Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in wellness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with TJ Stouder, CEO of HOLISTIK Wellness, located in Golden, CO, USA.

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

HOLISTIK Wellness exists to simplify the consumer journey to CBD. Bourne, out of a personal mission for our Co-Founder and CEO (TJ Stouder) to help his mom, we realized many consumers have endless barriers to this simple plant and tend to be overwhelmed with information and options. Therefore, at HOLISTIK, we've simplified our lineup to one simple product, water-soluble hemp paired with familiar natural supplements widely known to help with everyday ailments such as sleep, stress, and recovery. It's then all delivered in a convenient Stir STIK that allows you the flexibility for on-the-go and the fun of crafting unique drinks at any moment, from the office party where you are trying not to drink to a hot tea before bed on a business trip.

Tell us about yourself

TJ, a former Procter & Gamble executive, envisioned the company after watching his mother struggle with various health ailments over the years without experiencing many benefits from more traditional remedies. After much debate, TJ finally convinced his mom to try CBD, which helped her immensely. He then set out, with a team of Co-Founders with years of experience in Consumer Packaged Goods, to identify and procure the leading materials available to create a clean, easy-to-use, and effective CBD product, resulting in the birth of HOLISTIK Wellness.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

We are driven by our consumers and the direct feedback we hear weekly about life changes. The importance of a HOLISTIK night's sleep or stress-free afternoon can't be overstated, and the percentage of our world that struggles with these issues every day is hard to believe. Knowing the list of unnatural substances our consumers have been able to remove from their life while accomplishing their goal of HOLISTIK Wellness is all the motivation we need.

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

The hardest part of being a business owner is that it has to consume you, breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and you may miss most of those meals. You'll be pushed to do things you didn't believe possible, not because you have to but because you want to.

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

  1. FOCUS - Know your lane and ensure your business stands out in a differentiated way. Most businesses fail for a myriad of reasons, often which in some way or another tie back to this.
  2. TEAM - Find smart people, people that challenge you, people that share your vision, and ideally, people that fill the gaps in your capability to deliver your mission.
  3. PASSION - If you are going to do this, you better love it. You will talk about it 24/7 and work on it 24/7; there's no differentiation between your work and your personal phone.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

On top of the common difficulties of starting a business, CBD is an incredibly tough new industry, with manmade obstacles that seem to move with the wind, from regulations to consumer fears to social media restrictions to the low barrier to entry resulting in endless product options. Therefore, we remain focused on the quality of our product, and the first moment of truth when a consumer sees it through tries it to be our biggest marketing tool. Deliver for the consumer, and the rest will fall in place!

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.holistikwellness.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/holistikwellness/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/holistikwellness/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/HOLISTIKcbd
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/holistik-wellness-llc/

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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