Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Kiyah Duffey, Co-Founder of Kizingo, located in Blacksburg, VA, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
At Kizingo, we believe that everyone deserves to have a healthy relationship with food. We also know that knowing what to feed kids - and getting them to eat what we've made - can be stressful and confusing. We know because we're parents. We're also nutrition experts. Using our expertise, we design children's feeding products that actually promote the healthy habits we all want our kids to have! Using the latest in nutrition science research, our products are designed to encourage behaviors that have been demonstrated to promote (1) life-long healthy eating habits, (2) healthy relationships with food, and (3) positive health outcomes. Our customers are anyone who wants to have happier, healthier mealtimes with their kids.
Tell us about yourself
For years I conducted research to understand how adults' dietary patterns affected their health - things like weight gain and heart disease. But when I had kids, I became really interested in what the scientific literature had to say about how I could help my kids avoid the dietary pitfalls that most adults had found themselves in. And that's when I realized that the products I gave my kids when they started eating - the physical plates, bowls, spoons - didn't actually encourage the kinds of behaviors the science suggested would help them grow into happy, healthier eaters. So I decided that I would have to make those things! It was a HUGE change going from academia to designing, manufacturing, and selling physical products, but I love a challenge!
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
Honestly, the fact that we are still in business five years after launching our first product (and that we were profitable within two years) feels like a major accomplishment. I know so many businesses don't make it past that point, and I'm so grateful that I get to continue to have the excitement (and struggles) of being a business owner.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
For me, it is the sheer number of things that need attention each day. Sometimes prioritizing can be challenging because it all feels so important. But with each passing year, I'm getting better at identifying goals and prioritizing tasks that will help us reach them.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
The first tip would have to be: Be curious. I have found that asking questions has been crucial to me in getting things done, understanding my own limitations, finding others to help, and finding solutions to problems that may not have been immediately obvious. It also helped me build and maintain relationships, which have been critical to Kizingo's success. The second tip would be: Be patient (with yourself and others). I want to be in this business for the long haul, and I've had to remind myself that slow and steady progress is still moving in the right direction. And sometimes, things that haven't been immediately obvious "wins" have still turned out to be incredibly fruitful decisions. It just took time. And finally, my third tip would be: Find your village. In business, as in life, you simply can't go it alone. Find the community of people that support you, encourage you, fill you up, cheer you on, and make you smile. Find those that spark new ideas and open possibilities. You will all go further together.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://kizingokids.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kizingokids/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kizingokids/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/kizingo/
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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