Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Sergei Borisov, CEO of Lyte Foods, located in San Francisco, CA, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
One of the biggest food segments in the world is "confectioneries." In fact, about 75% of people in the US buy them regularly. It includes chocolates, sweets, cookies, snack bars – you name it! Meanwhile, there are two problems with these products:
- 95% of confectioneries contain white sugar, animal dairy, or allergens, which is harmful to our health
- 7.1 gigatons of CO2 emissions are caused by animal agriculture. A big share of this number belongs to milk production, while milk is included in almost every confectionery out there
At Lyte Foods, we solve these exact two problems. We create plant-based confectioneries, sustainable both for consumers' health and the environment. We achieve that by engineering plant-based products, allergen-free and low in sugar in calories. Recently we launched the first version of our coconut spreads, and there are much more products to come – like chocolate and ice cream!
Tell us about yourself
It all started when my elder brother Denis found out that his children were completely lactose and gluten intolerant. They just couldn't eat almost any sweets while children around were crushing chocolates. That's when Lyte Foods' story began.
After six months of iterations, the Classic flavor of our coconut spread was born. And the kids loved it! They could sweeten almost anything with it. The product was healthy, plant-based, and low in calories and sugar! Then we started adding new flavors and upgrading our recipes.
As we learned more about the industry, we were shocked at how massive the problem is. Equivalent to five Yellowstone National Parks is cut down every year for agricultural dairy production. Cows make up to 10% of methane emissions in the US (while cow milk is used in most confectioneries out there). The average American consumes 152 pounds of sugar yearly!
We managed to let our kids enjoy sweet foods as much as everyone does. Now we want to empower everyone to live much healthier lives without avoiding their favorite sweets! It means fewer calories and sugar, fewer forest cutdowns, and fewer emissions. For us, this is what staying LYTE is about!
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
I really loved to see the process of how just around one idea, we managed to assemble such great people from different countries, languages, and time zones to work together on a better future. That's awesome!
Our company offers products that people love. For some people, it's one of the few sweet products they can consume. We can potentially help millions of people to reduce their carbon footprint. How can you not be proud of that?
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
While being under constant stress, it's very easy to forget about people who you truly care about. It might be your parents, your partner, even your children! The business totally absorbs you. While you're awake, all your thoughts are about your company and "what to do next." It becomes a never-ending cycle.
So, it's hard for me sometimes to pause for a second and remind myself of those who are next to me. At the same time, I do my best to change that mentality.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Never be afraid to ask. Refusal is not the worst thing that can happen. Missed opportunity, when you had your chance – that's is crucial.
- It's important to be at the right place at the right time. To increase your chances – visit more places, talk to more people, and do it more frequently! Very simple formula 😊
- Find a mentor. It really helps at any stage of your life after you leave your parents' house. Find someone more experienced than you are, so you have someone who could help you during hard times, especially in business. If you're a student, or recent graduate looking to start your own company in the future, reach out to an entrepreneur who inspires you. Ask him for a job, even as a personal assistant, for example. Not the one who just brings coffee and manages a schedule (though, sometimes you'd do that as well). But the one who helps with routine, but still different business-related tasks (accounting, HR, business development, customer support, etc.) This way, you'll dive deep into how the business works, which will help you to start your own venture later. Learning by doing is the only way! Oh yeah, if you're afraid to ask anyone – go back to point #1 here.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://eatlyte.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sergei1borisov/
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/sergei1borisov/
https://www.instagram.com/eatlytefoods/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/asby535
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sergeiborisov/
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.
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