Hannah Webb leverages her Ohio University marketing degree as a food truck entrepreneur

Hannah Webb always wanted to own her own business, but it took a pandemic to inspire her to leave her comfortable corporate job in the mortgage industry and pursue her entrepreneurial dreams.

Webb now owns and operates Kitty’s Hissin’ Chicken food truck in Columbus, Ohio. As the name of her food truck suggests, Webb loves cats, and she collaborates with her local Humane Society to feature adoptable cats on her business’s social media accounts.

After working in food service, retail, public relations and sales, Webb decided she was ready to launch her own business. She credits Ohio University and her business degree with helping equip her with the necessary skills and experience. 

Getting an early start on college

Webb started her college career as a high school student, taking advantage of the College Credit Plus program at Ohio University Chillicothe while satisfying her high school graduation requirements. 

“Ohio University Chillicothe was the perfect transition into higher education,” Webb said. “The campus is the perfect size, the staff always accommodating. I was able to balance my high school courses, college courses and a part-time job easily.”

Webb graduated from Logan Elm High School in 2012. As a Circleville resident, she appreciated OHIO Chillicothe’s affordability and proximity to home. She said starting off at OHIO Chillicothe helped her get comfortable with scheduling and time management while she juggled school and work. 

“OHIO Chillicothe allowed me to learn all I needed to know to be successful while still being flexible around the things that were important to me, which is what being an entrepreneur is all about,” Webb said. “I learned so much about my own independence during my time at OHIO Chillicothe.”

Gaining and applying skills in retail and sales

She worked part-time for her grandmother's formalwear retail store in Circleville during her teen years and through college. When the marketing major graduated from Ohio University’s College of Business with her business administration degree in 2016, her grandmother asked her to come work for the store full-time. Webb applied her marketing skills in her work advertising and managing public relations for the family business. 

“I loved my time in the small-town family business, but I knew my time there would eventually end as I grew both personally and professionally,” Webb said. 

Her next chapter took her into mortgage sales, working for a company in Columbus where she began as an account manager before becoming an assistant vice president selling mortgages to borrowers all over the country as a licensed loan officer. 

Webb said when the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020 she started to reevaluate her career choices and began to listen to the inner voice that reminded her of the dream of being a business owner. In 2021 she left her job and took some time to decide on her next move, ultimately following her passion for food and leveraging her Ohio University business degree to open Kitty’s Hissin’ Chicken food truck in 2022. 

“The menu, design and mission are the complete embodiment of who I am and of my life's experiences,” Webb said. “Running the truck is great because every time I work, I have a new opportunity to make a great experience for my customers based on MY vision.”

Webb said she is still finding her niche in the food service industry, but she encourages others who are interested in breaking into the business to dip their toes in and start small. 

“I decided on a food truck because of its versatility and lighter risk load as opposed to a brick-and-mortar restaurant,” Webb said. “You can always start with a food cart or catering services, just to get your legs as an entrepreneur.” 

Still learning and growing

Webb knows she still has lessons to learn as she continues to build her business and that’s what keeps her motivated. 

“I’ve made mistakes while running my food truck and as I continue to learn, I’ll continue to make more,” Webb said. “Each day gives me a chance to apply what I’ve learned to make something great for myself and other people.” 

College was not always easy for Webb. She struggled with math and courses in political science and public speaking, but those are the classes that she most remembers now because her professors pushed her.

“The professors of my most difficult classes at OHIO gave me my first accurate depictions of maneuvering through different industries and prepared me for riding the roller coaster that is life in the professional world,” Webb said.

She started college as an exploring student and did not declare a major until her junior year. 

“Luckily, OHIO Chillicothe made it possible for me to continue making progress academically, even while not having made the decision of which major I'd pursue,” Webb said. “I was able to still get a valuable education and chip away at my prerequisite courses while not being pressured to decide on my major right away.” 

Webb relocated to the Athens campus and completed her marketing degree in the College of Business. 

She encourages others to remember that they are human while they work hard and pursue their passions, whether in college, or in their careers. 

“We don't have to have everything figured out all at once,” she said. “I didn't know what path I'd be going down until a while after I'd already received my degree. As a business owner, you will always find challenges, and you will constantly need to remind yourself of why you started down this path in the first place.”