Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Stacey Ventura, owner of Be Blends, located in Sykesville, MD, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Be Blends is a brand I created for everyday people like you and I, who are looking for safer, cleaner, healthier products for themselves and their families. They can feel good about using our brand because it's affordable and effective while also being completely transparent. To our core, we are a small family business, and it comes through in everything we do.
Tell us about yourself
Two weeks after my first daughter was born, my husband, Nick, was diagnosed with cancer. Thankfully he is well and thriving now, but that experience was transformational in every aspect of our lives. After his diagnosis, I felt compelled to rid our house of anything that could possibly cause any harm to anyone in my family. In doing so, I realized that a lot of what we were using wasn't actually as safe and clean as I thought it was, or it was super expensive, so I took to making my own and started giving it to friends and family. When people started coming back looking for more, I realized I might be onto something, and Be Blends was born. This is still the driving force behind my business and why I do what I do each day.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
I think my biggest accomplishment as a business owner is never giving up and staying the course. Trust me, there have been many, many times that I wanted to throw in the towel, but I didn't come this far only to come this far. I have three daughters who watch and learn from the difficult situations I have had to tackle. They've seen me rise after being knocked down several times, and every time I want to give up, I think about them, what I would want them to learn, and how I would want them to keep pushing forward.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
There are so many hard things that come with being a business owner, but I would say the two hardest things for me are the family/work balance and the feeling that you're doing this alone. We homeschool our daughters, and even now that they are older and able to do much of their schooling independently, I still find the family/work balance incredibly challenging. It's been a work in progress for the past nine years, and I suspect it will always be one of my biggest challenges.
And the other difficult thing that comes with a business owner is the feeling of being alone or on this journey on your own. Being a business owner has unique pieces that not many will understand unless they're in it or have gone through it.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- It will be so hard, but it's worth it. Don't give up!
- Surround yourself with other business owners. They are a wealth of knowledge and support, and you will need them.
- You cannot do everything yourself. Build a team, even a small one, as quickly as you can so that you can continue to work "on" your business as your team continues to work "in" your business.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://beblends.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/beblendscollective
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beessential/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
Feel inspired to start, run or grow your own subscription business? Check out subkit.com and learn how you can turn "one day" into day one.