Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Dario Tobia, co-founder, and CEO of Kefir Lab, located in San Francisco, CA, USA.

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

Kefir Lab is a Biomedical startup focusing on the R&D and production of probiotic cultured dairy & plant-based products to boost our Microbiome and increase people's immune system, digestion, and productivity thanks to the positive effects of Probiotics.

Tell us about yourself

I was raised in Tuscany, Italy, and have always been passionate about the art and the science of delicious, organic, and healthy foods. When I moved to North America, I got my master's in business and opened a restaurant in San Francisco. The restaurant was a success, but unfortunately, I started experiencing drastic changes in my well-being and overall performance after a while. I met my wife, Erika, a probiotic enthusiast that changed my health through the power of probiotics. I was struck by her passion for probiotics and the gut-brain connection. I researched the topic, self-experimented by drinking kefir on a daily basis, and I felt a drastic difference and wanted to share it with the world. We founded Kefir Lab in 2019 as part of a shared vision – to spread knowledge about the microbiome and the power of probiotics in a delicious and fun way.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

Being able to release in the market a product that changed my overall health drastically thanks to the power of probiotics and gut health. The passion that motivates us every day is educating our customers on having a healthier lifestyle, increasing brain performance, digestion, and immune system with tangible results on their health from day one only by improving the health of their microbiome. We currently sell in over 100 stores in California and Texas and many more chains on the way to release our products.

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

Being able to remain focused on your idea and values all the time without compromising the quality of your product. Along the way, many stakeholders want to change your product for their interests, like increasing shelf life for a better distribution or lowering the quality of your ingredients for a lower price point. Remain focused on your customers and always with delivering the maximum value to them. It is important to grow organically and find your early adaptors and work with them to improve the product. Understand your early data in distribution and use them as a competitive tool when boarding other larger chains. Don't run trying to increase revenues without a proper targeting of customers and stores. Others will push you to boost your sales from the beginning but won't help your brand in the long run. Always create a strategy.

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

  1. PRICING: Make sure you have room to maintain your margins from day 1 to end. A business has to be profitable first.
  2. GROWTH STRATEGY: Create a strategy for onboarding the right stores, find your early adaptors and identify your target customers. Identify your market and build your brand.
  3. MAINTAIN YOUR VALUES: Always put customers at the core of your growth, delivering real value to them. Your product needs to solve the problem they're trying to solve, make it simple, easy to understand, and concise.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

Food and Medicine in the new intersection in the CPG. Boost your performance through real food and avoid anything unhealthy highly processed food. Your body and brain will thank you and support in your everyday life :D

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://kefirlab.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kefirlabprobiotics/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kefirlab/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dariotobia/

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.