Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Carissa Kranz, CEO of BeVeg International Vegan Certification, located in Palm Beach Gardens, FL, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Vegan Certification. The world's only meaningful Vegan trademark and standard for products. BeVeg is the good housekeeping seal of approval for Vegan claims and is considered the global gold standard. World's first and only ISO-accredited vegan standard, making it the most reliable benchmark for Vegan claims globally and the only real certification program that conducts third-party on-site audits. BeVeg is represented and internationally recognized worldwide. The BeVeg Vegan trademark means the Vegan product/service claim is reliable and was certified and verified according to consistent standards uniformly applied. The OU (Orthodox Union, the world's largest kosher certifier) and NSF (the world's leading food safety certifier), and Food Chain ID are the official global auditing partners for BeVeg, carrying out audits in about 200 countries.
Tell us about yourself
It started with a glass of wine and a Vegan tofu burrito, only for someone to kill my buzz by telling me that my Vegan wine was not Vegan. I was shocked to learn from google that wines were often filtered through animal parts and were not just grapes. That led to a period of discovery on global labeling laws and the deficiencies of such laws for Vegan label claims. As a lawyer, I was shocked and dismayed at how little transparency there was despite the intent of consumer protection laws. In an effort to effect change and inspire laws, my law firm — the Law Offices of Carissa Kranz — began drafting the Vegan standard in 2017. The official BeVeg Vegan standard later became ISO accredited and recognized as the only meaningfully robust and accredited Vegan certification program and standard globally.
I'm a vegan from birth and a lawyer by trade. So I'm motivated to see the BeVeg mission carried out. Vegan law and vegan label law remain largely undefined globally. BeVeg pioneers clear standards and laws that protect the vegan-interested plant-based consumer.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
It's amazing I've been able to trademark the mark I wish to leave behind in the world. BeVeg, the official vegan trademark mark, stands for truth, transparency, kindness, compassion, and purity and is the symbol of a plant-based world. BeVeg is a mark that is popular and mainstream; the mark itself raises awareness, and when we raise awareness through a mark, we become more conscious of the attributes associated with that mark and self-aware. I am proud to be the founder and visionary of the mark and the program.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
You must wear every hat, be always available, and you are the ultimate problem solver. Just because you are your own boss does not mean you are free. It means you have unlimited potential, but you can never clock out. This is your baby!
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
Never give up. When something isn't working, be flexible and fluid in finding another solution. There really is no such thing as overnight success.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: http://www.beveg.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bevveg
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bevveg/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BevVeg
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bevveg-international/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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