Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Karen Danudjaja, founder and CEO of Blume, located in North Vancouver, BC, Canada.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
At Blume, we create organic, plant-based blends for your mug and beyond. We started out with the goal of living more intentionally with a focus on the mind-body connection, and we wanted the products to support our customers in doing the same! Our customers are people from all walks of life who are looking to make choices that support a healthy and balanced life filled with moments of self-care and delicious lattes.
Tell us about yourself
I was born and raised in the suburbs of Toronto, Canada. After a gap year full of croissants, I headed to the West Coast to study at the Sauder School of Business in Vancouver, BC. University landed me on a path of commercial real estate, where I developed a taste for just about anything else.
As I spent most of my time at local cafes drinking the same cup of coffee, I saw a gap in the market for functional, caffeinated, and decaffeinated alternatives that were simple to use and simple to understand. As I explored my own digestive boundaries and sensitivity to caffeine, I understood the lack of solutions without compromise. Looking to my SE-Asian heritage roots, I gathered inspiration from proven ingredients and products with labels you can read and benefits you believe in.
Blume filled my gap by providing versatile blends that are ethically sourced and organically formulated with options to support anyone, no matter where they may be on their wellness journey. My mission was to make wellness accessible at home and at your favorite cafe - less celery juice and guilt, more laughs, lattes, and balance. If I am not making lattes, you can find me relaxing on a trail with my pup Charlie.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
I think one of my biggest accomplishments is just a mindset shift of what I am capable of. Believing that Blume could be bigger and that I could help take it there. I am so proud of the team we have, the dynamic and care we bring for each other.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
I think finding time for yourself. As a business owner, you become so personally invested in everything you do. It's really hard to create separation and make time for wellness and self-care. Those boundaries are something I am always working on. Ultimately that reset time helps you be more productive and think more creatively in your on time. Rest isn't a reward, and that shift hasn't come easily for me.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Just get started. The first step is the hardest.
- You don't need to know everything, just don't act like you do.
- Ask questions and answer them when you can. The founder community is a supportive one; give as much as you take.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://itsblume.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/itsblume/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itsblume/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karen-danudjaja-8275682a/
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.