Addison LaBonte left a career in finance to bake desserts out of her apartment kitchen — and turned that leap into Sweet Addison's, a better-for-you treat brand built on ingredients she trusts. She joined Sean Kelly on the Digital Social Hour to share how it happened: the 100-hour weeks, the viral moment that changed everything, and the health scare that started it all.
A runner with a marathoner's mindset, LaBonte opens up about the injury that doctors told her might end normal running for good — and how she credits a complete diet overhaul with her recovery. That experience shaped both her products and her conviction that being different is an advantage, not a liability.
About Addison LaBonte
Addison LaBonte is the founder of Sweet Addison's, a healthy dessert brand she launched from her apartment kitchen after leaving finance. She built the company without business school, scaling it through discipline, sharp influencer marketing, and a product philosophy centered on clean ingredients.
Her path to entrepreneurship ran through her own health. After a serious running injury and a discouraging prognosis, LaBonte overhauled her diet and, by her account, recovered without surgery — an experience that informs how she talks about food labels, so-called healthy products, and why clean eating costs more. She shares it as her own story rather than medical advice, which makes it land all the more honestly.
What Addison LaBonte and Sean Kelly Talked About
- How LaBonte went from finance to founding a dessert brand in her apartment kitchen
- The injury that threatened her running — and why she credits diet changes with her recovery
- Her argument for why much of what gets labeled healthy food really isn't
- Why she believes clean ingredients cost more — and why she thinks they're worth it
- How a viral moment and influencer collaborations scaled Sweet Addison's faster than ads
- The mindset behind 100-hour weeks and a marathon runner's approach to business
- Why she says discipline beats motivation every single time
- How being different became her biggest advantage as a founder
Why This Conversation Matters
Addison LaBonte's story works on two levels: a bootstrapped founder's playbook of discipline and influencer-led growth, and a personal account of rethinking food after a health scare. Because she presents her health journey as her own experience rather than universal advice, the conversation stays honest — and genuinely useful for builders and health-curious listeners alike.
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About Sean Kelly & the Digital Social Hour
Sean Kelly is an entrepreneur and the host of the Digital Social Hour, one of the fastest-growing interview podcasts in the world, where he sits down with entrepreneurs, athletes, creators, and cultural voices for candid, long-form conversations. The show draws over 100 million views a month across platforms. Explore more guest features on SeanKelly.io.
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