Pholicious

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PhoLicious Leverages Veryable to Efficiently Scale Their Rapidly Growing Business

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PhoLicious, founded by Anh and Joseph Trousdale, is a food manufacturer and distributor that set out to bring authentic Vietnamese pho to customers nationwide. The challenge? Traditional pho takes over ten hours to prepare — something modern consumers often don’t have time for. Disappointed by what was available in local Asian markets, Anh and Joseph drew on their family’s traditional recipes to create a fast, convenient, yet truly authentic pho experience.

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After launching on Amazon in May 2021, PhoLicious took off with five-star reviews rolling in. The buzz reached a new level when PhoLicious won QVC’s The Big Find contest, securing a slot on the QVC network. Momentum built quickly, and soon Walmart and Sam’s Club came calling after a successful pitch at Walmart’s Open Call in June 2022.

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Once Sam’s Club and Walmart buyers tasted PhoLicious, Anh and Joseph’s carefully rehearsed pitch “went out the window” — the product sold itself on flavor alone. But with big opportunities came big challenges.

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A Make-or-Break Moment

Landing orders for over 100 pallets in just a couple of weeks was a dream come true, but it put PhoLicious under intense pressure. Joseph explained,

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“Seventeen hundred square feet is not going to cut it. It was just her and I at the time — we can’t do this anymore.”

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Faced with the urgent need for labor, they considered traditional hiring, but the risk was high. Anh described the dilemma:

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“Okay, we need four more people, but do we have enough money to keep them on payroll after this one order? If it doesn’t happen, we’d have to lay them off, but we have to run our business.”

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Their small business had reached its critical turning point — a moment of truth where one wrong move could sink future opportunities.

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Finding the Right Partner

After sharing their struggles on social media, a friend recommended Veryable. Initially skeptical from past experience with temp agencies, Joseph decided to give Veryable a shot. That decision changed everything.

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Veryable’s team visited the PhoLicious facility, providing recommendations to optimize workflows and reorganize their layout. The immediate results were transformative:

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“We went from no employees to 17 operators. Veryable helped us organize the place so everything flowed smoothly,” Joseph recalled. “You guys know what you’re doing.”

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Veryable’s flexible, on-demand labor model enabled PhoLicious to scale up quickly without signing expensive contracts or paying costly retainers. As Anh noted:

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“There’s no contract. I don’t have to send a check for a $10,000 retainer. I can bring in one person tomorrow to try, and if I like them, bring in ten more the next day. It’s risk-free.”

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Building a Flexible Labor Pool

Veryable not only solved the immediate production crunch but helped PhoLicious build an agile labor strategy that would position them for future growth.

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“It’s a whole new ballgame. I can auto-approve my labor pool. When I put out an op, I don’t have to waste time reviewing everyone. I know they’re reliable,” Joseph said. “I don’t have to worry about what will happen tomorrow because I already have my labor pool.”

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This newfound agility went a long way in helping PhoLicious avoid costly overtime and maintain quality standards even when demand spiked. Joseph explained:

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“If I only need five people, I only bring five. I don’t have to keep five people sweeping the floor just to give them a paycheck. That eats into our bottom line.”

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Conversely, under-hiring could have been just as dangerous. Rushing work to meet deadlines with too few employees would risk quality failures and damage their reputation with major retailers. With Veryable, they found a balanced path:

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“It goes both ways. Too much labor is a problem, but not enough labor is an even bigger problem. Veryable helps us scale on demand so we can get the right amount of labor every day.”

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Preparing for the Next Chapter

Thanks to Veryable, PhoLicious is ready to keep expanding. As new opportunities appear — including placement in H-E-B stores — Joseph and Anh have peace of mind knowing they can quickly ramp up production.

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“I texted my Veryable guys: get ready, we’re going to be needing a lot more operators here soon,” Joseph said.

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The power of Veryable’s model lies in its simplicity and flexibility. Anh summarized it perfectly:

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“Every day, something is different in a small business. With Veryable, we can be flexible.”

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The Recipe for Small Business Success

PhoLicious’s story shows how on-demand labor can help small businesses handle explosive growth while preserving authenticity and quality. Veryable’s support gave PhoLicious the ability to dream big and shoot for the stars without risking their hard-won reputation.

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“Just give it a shot,” Joseph said. “But get ready, because you’ll be calling them again.”