Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in personal care but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Erica Feucht, CEO of Pit Liquor, located in Fort Collins, CO, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
I manufacture and sell natural deodorant made from natural, edible ingredients like whiskey and vodka. My customers are smart people who know a bit about the BS going on in the health/beauty industry, and they're ready for something transparent and effective. We've all been duped by a natural deodorant, so this has to be the single best deodorant on the planet if it's going to succeed. And we are proving to be very successful.
Tell us about yourself
I got started doing this after my husband made the product for me, and it worked. We began giving it to friends and family and discovered a growing fan club. So we took to Kickstarter, and I ran a successful campaign. At the end of the campaign, we launched our company. I knew it could be a thrill ride watching a company like this take-off, so I invested my time and energy trying to deliver the growth the brand deserved. I do this each day because I believe in the power of doing things the right way. I believe small changes matter. This product is good for people, good for the environment, and good for the small businesses we work with. I believe this is how change occurs: grit, tenacity, and a really amazing idea executed perfectly.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
This business is in a place where marketing is successful, the product is point-perfection, and the brand is excellent. I've done all of this while raising my own small humans. They are my pride and joy. Carving out space for them amid this crazy pace of entrepreneurship will always be my biggest accomplishment. I've raised a good sum of money, I've led teams, and I've found truly wildly exceptional partners and collaborators, but my greatest accomplishment is doing all of this while remaining connected to my kids. Parenting is paramount. Connection-based parenting amid a rapid-growth company is not easily won. And that's the ground I've never let slide.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
As a business owner, there's so much risk in my name. I am the backbone of the company. I started a business, but I have a team who have run businesses. Working together is amazing. But being at the forefront of all the risks while raising a family is a truly hair-raising experience. It's taught me to let go of the perception of safety, which is really just an illusion anyway. Through this risk-engaged position, I have had to maintain a sense of stability for my kids, despite often feeling the interchangeable sense of soaring and plummeting. It's deeply challenging. I've accepted that to get further, I personally must grow. And I've taken therapy very seriously, both personally and professionally.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
I would say you should really check in with yourself. Ask yourself how much you're truly willing to lose. Are you comfortable with risk? When you pass your threshold of risk, because you will, what will you do?
Get to know yourself. What are your unique skills (and what are your weaknesses?)? How can you best fit into your growing company, and how quickly can you let go of roles that you may like or want to control if you find someone qualified to take your spot?
What outcome do you want? You'd better make sure you have something worth fighting for. Very little in this life is worth the absolute havoc of running a business. But the reward should outweigh the pain. Find meaning in something that doesn't fade.
For me, it's always been, my kids. I want to make a huge difference in the world, but most of all, I want to move toward more time with them. Any time I've had to re-evaluate my life (and it's happened a lot as a business owner), I've leaned into what I value most and figured out how to fill in around my commitment to parenting. And honestly, each time I've prioritized my kids, my business has flourished because I got out of places I didn't belong and thus got out of my own way.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://pitliquor.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pitliquordeodorant
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pitliquor/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/PitLiquor
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/pitliquor/
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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