Best Taste, Best Quality, ALL LOVE! - Booch Organic Kombucha

Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Shannon Kamins, Owner of Booch Organic Kombucha, located in London, ON, Canada.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

Booch is a heart-centered business operating with eco-regenerative business practices, synergy, connection, gratitude, compassion, purpose, and love. We are the manufacturers of healing organic beverages that include kombucha and jun. We share the story to connect consumers to themselves, the community, and the planet by offering them a living fermented beverage filled with beneficial microbes that enhance their health and well-being.

Our customers care about their health, support locals, and prefer the taste of our kombucha above all other brands.

Tell us about yourself

Booch’s story is one of health, growth, community, and local love; it’s a story that came to fruition through a mission of healing.

I'm the Founder and Master Fermenter of Booch Organic Kombucha. I was diagnosed with Celiac disease after graduating with a degree in Health Science from Western University. The uncomfortable side effects I was experiencing, such as sharp pains and bloating, were a signal that my ingestion of gluten and GMOs were becoming a problem.

While studying at Western, I began brewing my own kombucha at home. I started making 10L batches on my countertop and quickly developed a love for this ancient elixir. Next, I began using specific medicinal herbs to make them the most beneficial for me. Some of my favourite ingredients to this day are stinging nettle, Chaga mushroom, wild rose petals, and cedar tree!

Inspired by my drive to heal my own gut disturbances and advocate for gut health, I earned a certificate in Food Security from Ryerson University and later joined Weston A Price Foundation, where I continued learning about the effects traditional diets have on our bodies, including using fermented foods as a way to increase immune system functioning.

From fermenting oats to cabbage to kombucha—I've become an expert in the ancient art and modern science of food fermentation, Ayurveda, herbalism, and many ancient healing arts. My love for kombucha, coupled with my passion for cultivating community, spreading knowledge, and acting in the stewardship of local organic food systems, led me to open Booch, which operates on eco-regenerative and sustainable business practices, synergy, connection, gratitude, compassion, purpose, and lots of love!

Booch has become a solution to fast-paced lives, where kitchen time needed to prepare traditionally fermented foods is scarce. Putting my passion to practice, my team and I brew authentic, small-batch, craft kombucha locally in the Forest City for communities across Ontario to enjoy.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

I would say my biggest accomplishment would be growing Booch from a very small kitchen-counter-top-sized business that operated at a local farmers market to a brand that is distributed across Canada, all while staying true to our values and never cutting corners to ensure we are producing a high-quality product.

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

I would say keeping the balance and pace while things around you are changing and moving. New issues arise, employees move away, or accounts are lost, but as a business owner, you need to remain focused, balanced, and ready to move forward. You have to 'hold the line' while chaos happens around you. All entrepreneurs carry this weight, and over time I have found familiarity and acceptance with this.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

Just start! Don't wait for it to be perfect. Things will naturally fall into place as you grow.
Mirror your passion. I believe a successful business needs a genuine passion fueling it to ensure long-term success and happiness.
Network! Put yourself out there, get to know other business owners, and make connections. These connections are everything for a growing business and may be the difference between landing a big account or not. View other businesses as synergistic, not competition- you can always learn something from someone.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://boochorganickombucha.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/boochorganickombucha/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/boochorganickombucha/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/organicbooch
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shannon-kamins-b99a1735/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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