Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Jeremy Schmidt, Co-Founder of Blossom, located in Chicago, IL, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Blossom is a mental wellness company providing people with natural tools to support their mental well-being. We believe that natural medicine should be plan A instead of plan B in mental healthcare. We take a clinically-based approach to product development using only ingredients that have been clinically proven to support mental wellness. Our customers are people looking for alternatives for their day-to-day mental health. Our superfood oat milk lattes are infused with clinically-effective levels of superfoods to support mood, focus & stress.
Tell us about yourself
In 2015 I joined my first startup, and I've been hooked since. It's hard to imagine a job where I'm not working to grow a business and feeling the highs and lows of a journey. The lessons learned in both success and failures along the way are things I will carry with me forever. Every day, our company has another opportunity to work towards forging its own path, and I love the ability to be so intimately involved in that. No further motivation is needed.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
Launching Blossom with my co-founder Billy Grady last year was my proudest moment. We've achieved quite a bit since then, but just taking the risk of leaving a comfortable previous job at a company that had grown aggressively and jumping into a new startup was a challenge, and the reward has been immense.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
There will be lows, just as there will be highs. Keeping a level head across both circumstances is hard. It's easy to feel anxious when things don't go as planned, and that struggle creates room for negativity within a company, even among only two people. Keeping positive when it's hard and keeping an eye on future challenges when it's good can be tough for someone like me who lives in the moment.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Know who you are. I'm not as much of an idea man, but I know how to execute and work very hard. Meeting my co-founder, who had a great idea, was critical to my opportunity to start another business. Some people are better at ideas; some are better at contributing when an idea is in place. Either way, know who you are.
- You'll make mistakes, and your plan will only get you so far. Our strategy changed rapidly multiple times in our first year. That will always be the case based on my experiences. Have an idea of what one year, three years, and five years out look like, but don't be married to it. Just get out there and start trying things until you figure out what works.
- Don't rely on everyone else. If your plan for your business involves bringing in the perfect person for roles A, B and C - make a new plan. This is your thing, and maybe a few partners as well. But early on, you'll need to be a jack of all trades. Learn as much as you can and only slowly start to offload once you are comfortable with those you're working with.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://drinkblossom.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drinkblossom.co/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/drinkblossom/
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.
Turn your craft into recurring revenue with Subkit. Start your subscription offering in minutes and supercharge it with growth levers. Get early access here.