Founder's Story - From Farmers Market to 30,000 Stores | Ep. 23 with Vanessa Dew Co-Founder of Health-Ade Kombucha

Episode Date: May 22, 2020

Vanessa Dew co-founded Health-Ade Kombucha in 2012 alongside her best friends and husband-and-wife team, Justin and Daina Trout. As Chief Sales Officer, Dew brings an invaluable knowledge of sales and marketing amassed from years spent at a major... --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ibhshow/supportOur Sponsors:* Check out PrizePicks and use my code FOUNDERS for a great deal: www.prizepicks.com* Check out Rosetta Stone and use my code TODAY for a great deal: www.rosettastone.comAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Welcome to Inspired by Her, the podcast that will give you the inspiration, motivation, and tips for success from some of the top executives, CEOs, and influencers from around the globe. With your host, serial entrepreneur, and named one of the most influential Filipina in the world, Kate Hancock. Hi, everyone. This is Kate. And today I have an amazing guest, Vanessa Du. Hi, Vanessa. Hi. Thanks for having me. Yeah. So listener Vanessa is a co-founder of the Health Aid Kombucha, which I've tried. I really loved it. That's actually one of my favorite, Vanessa.

Oh, happy to hear that. What's your favorite flavor? What is it? I think the one with ginger that's really tingling. Oh, yeah. The ginger lemon is one of our top sellers and one of our first products. Yes. Yeah. Can you tell me the story of how it all started. Yeah. So, you know, me and my best friend and her husband, we about eight and a half years ago now, we were really feeling the urge to create something that was our own, something that was fulfilling to us. We were just very unchallenged with our jobs at the time. And so we created this entrepreneur club. It was in this entrepreneur club that we brainstormed different business ideas, something that could help fill a gap or an opportunity in the market.

And we thought of many different ideas. One of them happened to be kombucha. Dinah had been brewing kombucha since her nutritionist days back in grad school. And we knew that we were on to something because our friends and family kept on coming back to drink more of the kombucha. And so we did just that. And we sold our first bottle March 25, 2012, in the Brentwood Farmers Market in Los Angeles. And, you know, from that point on, we just kind of went forth and started selling healthy kombucha. And really proud of, you know, from that first day of bringing 60 bottles to the farmer's market. Fast forward to today where we're in over 30,000 stores with over 250 employees. It's been a, it's been a crazy, exciting, thrilling ride. Wow, that's amazing. Now tell me what is that journey like to get into the big retail store? What was the story? Yeah, so our first retailer was Gelson's. It was Gelson's Market.

And I remember having that initial meeting where, at that point, we had only sold in farmer's markets and locally to some cool cafes and some independent stores in LA. So we knew we had an amazing product. We knew we had an amazing brand, but we didn't necessarily have all the classic data pieces, if you will, of any buttoned up CPG company going into this meeting. But what we did have was the passion and the vigor of what we were bringing to market. So honestly, we sold on passion, we sold the brand, we sold the product, and we sold the idea that we were going to succeed with and for them. And they took a chance on us. And I remember at the end of the meeting, he said, well, in order to succeed, you'll have to

sell 200 units per skew per week. And that's what you need to do to survive here. And we took that on as a challenge. And we were able to survive, not just there, but really start to thrive and scale out into retail grocery. Wow. So did you do something? Did you hire some promo person to do like kind of a roadshow or Insta promotion to do that? Yeah. So it was a lot of different pieces. So, you know, I would say more than anything, what we've done well too is also execute in market.

And so part of the plan to make sure we get that sell through is one, early on, we sampled a lot of demos to make sure that the people who maybe knew about kombucha knew how healthy it was different. The people who didn't know about kombucha, we educated them and were able to talk through how healthy it is the best tasting, highest quality kombucha. And as we did that, we started, we had them at first sip basically, because the taste was just so good. So that was a piece of it. Our internal team is awesome. They kick butt all day, every day. And they had great relationships with the stores. They were able to really create beautiful displays, merchandise, and help the teams out in Delson. And those are a couple pieces of it.

And we can't forget about the marketing side of it and how we've been able to participate in events around L.A. to really get the word out. We had a brand ambassador team to help sample around the stores. So it was really the 360 collective view on how to elevate the visibility to our product and to our brand that really gave the initial noise that I needed. Yeah, I could just imagine because it is part of it is an educational sell so you really have to train your staff and the benefit of kombucha right a hundred percent yeah definitely so it is you have to you may think that you know everything but your team needs that also similar guidance and you know mirror discussion so that they can then go out and multiply that type of understanding on what

healthy kombucha is. Yeah. And so, Vanessa, do you remember your initial investment? Yes, I do. So, I mean, it was at a time where we were growing so rapidly, we needed capital to grow. And that was equally scary and exciting for different reasons. But yeah, that was a, it was a turning point for us where we were able to get the resources and start us on this path to really set the scale in the industry. Yeah. Wow. Now, Vanessa, how is that with, of course, there are going to be moments

in this reality having a partner. Is there at times where, you know, you guys are not in the same page? How is that having a partner and growing this business? Can you tell me some challenges? Yeah, I mean, I would say if anything, what's made us stronger is having a strong founding trio um you know there's often a discussion do you go it alone or do you have other co-founders and for us it's definitely been a benefit to our strength as a company and a team. When one of us may have gaps, the other person is able to help really fill that in. And, you know, there is something to be said about going at this with someone on the emotional journey with you. And so when we've been, you know, when any one of us has been down, another one is there to help pick us up. And so that's really been a good back and forth on how to really, you know, how we've been able to operate.

And yes, there's been times when butting heads happen and you have to work through some stuff. And that's just, I think, the nature of a healthy relationship where it's not just all roses. The critical point of that is getting through it to get to a productive place. Absolutely. Now, Vanessa, what kind of culture exists in your organization and how did you establish it? Yeah. So, you know, culture is an interesting phenomenon and I actually think it's one of those intangible competitive advantages that exist across companies. And if you have a good one, you really have a good one. And that allows you to soar above the competition. So early on, when it was just me, Dinah, and Justin, it's this idea that, you know, we are it.

We're everything, right, to the company. But as we started to hire people, we needed people to actually multiply and kind of carry the mission forward just as we would. And so we started to put together what really described the characteristics of our company as what we wanted to see it to be. And our values started to reflect that. And so on paper, they stand for the word goal. So it's an acronym, G-O-A-L. And it stands for grit, optimism, authenticity, and leadership. So those are hallmark characteristics of not just us as founders, us as a company, but I can definitively say that everyone who comes into our organization displays those characteristics and are able to really thrive within our organization because of it.

We interview on those values. We consistently review and talk about them. And they resonate. And so it's really exciting to see a team that's firing on all cylinders, really excited to build the brand, but also doing it with an integrity and shared mindset and perspective. I love that. Now, Vanessa, what was one of your deepest motivation in life? Let's see. I would say for me, the motivation well I think there are two motivations one is to be able to provide and spend time with my loved ones is probably for my family and my loved ones are everything. And so I value the time with them to be able to be the most valuable in this world. And so for me, I wanted to design a life where I was able to do just that on my terms.

And that doesn't often happen with just a nine to five job. But it also doesn't happen with an entrepreneurial life as well, because you're throwing into the mix more than nine to five, it's all consuming. But at the same time, you're able to define time and what you do with that time as your own. So that's one thing. And then second is, you know, being able to provide, you know, for my parents, for example, they worked really hard to give us a life that was great. And if I can give anything back to them or give the gift of experience back to the people I love through whatever success I may be able to gain, that is probably one of the biggest motivators for me. I love that. Now, Vanessa, what is your greatest fear and how do you manage fear? Yeah, you know, it's interesting.

I just wrote this note on optimism. And part of what I touched on was it's not about having no fear. It's just knowing that the fear doesn't define you. And so that, and so for me, I, it's not to say that I haven't been fearless, but I guess I, I'm not, I'm not necessarily afraid of what comes with the what if, and kind of the next step. Cause there's always going to be

a new day to try again um I guess if there's anything that causes me anxiety or that I really think about it is um it's probably again going back to um my loved ones or just things I care deeply about like if they will be hurt. So in that same vein, like, is there something that could pose pain or, or issue for my company, my family, my loved ones? And like, how do I, how do I do the best by them to not let that happen. So that's more of where my perspective is. Yeah. And what have been the biggest challenges you've had to overcome? Hmm.

In life or in business? Business. Life either. You know, I guess it overlaps but um in business and in life um there's always this that's that i've had in the back of my head it's like that imposter syndrome that kind of talks you through what you it gives you the devil's advocate view and kind of gives you the pause to think am I on the right track am I doing the right thing am I seeing the right thing and for me I think that's my own demon where I've had to really overcome that second guessing myself and it's come through you

know personally just confronting more of who I am, being really comfortable in my own skin, and that's taken a while, and also in how that relates to business and what we're, what we've been trying to do and grow, really trying to step into not just building a business, but also stepping in and up into what the company needs of me. And that comes through not like second guessing myself and really being comfortable in my own skin and leaning to my strengths. So I think that's been something to overcome. And, you know, another challenge is, I would say, you know, three years ago, four years ago now, actually, my mom passed away and it was in the throes of health aid in the middle of building it. I'm still in the middle of it.

But that was a really tough personal situation for me because it was the first time I really confronted anything of loss and meaning. And so I really had to come back from a darker place. Yeah. Oh, that's, I'm sorry to hear that. Now it's, it's the worst thing to deal with and that's your mom, you know? Yeah. Yes. Now Vanessa, what advice would you give to an aspiring entrepreneur?

I would say probably two things. One is that first step is often the hardest. I think I talk to a lot of entrepreneurs who think they're entrepreneurs because they think of a lot of ideas. But then there's also people who actually do something about them. And so I would say the doing something about it is actually kind of the, the real first step in making your dreams come true and being an entrepreneur. So it's the hardest step, but without taking that first step, you're just always going to be stuck. Then the second thing is it's a tagline we have at HealthAid.

It's what we started with. And I think it resonates with us now and also for people just really looking to curate their own dreams. It's the idea of follow your gut. And the idea that there's going to be a lot of naysayers. There's going to be a lot of what ifs. There's going to be a lot of fear of the unknown. But the true north that you have within sight of you to be able to take either that next promotion

or go for a career change or start your own business or, you know, ask that girl out that you've been wanting to ask out, like just follow your gut and do it. It often isn't that, it's not that it doesn't, you don't feel the pain necessarily. And if you're feeling that urge, that true north, then it's probably where you should be headed anyway. I love that. So is that your tagline, follow your gut? Yes, it is.

I love it. You could use it anywhere, right? I love it. Yes. Vanessa, how do you create new ideas? So I realized that the worst space for me to be in to kind of create and think about new ideas is when I'm like bogged down with just like back to back meetings, the day to day, the like, all the things I need to do on my to do list. And so I actively have to carve out time to think about things I know that sounds weird but there is like a looseness I have to feel I can't be like structured and know I have a checklist going on and so that's the first thing is I have to kind of get into my right juju. And then second is, you know,

I find myself getting into this very much like, okay, if I want to get here, what are the next steps? So not trying to box myself in into such a process-oriented way of thinking, but just, again, going back to the looseness of thinking through the ideation process. Wow. Now, if you could do it all over again, would you do the same thing? I feel like definitely I would do this over again,

but I feel like I would be smarter and maybe avoid some pitfalls that we've experienced over the years. What did you learn those years? if you know what you do now what would you do differently i mean the the ways are endless there's too many to count um you know it spans from from very big things, having to surround, let's say, financial modeling, capital raises, ways to help to preserve founder equity, to little things like, oh, shipment should have been labeled chilled, not cold, because that could be confusing to be confused as frozen so it really spans the gamut of learnings in every which way um i think the biggest learning more on a personal level is that um you start to understand how you want like how you want to build things through, whether it be financial investment, through debt, through, and really what's meaningful to you and how to build toward that. So if anything, it's more about how to get to your end goal sooner.

Love that. Now, Vanessa, what have been the most influential experiences in your life? Let's see. I guess going back to when I was a kid, you know, being that I'm Chinese American, and so I grew up in a very homogenous Caucasian community. And I never really thought of anything that I was different. I maybe thought, oh, I do different activities. I go to Chinese school on the weekends and I can't always go to sleepovers.

But I never really felt too dissimilar. But I think one defining moment was when I encountered a, I was in seventh grade and this eighth grader came up to me and I had like my mom's food that I love that she took for me for lunch. And he said a derogatory comment. He's like, oh, you know, you're so, it was just a derogatory comment. And I was really caught off guard and I didn't know how to react and that was the first time I knew I was different than everyone else and from that point on I tried to fit in and blend in to be as as homogenous as I could so that meant really pushing away anything that I felt was different including my Chinese culture being annoyed of my parents because they made me go to Chinese school, stuff like that.

And it wasn't until I was able to really think about that and think about who I am, what my identity is, what it means to me in my early 20s, that I started to actually be real with myself and feel more comfortable in my own skin but I feel like that is where one of my defining moments really started another one was when my mom passed away I just had to think about what what's important to me how I want to live my life who I want to spend it with and so that really helped to redefine I think my life my life direction and my life goals and then probably another piece was the day I decided to quit my nine-to-five job to make health aid health aid it was you know do I give up this kind of cushier, more conservative path, but for more or less guaranteed income?

Or am I going to go down this very uncharted, dark, you don't know what's around the corner path for dreams of whatever may happen? And so that, I think that was a defining moment. I remember the night before my palms were sweaty, there was a pit in my stomach and I was, I did it. And when I did it, I felt this immediate relief. But that's really when a whole new kind of ball game started in my life. Wow. That's inspiring. Now, Vanessa, what do you see as your place or purpose in life my purpose in life um so I've come to do a lot of I think self-awareness activities just to really understand like what makes me me um and and I think I truly enjoy and i'm in my sweet spot when i'm able to um be that person who's you contagious who creates contagious enthusiasm um who's able to really

kind of lighten up the the the atmosphere dream big think about what's next. And so for me, I would say my purpose is really bringing that to what I'm doing, whether it's, you know, with the team, building something with the company, advising other companies, talking, you know, just being with my friends. So it's that type of energy that I think is really exciting for me and feels good. So something in that space ultimately, I believe, is my purpose. And Vanessa, what are you most grateful for um i think i'm grateful for this sounds a little cheesy but i'm grateful for my life in many different ways um i you know am knock on wood healthy um i'm currently like 36 weeks pregnant now um and so thank you and you know for all intents and purposes i grew up i grew up in a really safe awesome family and atmosphere

and as as i look back i don't think I've ever really been that. But now I sit here and just really appreciative of what I've been able to experience, what I continue to build on, and what I look forward to. So I would say my life. And Vanessa, is this your first baby? It is. Oh, that's even more exciting are you nervous about this time um you know what's been interesting is uh the last eight months have been a whirlwind of everything both like you know proposal wedding baby we had new house business so I'm not I haven't had time to be nervous but um more of like there's lots of things that need to happen before baby comes so I'm more thinking about that that's well you're that's you know that's amazing how you're able

to focus and doing all that things and having a baby that's that is a lot to think of like just me personally but I'm so happy um for you my friend just had a baby and she was like are you I I was asking her are you antsy now it's like yeah i want this to pop like i just want to get it over with but now she's yeah i know yeah now vanessa thank you so much for sharing now what's your handle where can they find you oh yeah um i'm on instagram so at v underscore d e w um you can check out health aid at health ADE. And I'm on LinkedIn as well. Yeah. Well, Vanessa, thank you. And I appreciate your sharing and to have a great day.

Thank you. You too. Thanks for having me. It's been fun. Of course. Bye Vanessa. Bye. We hope you enjoyed the show. Don't forget to rate, review and subscribe. And visit katehancock.com so you don't miss out on the next episode.