Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Sophie Jaffe, Founder of Philosophie, located in Los Angeles, CA, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Philosophie was born after a desire to have an amazing blend of plant-based superfoods together in one convenient mix without artificial flavors or added sweeteners. Only the good stuff. The Philosophie's mission is to help people achieve their fullest state of health by making it easy to get complete nutrition in every meal. Philosophie Superfood Blends, Infusions, and Reset Programs are unlike any other nutritional supplements and detoxification programs on the market because they actually nourish the body with whole, live, nutrient-rich foods.
Each of the Philosophie Superfood Blends is organic, raw, gluten-free, and has absolutely no filler ingredients. The detoxifying Green Dream blend, beautifying Berry Bliss blend, and energizing Cacao Magic blend contain nothing but the purest, most healing ingredients that have been deemed “superfoods” due to their exceptional nutrient density. Because these blends can be added to absolutely any food, it is easy to enrich every meal with the amazing health benefits of the world’s most potent superfoods. When the body receives optimal nourishment from these wholesome, plant-based sources of protein, vitamins, and minerals, it more readily releases unneeded material and toxins, leaving you feeling renewed and vibrantly healthy.
Tell us about yourself
I’m an entrepreneur, yoga teacher, certified raw food chef, and LA-based health and wellness expert, but above all, I’m a mama to three beautiful children, a sister, a friend, and a wife. I’m a huge supporter of therapy, healing, and doing the work. I founded and operate Philosophie, a health and wellness brand with a mission to help people achieve complete nutrition in every meal. We offer superfood products and cleanses that nourish the body with whole, live, nutrient-rich foods.
I have a podcast with my husband called IGNTD where we bare our souls and share amazing topics like spirituality, female sexuality, intentional drug use, astrology, co-parenting, open marriages, and more with our favorite humans. We love to help couples feel inspired to take their love to the next level. I’m a yogi and have been for 18 years. I lead international yoga retreats called Nourish Your Soul.
I believe in the power of manifestation + believe I have manifested my entire life - each step of the way - with hard work and sprinkles of magic. What you think you become, what you feel, you attract, and what you imagine, you create (buddha). I also believe you own how you show up for others and how they show up for you. Respect yourself enough to walk away from anything that doesn’t serve you. We only live once; make it profound.
My wellness journey began at a young age. My mom is a holistic nurse practitioner, and I grew up appreciating and taking homeopathic medicines, flower essences, essential oils, and other natural forms of healing before western approaches were taken (I didn’t step into a hospital or see a “real” doctor until I had my first son at 26 years old). To me, healthy is a state of mind. It’s being connected to your best self, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. I believe health is something that starts within your body, mind, and spirit, and then the outside glows from within.
After college, I began working at an organic raw juice bar down the block from my house and eventually became the store manager. I was so excited to help change the eating habits of others and was also able to change my own habits and find a path to curing some of the discomforts that I faced with dairy, meat, and other foods that weren’t working for me at the time. I became a certified raw vegan chef, and my passion for healthy eating led me to create Philosophie.
Philosophie began with me just wishing that I could have an amazing blend of superfoods and proteins together in one convenient jar. I didn’t want to run out of camu camu or another specific ingredient and then feel like my smoothie wasn’t complete. I traveled all over LA looking for high-quality, fair-trade, organic superfoods and then began packing them together into mason jars and little bags.
I started giving the blends to friends and family and making everyone workout and nutrition guides. One day, while on vacation (I was in the sea in Israel with my hubby), Adi turned to me and said, “You should really grow what you’re doing and share it with more people, make it a company.” And so I did!
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
I created these plant-based superfood protein blends and infusions because I craved these products for my own lifestyle and couldn’t find anything like them on the market. There isn’t any other protein powder out there that doesn’t have stevia in it or a sweetener. Every ingredient in our Philosophie superfoods serves a function in the body. They’re alive and beautiful, helping you to achieve your best overall health!
These healing products have helped everyone, from George Clooney to my own dad. They have become essential components in the lives of thousands more. We sell across the world. We've re-designed all our packaging and have launched 100% compostable bags. We work with major wholesalers like Free People and are only growing by the day.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
I graduated from UCLA in Health Psychology but was never trained in learning how to run a business. That definitely has been where my rocky road began. I am a mama now to 3 kiddos and help to run multiple businesses, primarily Philosophie. It can get SUPER challenging at times, balancing it all. I’m so grateful to have a small team that helps me and always makes sure I voice what I need.
There’s never going to be enough time in a day. There’s so much, too much to be done. And I really want to do EVERYTHING that I can, I want to share wellness with as many people as I can around the world, but I also want to feel free, like I can hike, dance, and play with my kids without being chained to my laptop all the time.
While there is no true end to my day, when you own a company, you can set boundaries. I say “no” to things that don’t match my values or fit in with my schedule. I stay present in everything I do and show up completely. I welcome any emotion and tune in with my body constantly. When I’m feeling anxious and overwhelmed, I slow down, and when I’m feeling invigorated and vibrant, I act with purpose.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Find your passion, something that fulfills you, something that challenges you, something that springs you out of bed and into the world.
- Fill your life with people who give you energy, support you in your mission, and will be there for you on darker and brighter days.
- Never stop being ambitious, strong, and compassionate. Ask questions, seek guidance, and don’t see this as a weakness.
Is there anything else you'd like to share?
I want people to love, appreciate, and respect themselves. A huge part of that is being kind to our bodies, and that means eating beautiful, nourishing foods, actively moving and engaging in something that we love, and hushing that negative, self-deprecating voice in our heads while turning up the volume on the one that is telling us that we are amazing, we are talented, and that we can do it.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.thephilosophie.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/philosophielove
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/philosophielove/
https://www.instagram.com/sophie.jaffe/
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