We recently connected with Christina & Mitch Smith and have shared our conversation below.
Christina & Mitch, thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts with us today. We’re excited to dive into your story and your work, but first let’s start with a broader topic that might be stopping many of our readers from pursuing their dreams – haters, nay-sayers, etc. How have you managed to persist despite haters and nay-sayers that inevitably follow folks who are doing something unique, special or off the beaten path?
It definitely isn’t easy, but we take it one day at a time. Over the last 18 months of running this business, we have learned to accept that we are going to have haters and nay-sayers. We are going to have people who don’t understand what we are doing and not everyone is going to like us. Thankfully we have our loyal customers and followers who are amazing and are a large part of why we keep going; but our true persistence comes from our own personal needs. We originally created our seasonings and dry mixes to help us with our transition to eating plant-based foods. When you first go plant-based (or just start eating healthier), it can be a difficult transition, especially when your taste buds are used to different flavors and mouth feels. It feels like you have a lack of options and are limited to what you can eat, which can be overwhelming. We remember at one point we became so desperate for flavors that we started putting spices on our salads. It was at this moment we realized there must be other people out there struggling with the same issues and we wanted to help.
In addition, we have had to manage our expectations about this business. We realized that life is going to throw curve balls and there are always going to be what we call ‘mini fires’ that have to be put out. There have been times when we would have a great idea for a product, but something in the process didn’t work or we couldn’t implement it, so we had to scrap it and move to the next idea. Ultimately, we have had to learn how to adapt, pivot and adjust as needed.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
We are a husband-and-wife team with a passion for clean healthy foods, which is why we started Herbivore Bites in 2022. After we went plant-based in 2019 (due to health reasons), we noticed we were having cravings for foods we no longer ate. Unfortunately we had trouble finding plant-based options that met our needs (clean, organic ingredients with no preservatives, low salt, low sugar and minimal oil), so we decided to make our own products. We first started out with making our own seasoning blends – Italian Sausage, Taco, BBQ and Cinnamon Sugar, just to name a few. Our seasonings are different from others because we only use high quality, certified-organic ingredients and NEVER use any chemicals, dyes, fillers or preservatives. Plus we blend and package everything made to order so our flavor profiles are fresh. About six months ago, we expanded into dry mixes and launched our Flatbread & Pizza Dough Mix. It’s been great being able to open the cupboard and pull out a mix that we know is healthy and good for our bodies. Plus it’s pizza and who doesn’t love a good pizza?!
Using our products has changed our world. We have been able to trick our taste buds into thinking we are eating foods we used to enjoy, while still maintaining our healthy plant-based lifestyle. We also started selling a fun array of merchandise including shirts, coffee mugs, reusable tote bags, glass cutting boards, wall art and more. Currently we are working on a few new dressings and sauces while hoping to soon expand our line of dry mixes to include different types of breads, pancakes and waffles as well as packaged oatmeals.
Christina – I am able to use my background in business, 10+ years of experience in public service as a Librarian and my Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration to help maintain the behind the scenes of Herbivore Bites. I currently manage social media and marketing as well as handle customer service inquiries, website development and overall brand maintenance. But my favorite part of my job is managing our Product Tester Program, which we open 1-2 times a year. In this program, we allow selected participants to try out our new products in exchange for their honest feedback. I love being able to interact with this group and learn how we can best serve those who are vegan/plant-based or just want to eat healthier. (Find out more information about this on our website.)
Mitch – I am able to use my culinary skills from working on the Fire Department and my passion for cooking to create new healthy recipes and products. I am Head of Product Development and Research (you know, the idea guy creating our seasoning blends and dry mixes) and I handle the packaging of orders. My favorite part of my job is taking an idea I have for a product or recipe and seeing it turn into something tangible. The process is fun and frustrating at times, but when it finally comes to fruition and gets into the hands of our customers it makes it all worth it. Plus, I love being able to eat the final product!
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
We have been together for over 12+ years and in that time period we have started and ran multiple businesses including a non-profit charity. Having those years of prior business experience has made a huge impact in our journey. We have experienced many mistakes, failures and learning lessons along the way. But going through those experiences has provided us with a wealth of knowledge; ultimately helping us start and navigate Herbivore Bites a little easier. In addition, we have years of customer service experience from working in public service positions which has taught us what we want and what we don’t want in our company. It has also been great for learning how to interact with customers and handle complaints while being open-minded to take constructive feedback. More importantly, we have learned how to have patience and persistence when starting and maintaining a business. We’ve all heard the saying ‘nothing moves fast in business’ and it’s the truth. You can’t rush anything. Usually it takes twice as long as you expected and costs twice as much. Like we said before, you are always going to have haters and nay-sayers, but it’s how you respond to those people. Either you let them take you down or you hold your head up high and keep pushing forward.
Our advice to those early on in your business journey is to study and practice! There are similarities in business – whether it’s a non-profit charity, a candy bar bouquet business, an ecommerce business or a brick and mortar store – they all have related aspects. First, you have to create something (a product or service). Then you have to build that something into a business, which requires licensing, sourcing supplies, maintaining overhead, managing social media and websites, etc. all while building a process. And once that is done, we recommend testing out the process as if you were a customer. Go to your website and check the links. Purchase an item and then mail that item to yourself. By going through the process, you will find flaws that you can quickly address and fix before customers start having those same issues. Remember, everything you want to do has already been done before, so go and read about it. Immerse yourself in learning everything you can about the business so you too can be successful!
One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?
We are definitely open to partnering and/or collaborating with a company to help us expand our product line. It could be with a company who has the capabilities to manufacture our products on a larger scale so we can get them out to the masses. Or maybe a company that is willing to work with us and we create a new product together using our recipes. We are also open to licensing our products for other companies to use in their own businesses. Regardless, we would want someone who has similar goals in wanting to provide good, healthy, vegan products for others. If this sounds like something you or someone you know is interested in, please email us at [email protected].
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.herbivorebites.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/herbivore.bites/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/herbivore.bites
Image Credits
Christina Smith
