Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Hannah Perez, co-founder of SEEQ, located in Minneapolis, MN, USA.

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

We were sick of the boring traditional thick and milky protein options on the market, so we started working with food scientists and formulators to create a protein that has a juice-like consistency, and SEEQ was born. Our customers are dominantly in the fitness space; however, we are positioning ourselves in the market as an approachable brand to all active people and are not just singling out the heavy gym-goers.

Tell us about yourself

I've been an entrepreneur at heart since I was in high school. From flipping items on Facebook and eBay to going door-to-door selling exterior painting services, I've always had the passion to be my own boss and to make things happen. Previously to SEEQ, I owned a small marketing agency where I was focused on driving the digital marketing goals of small businesses in MN. I met Ben Zaver, the Founder of SEEQ when he interned at a marketing agency that I was already working at.

After his internship ended, I didn't really hear from him until one day; he stopped by our office in Minneapolis. He gave us all samples of this juice-like protein. I was super jacked to see someone go after their dream and start their entrepreneurial journey. I already have a passion for being an entrepreneur; I extended my help, and he gladly took it. He worked on it two years before we launched; I jumped on board about six months into his journey. We officially launched in October 2021, and we've seen explosive growth on social media. We are both full-time on this journey, and the thing that motivates us each day to continue what we are doing is seeing the community that we are slowly building. It's one thing just to sell a product, but it's another thing to build a brand and a culture that people want to be a part of.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

I'd have to say the thing that has excited us the most would have to be selling out our new flavor in just 6 hours. Seeing over 1000 people on the site at one time and having thousands of orders come in just the first 15 minutes was hard for us to wrap our heads around. We're so grateful for our community and everyone that has supported us so far.

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

Burnout is real, and many entrepreneurs and marketers can relate to that. Nobody tells you about manufacturing agreements or how to negotiate and all the other little things that come with owning a business. Although that is difficult, it's also really exciting to us that we now have more experience under our belt for the next thing that we start.

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

  1. Don't wait till you're ready or for it to be perfect; otherwise, you'll always be waiting. Start now with what you have, knowing that things will change.
  2. Connect with people that you want to learn from and look up too often, at least one new conversation each week. There's a reason why people always say your network is your net worth.
  3. Focus more on brand and community, overselling your product. When you focus on the people buying your product instead of just trying to sell your product, you seem more authentic, and people will gravitate towards that.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

Try new things, say yes to opportunities, and get comfortable in the uncomfortable!

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://seeqsupply.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SEEQSUPPLY/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/seeqsupply/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/seeqsupply
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hannah-perez013/

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.