Ownr Success Story: Healthy Brokers
Healthy Brokers set out to make the world a healthier place, while at the same time, enabling entrepreneurs and retailers in the wellness space.
What inspired you to set up Healthy Brokers?
Having been involved in the health/wellness industry both professionally and personally, I noticed that there were many entrepreneurs in this space trying to create products that would truly impact the lives of consumers. The issue is that many of these creators lack knowledge in critical areas that prevented their product/service from being distributed and reaching their ideal end-users. This problem, would completely cripple the founders of these start-ups as they had no idea where to start from a technology, business development, marketing, book-keeping, account management, supply chain, and distribution standpoint. I wanted to bridge this gap by acting as a true extension of my client’s teams through addressing every and all of the knowledge gaps that I’ve commonly seen in this booming, and niche industry. The end result enables consumers to live longer/better lives, retailers to have access to more local/niche inventory, and founders to ensure success in a very competitive landscape.
What do you love about being your own boss? What keeps you motivated?
The thing that I love about being my own boss, is that I can take radical responsibility in growing my business. I no longer have to depend on others that simply come to work to “collect a paycheck.” I’ve been able to work with incredible, dedicated, passionate people who have large-scale goals. What keeps me motivated is the level of accountability I need to have for my customers in order to achieve shared success.
What has been your biggest success or earliest win?
My biggest success has been the level of pride, and fulfilment that I’ve achieved on a personal level along with the incredible people I’ve met and the relationships that I’ve built.
What do you remember about the initial days of Healthy Brokers? Anything you can share about your experience of using Ownr to set up?
I had quit my job to run with Healthy Brokers Full time, and I recall the costs of a lawyer being excessive, and all over the map. This was a frustrating time given my lack of funds (since I was bootstrapping) and inexperience dealing with lawyers. This was confusing and lead me to believe that there weren’t any unbias options that I could leverage to register my business. That’s when a close friend of mine who’d previously heard of the platform told me about Ownr. The platform was easy to use, and I felt safe knowing that it was a part of the RBC group of companies, given their strong reputation in Canada.
What’s the hardest part of running a business of this nature? Is there anything you wish you knew before you started? Anything you would approach differently?
The hardest part about running a business of this nature is staying relevant to each retailer and client that I work with. Given I have so many customers, brands that I represent, and retailers that I work with on a daily basis, I need to ensure that I’m always a few steps ahead of the game to engage in a unique way with every individual that comes in contact with Healthy Brokers. This comes easier the better your relationship becomes on a professional and personal level. In terms of areas I’d approach differently – Next time I would ensure that I proved the concept in the market prior to building out the technology to support it. The concept ended up being very positive, however, I could have started generating revenue and having the closes relationships with retailers much earlier on.
Are there any tips you’d like to share with other entrepreneurs starting their business journey?
Find mentors and people that have done what you’re trying to do before (or something similar) – Find balance to ensure you don’t burn out