Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Adamya Sharma, founder, and CEO of NEOPOP, located in Brooklyn, NY, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
NEOPOP is a great for you Soda, which supports relaxation. It tastes just like a regular Soda, with clean ingredients, full flavor, and functional benefits. We serve consumers who used to enjoy Sodas back in the day but reduced/stopped consuming due to concerns around high sugar and artificial ingredients.
Tell us about yourself
I've always been very passionate about food and beverage. I first came to the US in 2018, and when I visited a Wegmans supermarket, I was immediately hooked to the world of CPG. Beverages form a very critical part of consumers' everyday lives. As an entrepreneur, what excites me is the impact a great-for-you beverage brand can have on consumers' long-term health and well-being.
I was personally dealing with stress on a daily basis, which drastically increased during the pandemic. The genesis of the idea was simple, to make it convenient and easy for consumers like myself to manage daily stress through a ready-to-drink beverage.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
Being an entrepreneur from outside the US, seeing our product on the shelf in a grocery store next to all the legacy brands is just pure bliss!
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
It's sometimes challenging to be able to effectively zoom in and zoom out during different situations. As an entrepreneur, you have to keep a birds'-eye view of all functions, yet literally, in the next moment, get your hands dirty in a function if it demands it.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Really live and breathe your consumer and your category. Understand what they need, want, and feel when they consume the product and what are their other interests.
- High Consumer Engagement & Deep Brand Love in a small niche is usually better than Avg engagement with a big consumer base.
- Figure out functionally where do you want to build a competitive advantage and outsource all other functions to fractional experts.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.drinkneopop.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drinkneopop
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drinkneopop/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/drinkneopop/
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.