Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Suzy Hardy, CEO of CBD Fountain, located in Bend, OR, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
My business is CBD Fountain, a vegan and organic Hemp CBD brand making products for people who want natural healing and wellness in their lives and who care about what they put in and on their bodies.
Tell us about yourself
I started my company, CBD Fountain, to help relieve my own back pain. I have recurring back pain from a sports injury in high school and have done everything under the sun to heal it and prevent pain. I had tried a cannabis topical, but it was sticky, smelled bad, was expensive, and didn't work. Hemp CBD had started to be a thing, and I thought, I wonder if this would work. I made an organic, vegan body lotion and added essential oils and CBD oil. I made a product I would look to get as a consumer. I put it on, and my pain melted away. I thought that was weird, and I didn't expect this to work.
I had a private massage practice at the time and gave it to all my clients who had different issues, from torn meniscus to bulging discs to carpal tunnel, etc. They ALL came back and said that the lotion helped relieve their pain, and CBD Fountain was born. Everything I make was created for either myself, friends, or family and my own pets. I make products I would want to buy as a consumer.
What motivates me is that I make products to help people feel and look better. My three standards are:
- my products must smell or taste great
- must be organic or as natural as possible
- must be effective
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
My biggest accomplishment is that after 5.5 years and Covid and the recession, we are still in business. I have seen hemp companies with millions of dollars in funding go under, and the fact that we are able to pivot and move with the times is a huge accomplishment in my book.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
The hardest thing is that everything is on you. I don't regret it for a minute, but it is very challenging to always have to be a problem solver and not get to walk away at 5 pm and think, eh, it is someone else's problem.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Define your objectives and make a plan. You will probably change that plan a gazillion times but don't expect success right away.
- Create great products and give good value, whether that is from a service or physical product.
- Take care of yourself first. Many times I work til the wee hours of the night for my business, and my health has suffered. Don't do that. Slow and steady wins the race. Don't sacrifice yourself for your business.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.cbdfountain.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cbdfountain
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cbdfountain/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/suzy-hardy-aa3b03176/
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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