Alitura Naturals Celebrates Its 3-Year Anniversary

Hey, how's it going? Sorry. We. We signed up for this BeLive TV, which is a split screen format for Facebook Live. It's similar to like a podcast format that I'm used to, but now Facebook is actually. Didn't they buy Belive? I think they bought it, but they are working on developing. Yeah, I'm sure they are. Yeah. So they. Anyway, I apologize for that. We were trying to set it up with Tortie and Rex over here. My. My team with Alatura Naturals, which is now three today. Sorry. Sorry I'm late, guys. So, yeah, I. We were just. We're all. Torti and Rex were both business owners as well. You see my little logo right here that my dad or my mascot? Not. It's. It's a little wood lion carved. I love lions. So that thing's gonna be in every shot that he can make it. But yeah, so we're just kind of. Today, it's a fun day for all of us because, you know, a lot of businesses don't survive. What is it like, the first year? 90% of businesses fail within the first year. So, you know, I'm just. I mean, the love is only increased. It's. It's just. I just remember first starting off, you know, you get the. I know with someone who doesn't have like a chemistry background. I know the reactions that I got just with telling people that I had this product. I didn't have a name, didn't have a website or anything. It was a clay mask that smelled. For the people out there that currently use a clay mask, there's. Imagine twice the amount of kelp powder that's in there. We definitely had to cut that back. I just, I didn't mind because I just. I knew what type of effect it was giving me every single time. It was so consistent. Still is, but it was a little earthy. Matter of fact, funny story number one, my neighbor at Otsego complained because, I mean, that thing would. She complained to my landlord about some stench that was coming out of my room or my bedroom. It was a studio in North Hollywood and it was just like there was a lot of coffee being made and there was a lot of masks being made every day. And I can only. Some people are very sensitive to smell, but that 100% happened. And my landlord came and I was like, hey, you're more than welcome to come on in. I don't smoke. I don't do anything. I was like, come on. He's like, what's this? I was like, oh, thank you. For asking. It's a skincare product that I'm working on and I just started going through the ingredients and he smelled. I was like, oh, maybe that's it because I wasn't adding any essential oils to it back then. And it was just apple cider vinegar and a lot of kelp and the rest of the ingredients, colostrum and then the clays and things like that and the rest of the roster. But this is super early on. This was. Man, when was this? 2012, 2013. I was just, it was just purely. I was just doing it for me. I didn't ever have, you know, like a name or I didn't have an intention to start a business. It was, I called it a product just because it sounded cool to say that. But I didn't really know that it'd be where it is today. So yeah, it's just, you know, funny stories like that just. Oh, and there's so many more. What's the other one? Well, here's my just my advice to people out there that are in a physical product related business. It's just you have obviously to get to get a good website made through Shopify, Wix, WooCommerce, WordPress, Squarespace is another one. Right. And that's, that's step number one. Shopify is what we started out with. Now we're with WooCommerce. But WordPress because it has a better blog platform and. It has like a larger. How do you explain it? It's bigger for the blog format which we plan on carrying a lot of vlogs, blogs, a lot of very good content and driving that daily to really keep the SEO as effective as possible. Don't get me wrong, Shopify, the merchant side of things was extremely effective. And we, you know, in the first initial couple months switching over from Shopify to Woocommerce was really difficult. And we were wondering whether or not we made the right choice. I mean you could, it's a very good. They have templates, very easy apps that you can add in. You know, cart. What's the cart Checkout, Abandoned cart check. You know that was a really good thing the way that you could just target people that maybe have added to cart and then kind of forgot about their order. That's just one. They have a really good shipping. Shipping easy is what we're with now. But here's funny story number two. I mean I hand wrote out labels for. Geez, what was it? Almost two years I'm talking to and from so Andy Nyla 10541 Otsego street whatever it was. I would write that out and say we had a big sales day that, you know, we had a lot of. I was handwriting those out in these little to and from stickers. And then my mom kind of put two and two together. I don't know why I didn't think of this, but, but she, bless her heart. Thank you mom. By the way, she just had my side of things. So the from I would just slap that on. That saved me a ton of time. Seriously, I just didn't, I didn't think about the little things. I was just locked in on delivering not only a kick ass product to the customer and then getting it out that day, that was all I was thinking about. I didn't want anybody else. Like it was my absolute baby and I didn't want anybody touching it. I didn't want anybody around me. I just wanted, I knew what I had to do. I kept it simple and I just had to get orders out that day and just stay consistent with that. I loved it. I just loved what I was doing. I loved having a little bit of pressure to get things out. But can you imagine? So here's where I'm going with that. It's just there's, there's several programs. We're with Shipping Easy right now and it will. Now we're with EasyProse. We have a fulfillment center out of San Leandro. But had I just signed up for Shipping Easy. I know it's not rocket science and this is embarrassing to say. Just, you know, if someone else is out there, just get a scale, a printer and it goes right to your laptop. And it's just the orders fulfill themselves and all you have to do is just. Especially if you memorize the weight for a moisturizer. That's what 3.4 ounces with packing and mask is what, like 9.7? Yeah. So we know all this stuff and you can just tag it in, it's all. And then print it out. It's all Pretty much automated 2017. Who would have thought? But anyway, that's, that's, that's not something. That's probably my biggest blunder because not only did they save you money on those, those shipping programs save you money, but the time I spent waiting in line with laundry baskets full of, you know, orders and back and forth to the, maybe getting those two laundry baskets, stacking laundry baskets on top of each other and then going back and having to wait in line all over again. I was happy to do it though. It's just not, you know, that's just how I'm kind of wired. But it's not, I'm not saying it's like smart or cool or anything. It's just kind of, you know, it's not a quality of lines but organization and you learn on the run. That was it. So two years into it, we finally signed up for to shipping. Shipping easy. So that's one way to, to streamline a physical product business. Especially if you have a consistent weight where like say you're selling something like, you know, like little goods, little trinkets and stuff like that that we can just. It's really small weight. Then your shipping isn't as unpredictable as ours. Like we have several different packages, nine different products now. So we, you know, the weight varies. So luckily we let you know, fulfillment company take care of that now. So that's, that's another one. I'm trying to think of some other things that, that were funny. Oh well, yeah. Well, originally when I partnered with Dave Asprey, he brought the product on his site and we had a deadline to hit and I didn't know how to, I didn't to reach out to a co packer at that time. It was just so far over my head. I contacted a couple people but we couldn't reach their minimums to. You know, the mask is extremely expensive to make so just minimums of 5,000. We just didn't have that type of capital. So I just bought individually and had a really good group of friends to help me mix. And going through that, I bought a mud mixer from Home Depot and started going to town. And we did the math luckily and it worked out. And luckily when Dave put it on the bulletproof site, the people responded to the product really well and, and that allowed us to just expand and do things the right way and get it done, get it manufactured professionally and, and expand our product base. But yeah, it's just, you know, looking back, it's. Man, there's been so much. Oh, and then another thing I was telling a funny story about just a couple, a few, several people around my neighborhood who, bless their hearts, you know, New York, man, it's just been, it's awesome. So I mean, but when it was just me out of the car, I would mix up like say small batch buckets and then have to carry the jars, the lids, the labels, the sealing tape every time because they didn't want to keep it at their house. These were people that helped me label the jars and things like that. And then I would have to come back and load the car up and usually there wasn't a parking spot outside of their. Their place. So I had to carry, stack all this stuff and they're on top of each other and then just walk around neighborhood. I was, it was just never complain. I loved having something. I love doing something and having a job. You know, this is back. This is right after. Yeah, I was, I was. You know, every day was unpredictable. I felt like I was underachieving and to have something that I technically did, you know, you know, I created so that. That just felt good. So like I. Once you get a chance and, and from someone that you admire, like, like in my case, Dave Asprey, it was just like you just take that and, and you run with it. Like you won't. You don't need that. It's a level of excitement that I can't describe. So an adrenaline that I can't. Yeah. That still hasn't left there for, For a couple years there I was. You know, it was just. With a smaller product base and a smaller shop, you have less to worry about. Say you have two products and mask moisturizer. There's not a whole lot to worry about. You got two things of inventory to worry about. You just monitor that. Get your orders out, worry about content here and there, get good content going, separate yourself ingredient wise. But then when you want to expand and really grow your SKU roster and get as many products as you can. We're. We're at nine now and we have three signed off on. And so that's gonna be 12 here within the next three months, I would say. And then I already have ideas for more than that. So it's gonna grow. It's gonna. I mean, it's just. This is what I love. So I mean, I just. I'm constantly thinking of roster's way to separate myself from other. Other brands and also just, just. Yeah, it's just. It comes to me. It's what I love researching. It's like one of the only things I love reading about this baseball. I mean, I need to, you know, work on that because I want to learn how to, you know, skills that I don't have. I want to. And one of the best ways to do that is through reading. So I got to work on that. So. And I. But it's just. It's been great. You know, it's. I saw. We got. I'm doing this podcast next Monday for Mike Dillard with the podcast called Self Made Men. I've never researched so much for a podcast before because it's like the number one self help podcast on itunes. So I spent this whole weekend just really locked in on that and just getting this whole format down. He had one guest on that, really. He said something. I think his name is Jeff Hoffman. He's a very successful businessman. And he just. His big thing is chase excellence. Not, you know, he's talking to all these people that are forming exit strategies. And I just haven't really thought about that. We've been asked that from people that want to buy in and join the team. And I just, That's. I leave that up to other people. But I just, I chase. I don't chase. I just. I'm very specific with how we source things. I don't want. It's got to be a little difficult, you know, it's got to take time. It's. I just know what I want with every single product that I release. And it has to be perfect. It's hard to describe. That's why it takes so long. It really does. I mean, we had someone earlier ask us about the fragrance and the pearl cleanser that we're signed off on. But, like, little things like that are big things to me and they should be. It's just like the bottle, the detail just going around and not. I mean, we could have. We could have bottled this in the fall. The fragrance. I mean, the formula is done. It's amazing. But. And we could have gone with the normal packaging. I just have this designer feel and this look that I know I want and I just. There's got. There's. I mean, I just felt that there had to be someone out there that could. That could make that vision reality. And it's been very difficult. But finally we found someone out of Italy that custom makes the exact bottle that we wanted. So that feels really good. And that's why you wait. That's why you don't settle for anything that. Less than your vision, I think. And when it comes in and when it matches what's inside the bottle, I say that now, I don't know yet, but I know I'm looking at the shape of it and if they follow through with the color and. And then get the nice etching in of the logo and it's going to happen. So just staying with that, not settling for anything that is, in my opinion, that is just, you know, you want to build something, you build that trust with your customers and with people that they refer, that the customers refer to. You have one chance to make a first impression of just above and beyond, you know, and so when I heard that from Jeff Hoffman, chasing excellence and not chasing money and exit strategies, it's. It completely validated my. Just why we do what we do, you know, and it's just the things that we can control in and hope to perfect. Better believe they're gonna. They're gonna be perfected, or at least we're gonna do everything we can to perfect it. You know, we don't cut corners. I don't even. It's hard to even say that out loud, but I mean, it's just the things that we can control, we're going to do our best to perfect. And so, yeah, that's where we're at. I'm rambling, aren't I? Does anybody have any questions? Anyway, yeah, so Tordy and Rex, just great guys, both have a. They bring skills to the table that I just, you know, you gotta admit what, what you're lacking. I'm not like the guy that is going to sit here and just act like I know things that I don't. I'm happy to admit things that I just flat out, you know, you have a better skill set than I do. Editing, photography, videography. Torti. On the marketing side, I mean, it's just. It's great. It's a nice fit. I feel like, you know, creating a nice, fun work atmosphere out here in the hill. I mean, it's beautiful, you know, it's beautiful. So it's fun, you know, it's. I just, yeah, it's. It's been quite a ride and I'm extremely grateful. And I know I did a podcast with Dave Asprey, I think the most recent one that I did, and I was like, ah. You know, Dave asked me a really good question about, you know, like, well, what have been some, like some failures and some things that. Have you ever. Things haven't gone so well. And that's. At the time it was kind of true. I was like, man, things are great, but we only had a few products and like I said earlier, that's pretty easy to stay on top of. But when you wanted to turn it up and then scale up and really take it to the next level, it's difficult, but it's great. I mean, there's nothing else. I mean, that doesn't bother me at all. I just. It was. Now I know what he was talking about. It's not all rainbows and sunshine all the time, which is fine. I mean, I can deal with it. But, man. Yeah. You find yourself getting stressed because every decision is extremely hard. It's never an easy decision with just little. I wish I could give you an example right now. Can you? I was just like you're saying with the fragrance, we need it to look right, it needs to feel right. We can't just throw it out there and get it out there in the quickest way possible because we believe that the hard work pays off. You know, it's worth it to have such a line that we all love. We never look at it. We never regret anything about it. Right. Yeah. And that's. It's like. It's a comforting feeling. There's no, like, there's. That's when there's no worry. It's like. That's when it turns into, like, all the strength. That's like this level of excitement that you can't describe, you know, but. And that's the way it's going to be, hopefully. Well, I already know with the cleanser and the fragrance and our serum that we're releasing anyway, it's just. That's just the way I believe it should be. So just that feeling, that little ember of an inferno that. That comes when the customer loves it as much as you do, it's hard to put into words. So, yeah, it's been awesome. So, yeah, this has mainly just been. I mean, if there's anybody out there, yeah, this is another one. It's like, I just refuse to ever doubt anybody's, like, dream or vision. Doesn't matter how strange it is. You know, I never really did. I've never been a big doubter, anybody. But this is just. To anybody out there, there's. Doesn't matter what it is. You know, just if there. If you're like your intuition and is telling you something and your excitement is following that and your passion follows that, you're just. I mean, something's gonna happen. You can't deny that passion, intuition, work ethic, discipline, determination, relentless. Just, I mean, just following through, executing, and you're. It's going to make yourself. It's going to make you feel good. And then on top of that, like, there's no better feeling of. Of like, you know, executing and making something happen. Doesn't matter what it is. I just refuse to doubt anybody's dream anymore. I mean, not that I ever really did, but I don't. You know, everybody has it inside of them to make something happen, you know, so just if anybody out there is on the fence of pushing forward and following their dream, I mean, not trying to be Captain Motivator over here. But just. I'm just. Just an example of. I got told no quite a bit. Quite a bit. And like, politely no several times, which is almost even worse than vehemently no. But no, it's. It's okay, though. I just. I just felt. Felt that I had something in. So, yeah, I wouldn't just, you know, the lesson learned. For me, it was just like you. You. Yeah, just follow through. Follow, you know, listen to your intuition. Follow. Follow your. Your heart. So if you're. If your mind's telling you something and things keep popping up in your life, little situations, and pay attention to the things that excite you and then take it from there. But I mean, the level of work I would say that you have to put into it is obscene. Like, it's. That's why you have to love it, you know, that's why you have to be excited about it, because it's just. It's endless. You know, if you really want to make it happen. It's never easy. I mean, anybody. I mean, you have to be supremely talented if it comes easy to you, and then hats off to you if you're one of those people. But, yeah, so there's my little thing. And then also, I wanted to just say, I mean, thank you doesn't even begin to describe it for me, but I started all this through little pictures just in that same apartment, just going. It was my thing. It was my little creative outlet. And just kind of handshaking little containers of the mask. But I just kind of started sharing it, and we'd get little likes here and there, and people would kind of be like, hey, nice job. You know, like, what is that? And then so someone, a good friend of mine brought, gave me a chance and tried out that product. Still didn't have a name at her med spa, and her customers liked it. It needed some adjusting. I mean, this was constant beta testing and constant adjustments on certain ingredients, but we're extremely happy where the mask turned out. And then just, you know, you take that level of detail into everything you do, and then it's. That's. That's how I plan to continue to do things. But anyway, so just. Just thanking everyone out there who's been so supportive because it's just that feedback, that validation. I don't care what anybody says. I can only speak for myself. But I. I did need that. Yeah, I mean, it feels good. Just go, hey. You know, it's like, hey, what is that? Can I try that? And then I would. I would just drive around town in a little backpack. Apple cider vinegar, essential oils, mix it up. And all I wanted was feedback. That was my beta testing. So thank you to those who were really supportive. And still are. Yeah. I mean, it just. It kind of started that little flicker of, you know, snowflake into, you know, what I plan on turning into an avalanche of momentum. And momentum is everything. Just keep it going. Thank you, guys. I really appreciate your support. You, too. Love you guys. I appreciate it. All right, guys, have a good one. See you.