Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Bryan Paulhus, owner of Genuine Essiac, located in Haverhill, MA, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Genuine Essiac provides authentic Rene Caisse Essiac tea to consumers and resellers. Our mission is to offer Organic Essiac Tea to the world at discount prices. Essiac tea provides immune system support and full body detox. Essiac tea helps return the body to its pristine working condition, and in that state, the body becomes more capable of healing itself. We are also engaged in research that demonstrates preliminary results that Essiac tea assists in DNA repair.
Tell us about yourself
I started the business in 2005 alongside my wife, Gina Paulhus. I knew that to allow most people to obtain Essiac at an affordable price, we would need to begin selling online. My wife set up the website, and the rest is history. The thousands of testimonials we have on our site really make us proud. Every single time a call or email comes in with another happy customer, our heart is filled. That motivates us to get up and work in and on the business every day.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
Recently one of our TikTok posts reached over 156,000 viewers. We are so excited for more and more people to learn about the product, especially in ways that reach younger viewers. Most of our customers historically have been on the older side, which makes sense since this is a health product. However, starting to care for your body and your health while young is a wonderful approach. Since we know the TikTok viewers trend young, it excites us to know that we are reading them through that format.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
Work-life balance can be tricky, especially when you run a business from home! Luckily for us, we have added reliable staff over the years, and they not only help us share in the workload, but they help out when it's time for us to travel, which is our favorite pastime. After travel, we are always excited to return to work once again.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Do your research before starting! Check out what your competitors are doing both online and in person.
- While running your business, make sure to do an inventory of how you are spending your time. Try to do more of what is creating the biggest return on investment, and let go of the rest.
- To grow a business, set aside time each week to learn something new. Make it part of your workday. The world is always changing, and you'll be left behind if you don't pay attention.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://genuineessiac.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/genuineessiac
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/genuineessiac/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@essiac_tea
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryan-paulhus-506b971/
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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