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In this episode, I chat with Leslie Danford, founder of Vitaminis, a brand offering clean, nutritional juice shots without added sugars or artificial ingredients. Leslie shares her journey from her early influences and professional background in consumer products to launching her health-focused brand during the COVID-19 pandemic. She discusses the challenges of self-funding, product development, and overcoming initial rejections from retailers through persistence and personal connections. Leslie’s story highlights the importance of balancing feedback with a strong vision, and her ongoing efforts in fundraising and expanding distribution showcase the resilience needed to succeed in the competitive food and beverage industry.
In this episode you will hear about:
- Leslie Danford’s childhood and career in consumer products inspired the creation of Vitaminis. The product is a clean, nutritional juice shot without added sugars or artificial ingredients. COVID-19 pandemic challenges led her to pursue this entrepreneurial venture.
- Initial Development: Self-funded the business and gradually increased investment based on feedback. Involved family, friends, and neighbors in testing and refining the product. Balanced negative feedback with belief in her vision to improve the product.
- Challenges and Persistence: Faced capital challenges in producing and expanding the product. Emphasized the importance of persistence and hope in the entrepreneurial journey. Leveraged personal connections and grassroots marketing to overcome initial rejections from retailers.
- Retail Distribution: Successfully got Vitaminis into local stores like Fresh Thyme through networking and persistence. Highlighted the importance of personal connections over expensive social media advertising. Currently focuses on fundraising, expanding distribution, and ensuring product movement in existing stores.
The resources mentioned in this episode:
vitaminisbrand.com
20% off- omniform1.com
Collaboration offers- join.collabs.shopify.com
Shop on Amazon- amazon.com/Vitaminis
instagram.com/vitaminisbrand
facebook.com/VitaminisBrand
tiktok.com/@vitaminisbrand
