Iowa State alum opened a Kool-Aid flavored pickle business, Seth’s Flavor of Pickles, in 2019. Though the business is located in Ankeny, multiple “pickle drop-off locations” are now scattered throughout Ames.

Raised in Dallas, Texas, Seth’s Flavor of Pickles founder Sethethel Watson experienced Kool-Aid pickles at corner stores and convenience shops.

“My mom was very strict on what she allowed us to eat at home, so Kool-Aid was not a thing we could have at home,” Watson said.

Watson said she was exposed to the idea of Kool-Aid pickles for the first time as a young track and field athlete.

“One track meet in particular we went to the concession stand and my friend was like, ‘You should try a Kool-Aid pickle.’” Watson said.

Watson reminisced on the memory fondly and expressed how tasty her first experience of trying this new flavor was.

Watson attended Iowa State in 2013, graduated in 2017 and met her husband during her time at the university. After graduation, Watson worked as a server at Applebee’s Grill + Bar, aiming to expand her career. Watson gave birth to her son in 2018, which she said was the jump start she needed. Watson started bringing her pickles to Applebee’s to share with her coworkers, which helped her gain interest in the product.

“It was a lot of back and forth, like maybe I should do it, maybe I shouldn’t,” Watson said. “I had a small support system, like friends and cousins, who were like, ‘Just do it!’”

Watson opened her business Feb. 26, 2019, and said she spent most of her time advertising her product through social events like farmers’ markets.

“When I first started, it was just about making money,” Watson said. “But the more I did it and the more I enjoyed it, and seeing people’s responses, especially kids … I changed my approach to it. The more I did it, the more I enjoyed it, and it wasn’t about the money.”

Watson said though she has had many struggles with managing a Black-owned small business, the successes are so rewarding that the struggles do not matter.

When asked what advice she would give to any Iowa State students hoping to open a small business, Watson said, “Understand that strangers are going to support you more than people that you know.” She also urged all hopeful students not to give up on their dreams.

When enjoying the product, Watson does ask customers to remember to drink water periodically and not to finish the entire jar in one sitting. Watson’s pickles can be customized to be sugar-free or infused (only available for customers who are 21 years of age or older.)

To place an order, customers can contact Watson through her Facebook or Instagram. Be sure to try the Iowa State-inspired flavor: “Cyclone!”.