Last Updated on November 16, 2020
Wired For Youth is supported by readers. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This does not affect who we choose to review or what we recommend. Learn more
About Helen Hall
Helen Hall is an entrepreneur, health & wellness guru, and CEO of Blender Bombs, a line of plant-based, nutrient dense smoothie enhancers. Hall’s wellness journey began 3 years ago, where she started Blender Bombs out of her kitchen. Today, she pioneers the health & wellness field through Blender Bombs to help others reach their personal health goals. At 27 years old, Hall has built a $10million company that started with $300 in her kitchen. Now Blender Bombs are available nationwide in Whole Foods, Erewhon Market and Thrive Market.
About Blender Bombs
After I graduated from college in 2015, I moved to Charleston, S.C., became a personal trainer and started making Blender Bombs. It was at that time that I began really focusing on my own personal health and wellness and got involved in the wellness industry. I’m glad that the wellness industry is growing! I think it’s important for everyone to care about what they’re putting into their bodies. I hope that it continues to grow so more and more people get bit by the wellness bug.
I started making Blender Bombs for the clients that I was training and they just kept asking for more! The business grew organically. There was nothing like Blender Bombs on the market so I saw a need for it and filled it. I also selfishly wanted Blender Bombs for my own convenience. My parents gave me $300 to buy supplies to make the Blender Bombs. After a year of living dollar to dollar, I finally grew my business acumen and the business started to grow.
Contents
How Did You Get Your First Several Customers Or Users? How Many Users Or Customers Do You Have Now?
I wanted to make a smoothie enhancer that took the work out of making a smoothie. Instead of having to buy 10 different ingredients to put in smoothies, I combined them into one easy to use product. My first customers were my friends, personal training clients, and family. Now, we have hundreds of thousands of customers nationwide both through our eCommerce site and through our partnerships at Whole Foods, Erewhon Market and Thrive Market.
How Does Your Company Grow And Acquire New Customers?
Instagram is one of the most important ways we grow our client base! We are constantly engaging with people on the social media platform. We ask our followers what kind of new products they want, flavors, packaging that’s appealing to them and more! Instagram really has taken our company and customer service to a new level.
What Actionable Tips And Tricks Do You Have For New Founders Who Are Looking To Get Their First Thousand Users Or Dollars?
Save. Your. Money.
Start small and don’t get caught up in the aesthetics being *perfect. Start handmade (if applicable), and include your customer base in the growth of your company. Ask them questions! It’s a win win: it makes them feel invested in your brand, but it also allows you to learn what your customers want. Most companies go through three or four different design/packaging/website phases before finding something that is almost perfect.
What Is Something You’ve Learned That Would Not Be Obvious To Somebody Who Hasn’t Worked In Your Space Before?
1) I learned (and proved) that starting a company CAN be mostly fun and games if you make it that way. A lot of people are scared of starting a business in the food space because margins are small, nights are late, the area is “saturated”, and “finding the right employees is few and far between.”
2) If you just ask people for help – if you just admit that you don’t know something – they will fall all over themselves trying to help.
3) You don’t need to have a degree in business nor do you need a lot of savings to start a food company. It’s one of the few spaces where a lot of people successfully “boot strap it.”
What’s The Craziest Thing That’s Happened To You (Good Or Bad) On Your Founder Journey?
Over the last three years we have grown a very loyal following on our social media channels. In the spring of 2020, we asked our Instagram followers if anyone had a connection at Whole Foods as we wanted to become one of their vendors. Within minutes, a follower sent us a direct message with their contact at Whole Foods. It snowballed from there! From that one direct messsage, we made the connection to pitch Blender Bombs to a corporate representative at Whole Foods. By June, we were in 317 of their stores nationwide!
What Are Your Favorite Books?
Anything You’d Like To Plug?
Blender Bombs are small, nutrient dense balls made up of nuts and seeds! You can add them into your smoothie or eat them plain as a snack. When added to your smoothie, along with fruits and vegetables, they create a meal replacement. They are full of all the essential amino acids, essential fatty acids, fiber, omega-3s, and most importantly they help to keep your blood sugar levels from spiking too high, which is what keeps people feeling full.
Recommended posts:
- Building AI Companies with Akshay Bansal
- Growing And Scaling An Ondemand Gig Business With Alok Alström
- Getting Early Customers By Knocking On Doors With Jessie Lyon
Book summaries, notes, interviews, and more!
Get Bite-sized Lessons straight to your inbox
No spam, all value — we deliver the best bite-sized tips right to your inbox.