We were lucky to catch up with Elizabeth Boulos recently and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, so we’re so thrilled to have Elizabeth with us today – welcome and maybe we can jump right into it with a question about one of your qualities that we most admire. How did you develop your work ethic? Where do you think you get it from?
I get my work ethic from my dad, who has been a source of inspiration throughout my life. In his early twenties he opened the first surf shop in Maine, called Maine-ly Water Sports, bringing a sport that he fell in love with in Hawaii to the east coast. While he closed the shop after starting a family, his work ethic and entrepreneurial spirit remained. He was employed with American Red Cross for many years, working an opposite schedule from my mom to ensure that a parent was always home with me and my siblings. He would often have to bring us to blood drives with him, teaching us about hard work, sense of responsibility, and loyalty. When he wasn’t working, he was busy repairing our toys, remodeling the house, helping a friend of family member with their projects, or learning a new hobby. Constantly seeking personal growth, he pursued a degree in composite engineering in his 50’s, serving as a mentor to others and coming up with innovative ways to use composite materials. His insatiable curiosity and dedication to learning have taught me the importance of always striving and continuously acquiring new skills. In all aspects of life, he exemplifies hard work. I learned from the best.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
Before venturing into entrepreneurship, I worked in marketing, branding, product development, merchandising, and sustainability for food retailers and consumer products companies for nearly two decades leading teams, strategy, and programs in the US and Europe, providing unique insight into how products are formulated, ingredients are sourced, and how products are marketed to consumers.
With this experience and knowledge, I recognized how much burden was on consumers to purchase truly safe ingredient and sustainable products. There is a lot of marketing clutter to cut through and the inability to do so puts human and environmental health at risk. That is why I started my business, The Ingredient Insider, where I serve others as a non-toxic ingredients and sustainable products expert, helping clients get the personalized information needed to reduce their toxin burden and achieve health goals.
For my clients I offer personalized non-toxic living blueprints, product evaluations, Ask the Insider calls, and webinars to empower consumers on their healthy and sustainable living journey. Many of my clients are on their path to parenthood, faced with chronic illness, or desire to reduce their toxin load to improve their overall health. I also support small businesses with sourcing products that are free of harmful ingredients with minimal environmental impact, evaluating safety of ingredients in product formulations, guiding them on transparent labeling and storytelling, and minimizing toxin exposures within their physical business location.
We are in a new era of toxin and ingredient research and education, with these topics receiving increasing coverage in the media and on social media platforms. I am thankful to be a part of this cultural shift. However, I have noticed that with heightened coverage and conversation, it is increasingly overwhelming for individuals and business owners to cut through misleading claims and information. The work I do fills the need of summarizing this information, cutting through the clutter and confusion, and empowering consumers and business owners to make more informed purchasing and lifestyle decisions. Ultimately, this impacts their health outcomes, the health of their dependents or employees, and the environment.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Resilience, curiosity, and a focus on building community have proven to be pivotal skills and qualities on my entrepreneurial journey. For those early in their path, resilience enables you to weather the inevitable challenges and setbacks that come your way, allowing you to bounce back stronger and more determined. There have been countless times that I’ve needed to pivot my business, take a step back to evaluate my strategy, and move forward with a new plan.
Curiosity fuels innovation and the constant search for new ideas, solutions, and opportunities. This quality has led to much of my success. I started my entrepreneurial journey more than eight years ago as a brand advocate for Beautycounter and as I learned more about the clients I was serving, I noticed there was a greater need for the services that I now provide. To achieve this, I questioned the status quo, embraced continuous learning, and found a unique niche of clients to serve.
Lastly, I recommend a strong focus on building community to foster connections, collaboration, and support networks. It takes a collective effort to achieve success. I’ve been fortunate to be the administrator of the Denver Boss Babe Collective, which has been the community I cherish most. Together, these three attributes form a powerful trifecta that will propel an entrepreneur forward on their challenging yet rewarding path.
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?
I enjoy connecting and collaborating with health professionals, including functional medicine doctors, fertility specialists, health coaches, chiropractors, acupuncturists, and other experts in the holistic health field. I hope to establish referral partnerships with professionals who share the belief that reducing a clients’ toxin burden can improve health outcomes. Additionally, I am open to co-hosting workshops or webinars where I can share valuable insights and strategies with their clients, fostering a collaborative approach to wellness and ultimately making a significant impact to their health and well-being.
To connect with me, please email me at elizabeth@theingredientinsider.com or contact me via LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/elizabethjboulos
Contact Info:
- Website: theingredientinsider.com
- Instagram: the.ingredient.insider
- Facebook: facebook.com/groups/theingredientinsiders
- Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/elizabethjboulos
Image Credits
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