gaining access to other high-quality, sustainable, wild-caught seafood has been more difficult & has required making new connections. The logistics to bring our seafood from Alaska to Colorado is also a challenge as it involves multiple modes of transportation including maritime, air, and ground transportation. Our top priority is giving our customers the opportunity to experience seafood in the same way that I did growing up in the Pacific Northwest.
Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
The awe-inspiring mountains are, of course, a main attraction when visiting Colorado. A 1-2 hour drive to Rocky Mountain National Park, the Poudre Canyon, Estes Park & a multitude of other beautiful locations has us spending the day doing some of our favorite family activities–exploring, hiking, a riverside picnic, or enjoying the Fall color change just to name a few. A couple trips to downtown Fort Collins should also be on the agenda. In downtown Fort Collins, we can enjoy dinner at one of our favorite sushi restaurants (Jaws or LuLu’s) or The Welsh Rabbit Cheese Shop and/or visit one of the many local breweries. When we are downtown, dinner must always be followed by a visit to Walrus Ice Cream. Finally, we must pay a visit to one of our newest business partners, Friendly Nick’s Butcher. Nick is partnering with us to offer smoked salmon this Fall & is the best in meat-processing & smoking. The smells alone will make your mouth water.
The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My dad, Brad, and my brother, Forest. My dad introduced my family to commercial salmon fishing & has captained a fishing vessel for decades. Forest has been fishing since he was a teen & also captains his own fishing vessel now. He helped conceive the idea of selling wild Alaskan salmon in Colorado & has been integral in introducing us to partners to help us grow our business. Thanks to Forest, we anticipate expanding our business by offering halibut & black cod this Fall. My dad has continual offered his expertise in the industry & pushes us to grow our business, even offering financial assistance with up-front costs.
Website: https://www.shopfishermanspride.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100093105941686
Image Credits
Ella Walker