Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Jessica Wikingellis, founder, and owner of Växa Nutrition, located in Aptos, CA, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
We make plant-based nutrition bars for people who give a damn. The market is flooded with lab-crafted bars that are packed with sugars and taste like cookies or brownies. At Växa, we are committed to snacking differently; with only 3G of natural sugars, we have created bars that are packed with organic healthy ingredients and flavors that taste like what they're made of. If you are one of those people who always read the ingredients label, who cares for what you eat, and are tired of all the sugary options out there, then we can promise you will love our bars!
Tell us about yourself
I moved from Sweden 3 years ago, where I found everything to be very simplistic. Coming to America, I was amazed by all the different options that this country had to offer, especially when it came to food. BUT, I was disappointed by all the unhealthy snacks that were taking over the grocery aisles.
All the snack bars seem to try to taste like a cookie, brownie, or peanut butter yet still be marketed to fit within specific diets (Keto, Paleo, Low Fat, etc.). They were filled with sugars, sugar substitutes, dates, and strange ingredients that I'd never heard of, all to achieve a taste that was unnatural to me. Where were my healthy, simple, clean snacks without any B.S? As a healthy mom of three boys, married to a very active husband, I decided that in order to live the life we wanted by being outdoors and on the go, I needed to create my own healthy snack, and Växa was born.
What keeps me going? Believe that we are introducing people to savory and slightly sweet snacks with the hope that we are helping others change the way they think of snack food and possibly help them achieve their diet goals for longer periods of time. If you're going to trick yourself with the foods you eat, how long will it take before you grab a chocolate chip cookie if all your snack bars taste like a gross version of one?
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
Overcoming any doubts or naysayers, always believing in my product/brand, and continually working on how to develop every aspect of the business. I am glad that my husband and I get to do this together, building our future and setting good examples for our kids. Also, bringing a food product to market in California during COVID and not using a co-manufacturer.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
Definitely, doubting yourself. As a business owner, you always need to plan your next few steps even if you don't know what they will be. Maintaining that vision can be challenging when the sales aren't rolling in or making a mistake. I believe that in the end, you just need to trust your gut and go with it and try not to let that little voice of doubt take up much of your brain activity.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Everyone fails before they succeed, it's a rollercoaster, not a one-way street.
- Connect with other businesses in the same industry as yours, reach out to them, and ask them how they started; they have walked the walk. Now let them talk ;)
- Test your product/service on people before you launch, listen to them, adapt, optimize and when you're ready, go for it and never look back.
Is there anything else you'd like to share?
It's never too late. Believe in yourself :)
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.vaxabar.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vaxabars
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vaxabar/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/växa-nutrition/
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.