Ashby Cummings, Owner of MI-Fillosophy in Plymouth, MI (Video)

This week: 

• 2026 trends

• Competition vs. complimenting with similar businesses nearby

• Food refills - containers, packaging, suppliers, & requirements

• The uniqueness of the Michigan refill community

• Swaps & events

• Equipment access (ex: peanut butter grinder & grain mills)

• Licensing & food sales regulations

• Risks & scary things! 

• What it feels like to a small business owner these days

Where to find MI-Fillosophy:

• Website

• Facebook

• Instagram

Links:

• 86 Pastic 

• Azure

• Bees in the D

• Country Life Natural Foods

• Little Seed Farm

• Refill Emporium 

• Refillery Collective

• Starwest Botanicals

• Walking Lightly

• Websterant

Question from Tiffany Sigler, Owner of Juniperseed Mercantile in Littleton, CO (from Episode 14):  if you think about the way that you spend your time during the day (think of a quadrant matrix with time & return on investment for each axis), are there things in your life that you should ditch?

Question to the next refill store owner(s): if you could go back to the beginning and change one thing about how you opened your store, what would you change?