Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Justin Babet, Co-Founder of Chief Nutrition, located in Sydney, NSW, Australia.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Chief Nutrition is a health food company based in Sydney, Australia, with a range of collagen-based protein bars, beef jerky bars and biltong, and real food supplements. We sell to health-conscious consumers online and to over 3,000 stockists around Australia. We also sell in New Zealand, Singapore, and the Middle East.
Tell us about yourself
I decided to jump out of tech into the world of health to pursue a passion in helping people live happier, healthier lives. I picked snack food because almost all snacks on the market, including those marketed as healthy, are either full of fake-food ingredients or way too much sugar. At Chief Nutrition, we're taking a stand against fake food by creating real-food snacks that are backed by science, support health and improve lives. We're also big believers and supporters of Regenerative Agriculture and Aussie Farmers through Thankful For Farmers. Find out more here.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
Survival! I mean that honestly, I think half the battle is figuring out how to stay alive long enough, through the inevitable setbacks and challenges, to get to the point where scale and the benefit of hard lessons allow the business to thrive. I'm happy to say we're now at that point, and we're still growing fast.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
Letting go. There may be some things others will never be as good as you at doing, and it takes a concerted effort to train someone because it takes a lot longer than just doing it yourself. But, once you have someone who is almost as good, as good, or perhaps far better than you, then this is a multiplier for your business as you're free to do higher-value things.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Plan for it to take twice as long and cost twice as much as you think.
- Outsource the things you can get done more cheaply than the value you place on your own time (e.g., bookkeeping can be done offshore for $10/h).
- Stay focused on things that meaningfully grow your business.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://wearechief.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chief.nutrition1
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chief.nutrition/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/chief_bar
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justinbabet/
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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