Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Veronica Fil, co-founder, and CEO of Grounded Foods Co., located in Los Angeles, CA, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
We make dairy-free cheese from one of nature's most sustainable, nutritious, and underutilized ingredients: hemp. Our mission is to make plant-based cheese that's genuinely appealing to everyday consumers who are simply looking for a better-for-you option. Our products are made by an award-winning fine-dining chef who's taken a flavor-first approach to make plant-based cheeses that satisfy peoples' craving for dairy. They're also nut-free, soy-free, gluten-free, keto, and non-GMO certified.
Tell us about yourself
I used to be a behavioural economist, spending my time watching market trends and predicting how consumers would respond. But a few years ago, a married an extraordinarily talented Australian chef--and we began working together on his restaurant in Melbourne. It was a multisensory dining concept that took the dining experience beyond taste alone we'd hire actors and musicians, sound and lighting engineers, psychologists, hypnotists, creators of dystopian animatronics and use augmented reality and 3D printing to warp people's perceptions of food.
It was through this work that we started exploring ways to serve healthier, more sustainable plant-based, and upcycled food options to diners--without them realizing that there was no meat or dairy on the plate, just plants. That's what got us interested in using hemp as a base for dairy alternatives.
What motivates me is having the ability to build a business from scratch and shape and control it in a way that I know is going to be successful. I spent too long doing it for other companies, getting frustrated by their red tape and restrictions that held innovation back.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
I managed to launch an alt. protein startup that uses a world-first fermentation technology while simultaneously fundraising, moving to the other side of the world, and living in a one-bedroom apartment with my husband/co-founder during a global pandemic. We can do anything at this point.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
No matter how successful the business becomes, it's a never-ending cavalcade of obstacles and freak-out moments. That will never change. That's what I signed up for.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- You don't get an extraordinary outcome with an average effort.
- There are people who appreciate the work-life balance, and then there are startup founders.
- Don't feel like you have to go down the route of venture capital investment and turn your company into a unicorn. It's about making a business and lifestyle that works for you. It makes you happy, whether a small freelance business or a multinational empire.
Is there anything else you'd like to share?
We tend to only post on TikTok these days--you can find us there @groundedcfc
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://groundedfoods.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/grounded_foods/
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.