Kelly’s Homemade Ice Cream
Starting and growing a small business takes vision, courage, and a steady belief in your own decisions. Even when the business is thriving, many entrepreneurs still seek reassurance that they’re steering their company in the right direction. For Kelly and Scott Seidl, founders of Kelly’s Homemade Ice Cream, finding trusted guidance became essential as their beloved Central Florida brand expanded. That search led them to the Florida Small Business Development Center at the University of Central Florida (FSBDC at UCF) and its two flagship programs for second‑stage companies: the Advisory Board Council (ABC) and CEO XChange.
Kelly’s Homemade Ice Cream began with a simple craving. After moving to Central Florida, Kelly and Scott were surprised to find no local homemade ice cream shops. Kelly—who had scooped ice cream throughout high school and college—started experimenting in their dining room. They shared early batches with coworkers, then moved to farmers markets, then to an ice cream truck, and eventually to their first brick‑and‑mortar shop. At every stage, customers responded with enthusiasm.
“We love making homemade ice cream, serving the community, and serving up special treats you can’t find in your grocery store,” Kelly explains. “We make all our own flavors in-house along with our mix-ins here in Altamonte Springs. We just love serving the community with sweetness.” Scott adds, “My favorite thing is making people happy. We enjoy being in the shops and seeing families sit down together to enjoy our ice cream and each other.”
Today, Kelly’s Homemade Ice Cream has grown far beyond its dining‑room beginnings. The company now operates six shops across Central Florida, serves ice cream at 41 Foxtail Coffee locations statewide, and runs two iconic pink‑and‑white ice cream trucks that appear at events throughout the region.
With rapid growth, however, came new pressures. That’s when the Seidls turned to the FSBDC at UCF. Their first step was joining the Advisory Board Council, led by program manager Jill Kaufman. ABC provides a customized, no‑cost board of volunteer experts who offer strategic guidance tailored to each business.
“We were part of the Advisory Board Council a few years ago,” Kelly recalls. “They were an amazing group of individuals who helped guide us. They really helped strengthen us and challenge us. For me, it just gave me more confidence—confidence in how I speak about the business, in how we set goals, in our own expectations.”
After graduating from ABC, Scott joined the CEO XChange, the FSBDC’s peer‑to‑peer roundtable for high‑performing CEOs. “The thing about coming together with other business owners is it lets you know you’re not alone,” he shares. “There are other people going through or who have gone through similar things, so they’re able to help. Group problem solving has been very helpful; we’re able to use the brainpower in the room to solve problems and get advice from people who have been there and done that before.”
Scott sums up their FSBDC experience simply: “If I had to use one word to describe our time with the FSBDC, it would be ‘confidence.’ We are all somewhat alone as business owners, and it’s great to connect with experts or other business owners who help you feel confident that you’re on the right track and doing the right thing.”
For information about Kelly’s Homemade Ice Cream, please visit https://www.kellyshomemadeicecream.com/ .
