Podcasts > Pursuit of Wellness > Mari & Greg on IVF, Imposter Syndrome & Building a Brand Together

Mari & Greg on IVF, Imposter Syndrome & Building a Brand Together

By Mari Llewellyn

In this episode from the Pursuit of Wellness podcast, Greg LaVecchia and Mari Llewellyn share insights from their entrepreneurial journey together at Bloom. They discuss launching new products like their prebiotic Shirley Temple flavored soda now available at Walmart, attending major industry events like Expo West, and navigating the challenges of self-doubt and imposter syndrome as their business grows.

The couple also talks about striking a work-life balance, with Mari opening up about taking a step back to prioritize her IVF journey. They emphasize the importance of quality time, healthy boundaries, and nurturing their relationship amid busy careers. Throughout the conversation, Greg and Mari provide a candid look at the highs and lows of building a brand and pursuing their passion together.

Mari & Greg on IVF, Imposter Syndrome & Building a Brand Together

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Mari & Greg on IVF, Imposter Syndrome & Building a Brand Together

1-Page Summary

Launching New Products and Attending Industry Events

Greg LaVecchia and Mari Llewellyn unveiled their prebiotic Shirley Temple flavored soda, pitched as a healthier alternative, at the Expo West natural foods event in Anaheim. Bloom participated in this major industry showcase for the first time, using their 40x40 booth to debut their growing soda range. Greg and Mari excitedly share that their sodas, made without preservatives using quality cherry crops, will soon hit Walmart shelves nationwide.

Entrepreneurship and Business Growth

Mari recounts Bloom's evolution from a passion project sketching logos to a booming platform brand. What began tinkering with beneficial ingredients in her dad's kitchen has culminated in a major industry presence at Expo West - an emotional milestone likened by Mari to a child's biggest recital. Despite moments of doubt, Mari underscores overcoming self-doubts to pursue passionate ideas. Greg notes that success doesn't require originality, but differentiation, as with their healthier energy drinks. Mari shares her strategy of adopting different "personas" to gain confidence and combat imposter syndrome.

Work-Life Balance and Personal Development

Mari has taken a step back from Bloom to prioritize her IVF journey amidst health concerns, though she feels guilt over her reduced workload. She and Greg discuss the need for life chapters balancing professional sprints with personal growth. They emphasize setting tech boundaries, establishing rituals for quality time, understanding each other's love languages, and benefitting from therapy to nurture their relationship while navigating busy careers. Mari appreciates Greg's acts of service, while he values her words of affirmation.

1-Page Summary

Additional Materials

Counterarguments

  • While differentiation is important, originality can also be a key factor in a product's success, especially in a crowded market.
  • Adopting different "personas" might help combat imposter syndrome, but it could also lead to a lack of authenticity or confusion about one's true identity.
  • Prioritizing personal life and health is crucial, but it's also important to consider the potential impact on the business and its stakeholders when a key individual steps back.
  • Setting technology boundaries is beneficial, but it's also necessary to adapt to the increasing role of technology in both professional and personal life.
  • Therapy and understanding love languages are helpful, but they are not the only methods to nurture a relationship; individual preferences for relationship maintenance can vary widely.
  • Acts of service and words of affirmation are important, but other love languages should not be overlooked, as they may be equally significant to different individuals.
  • Launching a product at a major industry event like Expo West is a significant achievement, but it does not guarantee market success; ongoing marketing, quality control, and customer feedback are also critical.
  • While the soda is pitched as a healthier alternative, consumer perception and acceptance are subjective, and some may still prefer traditional or other alternative beverages.
  • The guilt Mari feels over her reduced workload is understandable, but it's also important to recognize that personal health and well-being can significantly contribute to long-term professional success and sustainability.

Actionables

- You can create a personal brand by adopting different personas in various professional settings to boost your confidence. For instance, if you're shy in networking events, you might develop an outgoing 'networker persona' that you mentally step into before attending, which can help you engage more freely with others.

  • Establish a weekly 'unplugged' evening to foster work-life balance and improve personal relationships. During this time, turn off all electronic devices and engage in activities that require direct interaction, like board games or cooking a meal together, to strengthen bonds with family or friends.
  • Start a small garden to cultivate an appreciation for quality crops and healthier living. Even if it's just a few pots on a balcony, growing your own herbs or cherry tomatoes can give you a tangible connection to the natural ingredients you consume and a greater understanding of the value of preservative-free products.

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Mari & Greg on IVF, Imposter Syndrome & Building a Brand Together

Launching New Products and Attending Industry Events

Greg LaVecchia and Mari Llewellyn share insights into their natural foods business, highlighting their new Shirley Temple flavored soda, pitched as a healthy alternative at the Expo West natural foods event.

Bloom Unveiled Healthy Sodas At Expo West

Bloom has made its entrance into the healthier soda market through an exciting event unveiling that promises to offer consumers a beneficial beverage.

Expo West: Annual Event For Launching New Natural Foods Products

Greg LaVecchia explains that Expo West, known on the West Coast as the Natural Foods Expo West, is an annual event that takes place in Anaheim, California, every March. It's an industry hotspot for businesses to introduce new products to retailers such as Amazon, Costco, and Target, as well as to industry experts and the public.

Bloom's Prebiotic Sodas, Including Shirley Temple Flavor, Highlighted Their Event Booth

Bloom took to Expo West to debut its range of prebiotic sodas, focusing especially on providing healthier alternatives to traditional sodas. Greg detailed how Bloom, which previously launched products digitally, participated in this important real-life event for the first time. They highlighted a Shirley Temple flavored soda, which Mari asserts tastes like the classic beverage and was a standout at the event.

Hea ...

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Launching New Products and Attending Industry Events

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Clarifications

  • Prebiotic sodas contain ingredients that promote the growth of beneficial bacteria in the gut. These sodas typically include prebiotic fibers that serve as food for probiotic bacteria. Consuming prebiotic sodas may help support digestive health and overall well-being. The prebiotic components in these sodas can contribute to a healthier gut microbiome.
  • Expo West is a prominent annual trade show in the natural and organic products industry, held in Anaheim, California. It serves as a platform for businesses to showcase new products to retailers, industry professionals, and the public. Companies often use Expo West to launch and promote their latest offerings, connect with potential buyers, and gain exposure in the market. The event is known for featuring a wide range of natural and organic products, including food, beverages, supplements, and personal care items.
  • Shirley Temple flavored soda is positioned as a healthier alternative due to its formulation that focuses on using natural ingredients and avoiding artificial additives commonly found in traditional sodas. The soda's health benefits may stem from factors like lower sugar content, natural flavors, and potentially innovative ingredients like prebiotics. This healthier alternative aims to cater to consumers seeking a soda option that aligns with their health-conscious preferences while still offering a familiar and enjoyable taste experience.
  • Pasteurization is a process that involves heating a liquid to kill harmful bacteria and pathogens. When a product is pasteurized without preservatives, it means that the liquid has been treated to eliminate harmful microorganisms without ...

Counterarguments

  • While the Shirley Temple flavored soda is marketed as a healthier alternative, it may still contain sugar or sweeteners that could be a concern for consumers monitoring their sugar intake.
  • The term "healthier" is relative and can be misleading without specific nutritional information to compare with traditional sodas.
  • The effectiveness and health benefits of prebiotics in sodas are not universally agreed upon and may vary from person to person.
  • The claim of being pasteurized without preservatives does not necessarily mean the product is healthier, as some preservatives are used to ensure safety and extend shelf life.
  • The success of a product at an industry event like Expo West does not guarantee its success in the wider market.
  • Av ...

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Mari & Greg on IVF, Imposter Syndrome & Building a Brand Together

Entrepreneurship and Business Growth

Mari Llewellyn and Greg LaVecchia reflect on the evolution of their passion project turned platform brand, while offering insights into the emotional rollercoaster of entrepreneurship.

Mari and Greg's Journey From Idea to Bloom Brand

Mari Llewellyn takes us back to the beginnings of Bloom, recalling the days spent in her father's kitchen sampling pre-workouts, and sketching the brand's logo in the car - an idea that seemed crazy at the time but one they wholeheartedly decided to chase. She shares their vision for Bloom, emphasizing that the brand was intended to be a diverse platform offering a variety of products, like sodas for those who don't like caffeine, rather than focusing on a singular product.

Bloom Began As a Passion Project in Mari and Greg's Home, Launching Products

Mari mentions how they started incorporating ingredients that they are passionate about, such as apple cider vinegar, into their product mix. This approach reflects their passion for nourishing, beneficial components and sets the tone for their product development.

Bloom's Large Booth at Expo West: A Founders' Milestone

The founders hit a significant milestone with their impressive 40-by-40-foot booth at Expo West. Greg describes it as much more than just a booth, while Mari likens the event to their child's biggest recital, a sentiment that encapsulates the importance of the event for them as founders. Greg and Mari have yet to announce their partnership with Walmart at the time of the recording, but the Expo reveals the growth and attention their brand is garnering.

Mari on Entrepreneurship's Ups and Downs, Overcoming Self-Doubt to Believe In Bloom

Mari candidly discusses the moments of self-doubt they encountered, questioning the viability of their venture. Yet, she encourages others with passionate ideas to forge ahead despite uncertain moments. ...

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Entrepreneurship and Business Growth

Additional Materials

Counterarguments

  • While diversification can be a strength, spreading a brand too thin across various products can dilute the brand's identity and confuse customers.
  • Passion is important, but without a clear business model and market research, passion alone may not lead to a sustainable business.
  • Achieving a milestone like a large booth at a trade show is impressive, but it doesn't necessarily translate into long-term success or profitability.
  • Overcoming self-doubt is crucial, but adopting different personalities may not be a sustainable or healthy long-term strategy for all individuals.
  • Encouraging others to push forward with their ideas is positive, but it's also important to acknowledge the value of strategic planning and risk assessment in entrepreneurship.
  • Differentiation is key in a crowded market, but it must be meaningful and valued by customers to drive success.
  • Focusing on one's achievements is beneficial, but it's also import ...

Actionables

  • You can diversify your creative projects by brainstorming a list of interests and finding ways to integrate them into a single venture. For instance, if you enjoy baking and painting, consider starting a business that sells custom-painted cake stands or offers cake-decorating workshops that incorporate artistic techniques.
  • To build resilience against self-doubt, create a "confidence journal" where you document daily achievements, no matter how small, and reflect on them when facing challenges. This could be as simple as noting that you spoke up in a meeting or learned a new skill, helping to shift focus from insecurities to accomplishments.
  • Develop your adaptability by adopting different ...

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Mari & Greg on IVF, Imposter Syndrome & Building a Brand Together

Work-Life Balance and Personal Development

Mari Llewellyn navigates her journey toward personal fulfillment and balance amid professional commitments by emphasizing the importance of setting boundaries, managing technology use, and fostering intimate connections with her partner, Greg.

Mari Navigates a Balanced Personal Life

Mari Prioritizes IVF Journey, Steps Back From Business

Mari decides not to attend Expo West for the first time, citing her IVF journey as a priority. She takes a step back from her business to focus on the possibility of pregnancy and the associated health concerns. Mari speaks about the uncertainty in planning her work around IVF, as it might leave her feeling sick and affect her work availability.

Guilt Over Reduced Day-to-Day Involvement

Despite prioritizing her health, Mari experiences guilt for not maintaining her usual workload, especially regarding the reduced frequency and ranking of the podcast since she has been less involved. She feels uncomfortable being in a "weird in between" where she isn't working at full capacity nor doing nothing. She also feels a sense of guilt and stress for not checking her e-mails as frequently as before and when she doesn't respond to immediate notifications on her phone.

Mari and Greg Discuss Boundaries, Technology Management, and Life Fulfillment Strategies

Mari and her partner Greg LaVecchia have conversations about creating chapters in life. Greg highlights that a decade-long career sprint without personal life balance is unsustainable and that chapters focused on career development should be balanced by those focused on family and personal growth.

Mari and Greg stress the necessity of setting boundaries, particularly with their phones, in order to be fully present and avoid dissociation from their surroundings. They observe that they are happier when they can focus on the moment rather than their devices and acknowledge the need for society to adjust its expectati ...

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Work-Life Balance and Personal Development

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Actionables

  • You can create a personal "priority matrix" to visually map out and balance your commitments and health goals. Draw a simple four-quadrant matrix on a piece of paper or a digital note-taking app. Label one axis "Professional Commitments" and the other "Health Goals." Place your tasks and goals in the quadrants based on their urgency and importance. This visual aid helps you see where your IVF journey and work commitments intersect and where you might need to adjust your focus.
  • Develop a "guilt-free autoresponder" for your email and social media accounts to manage expectations during times you're less available. Write a friendly message explaining that you're currently focusing on personal health and will have limited availability. Include an estimated time when you'll be able to respond or alternative contact information for urgent matters. This can alleviate the pressure to respond immediately and reduce feelings of guilt when stepping back from work.
  • Start a "relationship investment account ...

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