Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Tyler Dooley, founder, and CEO of Wake Up Water, located in Boston, MA, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Wake Up Water is a healthy energy drink mix that provides natural energy and hydration at the same time. With only five calories and no sugar or artificial ingredients, Wake Up Water makes for the perfect pick-me-up for any occasion. Anyone who is searching for a coffee alternative or wants to live a more energized life while remaining health-conscious would find it a great option. Our goal is to provide individuals with a healthy way of getting their daily caffeine - helping them feel better and accomplish more.
Tell us about yourself
As someone who has never been a big coffee drinker, I found myself searching for alternatives to keep me feeling energized. Unfortunately, all the options I came across were unhealthy energy drinks filled with unwanted calories, sugar, and artificial ingredients. I always wanted to start my own business and figured why not start one around solving a problem of mine. It's a very rewarding venture. I aim to provide individuals a path to living a healthier life by removing the unhealthy flavored coffees and energy drinks from their diet and replacing it with healthier alternatives.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
I'd say my biggest accomplishment is receiving countless emails about how our product is changing people's lives. Whether it's providing amazing nurses with healthy fuel to power them through their shifts, the person looking to get more out of their workouts, the student staying up late to study, or any other note I get. It's just great seeing that Wake Up Water is making a positive impact on people's lives.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
Being able to pivot. There are always decisions to be made. For me personally, the biggest challenge happened during the pandemic. Wake Up Water initially came as a bottled product, and retail was our main strategy. However, as the pandemic continued on, retailers weren't taking on new products, and we were just sitting there waiting for things to change. Not wanting to wait anymore, I acted quickly and redeveloped the product to be a powdered product (making it lighter and easier to ship) and transitioned to a direct-to-consumer model.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Pursue a passion - there's going to be a lot of difficult times. If you're just doing it for the money, you may give up, but if you're doing something you really love, that will help push you through those tough times.
- Stop overthinking - You need to stop overthinking and take action. Your overthinking is slowing you down. Your decisions may not always be 100% right, but if you take action quicker, even if you make mistakes along the way, after some time, you will be much further along than you would have been without any decisions made.
- Content is king - In a digital world, digital content has never been more important. The key to growing your business can sometimes be as simple as just creating compelling content at scale.
Is there anything else you'd like to share?
You'd be surprised at how powerful kindness and positive energy are. Work them more into your daily life, and you'll notice a great improvement in your personal life and business.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://drinkwakeupwater.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wakeupwater/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tyler-dooley-a62317125/
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.