Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in health and wellness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Vic Giaconia, President and CEO of Celebrate Vitamins, located in Wadsworth, OH, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Celebrate Vitamins develops specialized bariatric vitamins and nutritional supplements for people who are either losing weight under the care of a physician or have had (or will be having) a surgical weight loss procedure, such as gastric bypass, sleeve gastrectomy, intragastric balloon, lap band, or duodenal switch.
Tell us about yourself
I used to hate going to work. The corporate environment in most companies is counterproductive and toxic, and I just didn't want to be part of it anymore. Celebrate is a family company. I founded the company in 2008. My brother joined me a few months later and is a part owner. My wife holds an advanced degree in dietetics and is our Director of Nutrition. My son worked here for several years while going to school. Many of my best friends work with me, and it's my goal that every employee loves coming to work, and no one dreads Mondays. With a team such as this, I don't have to worry whether we are taking care of our customers.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
Following bariatric surgery, patients need high-dose, high-quality supplements to ensure proper health, and they need them for the rest of their lives. Often, these supplements are in chewable or liquid forms for ease-of-use, and it is a challenge to cover up the taste of certain vitamins and minerals. Some companies deal with this issue by reducing the number of supplements or simply omitting them from the formulation. Celebrate does not do this. Instead, we take longer to develop our products to ensure the formulations meet the requirements needed for each patient based on their surgery type. Sometimes that means abandoning a project if we can't get the taste right. Of course, this means a loss of revenue, but that's better than the loss of a customer.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
Build a team. It's not simple or easy to find the right employees and keep them, and at times, remove employees that create a negative environment. It's not enough to just hire people that are smart or work hard. They need to be respectful of the team and its overall mission. When you find a good one, hold on tight. When you realize you have made a hiring mistake, you need to move quickly to rectify it.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
Focus. Building a business requires that you have a plan and stick to it. If you come up with an idea for a business, you will undoubtedly receive unsolicited advice from every corner of your network. In many cases, it will be difficult to block out this advice because it may make sense. However, it may not make sense right now, based on your current time, money, resources, etc.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://celebratevitamins.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/celebratevitamins
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/celebratevitamins/
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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