Jennifer Carlson

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TRANSCRIPTION WITH SPEAKERS
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[00:00] SPEAKER_00: It's Calgary's Podcast on the Canada's Podcast Network.
[00:07] SPEAKER_01: Hello, this is Mario Toneguzi coming to you today with Calgary's Podcast, a member of
[00:13] SPEAKER_01: Canada's Podcast Network, where we talk to the entrepreneurs who are making it happen
[00:18] SPEAKER_01: here in the city of Calgary, Alberta.
[00:21] SPEAKER_01: Jennifer Carlson is founder and president at Thirsty Natural Zink.
[00:26] SPEAKER_01: She's also co-founder at Baby Gormay and is chair of innovation and new ventures at
[00:31] SPEAKER_01: SAIT.
[00:32] SPEAKER_01: Welcome to the show, Jennifer, and thanks for taking the time today to be here for our listeners.
[00:39] SPEAKER_00: Hi, Mario.
[00:40] SPEAKER_00: Thank you so much for having me.
[00:41] SPEAKER_01: Tell us a little bit about yourself, Jennifer, where you're from and what your business
[00:45] SPEAKER_01: is all about.
[00:46] SPEAKER_00: I'm actually from Calgary, born and raised.
[00:49] SPEAKER_00: Baby Gormay was my first company, was founded about 13 years ago and we are an organic
[00:54] SPEAKER_00: baby food company.
[00:56] SPEAKER_00: We're actually now Canada's leading brand of organic baby food, so that's very exciting
[01:00] SPEAKER_00: for us.
[01:01] SPEAKER_00: I started the company from a farmer's market and along with my sister, we grew it to
[01:08] SPEAKER_00: national distribution and now have expanded into Asian markets.
[01:11] SPEAKER_00: So we've done some very exciting things with Baby Gormay and I'm now focusing on my new
[01:17] SPEAKER_00: company, which is Thirsty Naturals.
[01:19] SPEAKER_00: Thirsty Naturals is a 100% natural line of skin and body products developed specifically
[01:27] SPEAKER_00: for teenagers.
[01:29] SPEAKER_00: So now that my kids are teenagers, I'm faced with what goes on their body and I felt like
[01:35] SPEAKER_00: it was a really nice natural transition from organic baby foods spending so many years
[01:40] SPEAKER_00: talking about feeding your family, feeding babies and what you put into your body and
[01:45] SPEAKER_00: now dealing with teenagers, I'm really focused on what goes on their bodies.
[01:49] SPEAKER_00: We had our soft launch in September and we'll be rolling out nationally at the end of
[01:53] SPEAKER_00: July.
[01:54] SPEAKER_01: When you first started as an entrepreneur, did you need financing to start your company?
[02:00] SPEAKER_00: When I first started Baby Gormay, we were small, so we were out of the farmer's market
[02:04] SPEAKER_00: and my sister and I funded it ourselves.
[02:07] SPEAKER_00: It wasn't until we established our plan to go big that we really recognized our financial
[02:13] SPEAKER_00: needs and yes, we raised quite a bit of money with the first company and then with the
[02:20] SPEAKER_00: second company I would like to structure it a little bit differently.
[02:23] SPEAKER_00: So I have self-funded it to date and I've brought in one private shareholder and we'll
[02:30] SPEAKER_00: use debt financing to help grow.
[02:31] SPEAKER_01: What is your long-term vision for your company and what it would look like in the future?
[02:36] SPEAKER_00: You know, I think Baby Gormay, it's really well established now and I think that it really
[02:41] SPEAKER_00: has a lot of potential to grow in the international markets.
[02:46] SPEAKER_00: So I would like to see that company expand in Asia.
[02:49] SPEAKER_00: It continues to just grow the brand privately or look for a potential acquiring partner
[02:54] SPEAKER_00: and with thirsty naturals.
[02:56] SPEAKER_00: I think it could follow a very similar path.
[02:59] SPEAKER_00: I'd like to see it expand across Canada quite quickly and then I'd like to look into
[03:04] SPEAKER_00: the US and then international markets as well.
[03:07] SPEAKER_01: What were the biggest benefits for you being an entrepreneur and Calgary?
[03:11] SPEAKER_01: What are some of the good points of being here and maybe some of the challenges as well?
[03:17] SPEAKER_00: It's a wealthy city and there's a lot of people that have a lot of disposable income to
[03:22] SPEAKER_00: invest and they're risk takers.
[03:24] SPEAKER_00: They like to take chances and risks and try different things and diversify.
[03:29] SPEAKER_00: So I found raising money, it was helpful to be in this city.
[03:32] SPEAKER_00: However, when you can go down a downturn and this city can be affected by the economy
[03:38] SPEAKER_00: that really does play a factor in how you can raise money.
[03:42] SPEAKER_00: I think for me this is a consumer package goods company and there's very few CPG companies
[03:47] SPEAKER_00: in Calgary that are founded, started and ran in Calgary.
[03:51] SPEAKER_00: They typically will be in Toronto or Vancouver.
[03:54] SPEAKER_00: So that was a little bit of a challenge.
[03:55] SPEAKER_00: I was trying to get people to see outside of investing just in oil and gas and the components
[04:00] SPEAKER_00: that support that industry.
[04:02] SPEAKER_00: It was really about teaching them about CPG and the potential.
[04:05] SPEAKER_00: So you know, it's pros and cons.
[04:07] SPEAKER_01: We do some of our best work outside the office.
[04:10] SPEAKER_01: Is there a place in Calgary where you like to go recharge, get inspired, think about your business?
[04:16] SPEAKER_00: Physical activity for me is my form of meditation and where I clear my head and reset and refocus.
[04:22] SPEAKER_00: I have a dog and I live near Sandy Beach dog park and I go for a regular walks through the park there
[04:28] SPEAKER_00: which is a nice place for me to clear my head as well as I've got really great local yoga
[04:34] SPEAKER_00: studio, spin studio and kickboxing studio nearby and that's where I kind of blow up steam
[04:39] SPEAKER_00: and recharge.
[04:40] SPEAKER_01: A hypothetical question for you here.
[04:43] SPEAKER_01: Imagine you were to start all over again and you just moved to Calgary but this time you
[04:47] SPEAKER_01: don't know anyone knowing what you know now, what would you do and how would you do it
[04:52] SPEAKER_01: to start all over again as an entrepreneur?
[04:55] SPEAKER_00: The great thing about Calgary and how it's developed in the last 13 years from when I started
[04:59] SPEAKER_00: was there's so many networks and communities for entrepreneurs and co-working spaces which
[05:05] SPEAKER_00: I think is really cool and one of the keys to success is really surrounding yourself
[05:09] SPEAKER_00: with like-minded people and tapping into networks that are available to you and there's
[05:13] SPEAKER_00: so much more than there was when I started.
[05:16] SPEAKER_00: So if I was new to the city I would recommend joining networking groups looking at co-working
[05:20] SPEAKER_00: spaces depending what industry you're in, looking at what organizations they have set
[05:25] SPEAKER_00: up to support and I think that you could find your network there.
[05:28] SPEAKER_01: What does the first hour of your day look like when you get up in the morning?
[05:32] SPEAKER_01: Do you have a specific ritual or routine that you typically do to get yourself going?
[05:37] SPEAKER_00: I'm an early riser I love the morning so I'm usually up at about 5'30.
[05:41] SPEAKER_00: I like to work out I like to get that over with first thing in the morning so if I go
[05:46] SPEAKER_00: for a spin class or a boxing class I like to be home by 7 make lunch for the kids have
[05:51] SPEAKER_00: breakfast with them get them off to school and that's kind of my routine.
[05:55] SPEAKER_01: When you look at entrepreneurs a lot of people think they may be a little different or
[06:00] SPEAKER_01: just unique or wired differently what do you think about that?
[06:04] SPEAKER_00: I think there's an element to the personality type of an entrepreneur that is a little bit
[06:08] SPEAKER_00: unique and we take risks and it's not for me it's not about an adrenaline rush it's
[06:13] SPEAKER_00: about taking weighted risks and knowing that even if it doesn't work out this way I'm
[06:19] SPEAKER_00: going to learn from whatever the experience is and I'm going to try it a different way.
[06:23] SPEAKER_00: So I think that you have to be really dynamic and diverse and not risk adverse.
[06:27] SPEAKER_00: There is a little bit of a craziness I think that's that most entrepreneurs have.
[06:32] SPEAKER_01: Is there any book you're reading right now?
[06:34] SPEAKER_00: I just finished reading a book called Girl Wash Your Face by Rachel Hollis.
[06:38] SPEAKER_00: It was kind of a funny tape a woman who's a mother entrepreneur and all the lies she
[06:43] SPEAKER_00: tells herself and how to overcome them.
[06:45] SPEAKER_00: It was pretty inspiring and I'm reading a mindset by Carol Dweck.
[06:49] SPEAKER_00: She's really the pioneer behind it so I'm in her book as well right now.
[06:54] SPEAKER_00: How do you balance that work with your personal life?
[06:57] SPEAKER_00: My kids are really nice distraction for me and I love spending time with them.
[07:03] SPEAKER_00: They're really busy right now with activities so I'm at basketball and volleyball games
[07:08] SPEAKER_00: and I try to be very present so I don't have my phone with me.
[07:11] SPEAKER_00: It's a way to kind of check out of work and focus on them and that really brings me a
[07:17] SPEAKER_00: lot of happiness.
[07:19] SPEAKER_00: I have a wide network of friends that I try to connect with as frequently as I can.
[07:25] SPEAKER_00: I'm not exceptionally social but I realize the value in having friends so I try to connect
[07:31] SPEAKER_00: and go for walks or go for coffee every once in a while just to step out of it.
[07:36] SPEAKER_01: If you weren't doing what you're doing now, what would you like to do for a profession?
[07:42] SPEAKER_00: That's a tough question because I swear I've always thought if I didn't do this I have
[07:46] SPEAKER_00: no idea what else I would do.
[07:47] SPEAKER_00: It would be very hard to work for someone else.
[07:51] SPEAKER_00: I think I would probably be in some form of marketing, in some capacity somewhere if I
[07:56] SPEAKER_00: wasn't doing this.
[07:57] SPEAKER_00: Is there a job you wouldn't want to do at all?
[08:00] SPEAKER_00: There's a lot of jobs I definitely would not want to do.
[08:03] SPEAKER_00: When I first started out I was working in geophysical services.
[08:06] SPEAKER_00: I don't think I'd ever want to do that again.
[08:08] SPEAKER_01: In business, is there a favorite word, quote, or sentence that you like to use?
[08:14] SPEAKER_00: It's a fortune favor is the bold.
[08:15] SPEAKER_00: You cannot be rewarded if you don't take a chance.
[08:18] SPEAKER_00: So for me, fortune favor is the bold.
[08:20] SPEAKER_00: One of my favorites.
[08:21] SPEAKER_01: What about a least favorite word?
[08:24] SPEAKER_00: I hate the word mompreneur.
[08:26] SPEAKER_00: That for me is my least favorite word.
[08:28] SPEAKER_00: It makes me cringe whenever I hear it because I just find it demeaning.
[08:33] SPEAKER_00: I don't think you have to have a special coin term because you're a mom and you happen
[08:38] SPEAKER_00: to be an entrepreneur.
[08:38] SPEAKER_00: I think if you're a mother, that just makes you even more powerful than an entrepreneur
[08:43] SPEAKER_00: that you were able to be a mom and take on the challenges of starting a business.
[08:47] SPEAKER_00: I just find that word cringe-worthy.
[08:51] SPEAKER_01: If you had to pick one or two words to describe yourself, what would they be and why?
[08:57] SPEAKER_00: Independent and driven.
[08:59] SPEAKER_00: And I say independent because I love to be on my own and take responsibility on my own.
[09:06] SPEAKER_00: And to map out what I need to do on my own and then I bring in all my resources to
[09:12] SPEAKER_00: double check and make sure I'm on the right track.
[09:14] SPEAKER_00: I feel confident in being independent and not knowing that I need someone or that I
[09:20] SPEAKER_00: can do things on my own.
[09:22] SPEAKER_00: And I say driven because I don't like to let up.
[09:25] SPEAKER_00: If I have a vision and I have a thought, I feel strongly about it.
[09:29] SPEAKER_00: I'm very determined and driven to see it through.
[09:32] SPEAKER_00: Is there anything that keeps you up at night?
[09:34] SPEAKER_00: There's lots of stuff that keeps me up.
[09:36] SPEAKER_00: And what I try to do at night is I try to meditate for about five minutes before I go to sleep
[09:41] SPEAKER_00: so that I can calm my thoughts.
[09:43] SPEAKER_00: But most of my thoughts are around what can I have done differently today?
[09:47] SPEAKER_00: What can I do differently tomorrow?
[09:49] SPEAKER_00: I'm thinking of all the ways that I can find a solution around it.
[09:52] SPEAKER_00: So I figure if I can get that out of the way at the five minutes before I go to bed,
[09:55] SPEAKER_00: that helps me sleep.
[09:56] SPEAKER_00: And it seems to work.
[09:57] SPEAKER_01: Everybody today seems to have a bucket list.
[10:00] SPEAKER_01: What's on top of your bucket list?
[10:02] SPEAKER_00: Obviously travel and experiences are really high on my bucket list and interesting things to do.
[10:08] SPEAKER_00: But seeing my businesses come to fruition and to come to life is part of my bucket list too.
[10:14] SPEAKER_01: Do you have any advice you may have received over the years for mothers that you'd like to pass
[10:19] SPEAKER_01: on to entrepreneurs or aspiring entrepreneurs?
[10:23] SPEAKER_00: This is another quote, plan your work and work your plan.
[10:27] SPEAKER_00: And it sounds so generic.
[10:29] SPEAKER_00: But for me, doing your homework.
[10:32] SPEAKER_00: Like actually really truly understanding what your plan is is so critical to the outcome.
[10:39] SPEAKER_00: And whenever I give advice to young entrepreneurs or companies that are starting up,
[10:44] SPEAKER_00: I really want them to understand just because it's an idea they think is going to work.
[10:48] SPEAKER_00: They really need to understand the market and really validate their concept and their idea
[10:53] SPEAKER_00: before taking it to market.
[10:55] SPEAKER_00: I've seen so many businesses go so far down the line.
[10:58] SPEAKER_00: And they never really truly understood the true value proposition and if it was right or wrong.
[11:04] SPEAKER_00: So planning your work for me means doing your homework and really understanding it before you
[11:09] SPEAKER_00: execute.
[11:10] SPEAKER_01: Imagine being on a small tropical island just off of Fiji that only has one phone booth there
[11:16] SPEAKER_01: with no internet. We're going to drop you off there.
[11:19] SPEAKER_01: You won't have a computer, a smartphone tablet, any sort of device.
[11:24] SPEAKER_01: You can use the phone booth located there anytime to call the boat and we'll come pick you up.
[11:30] SPEAKER_01: Now, how long would you last before you made that phone call?
[11:34] SPEAKER_01: And what would you do while you were there?
[11:36] SPEAKER_00: I actually welcome when I turn my phone off and when I put my laptop away.
[11:41] SPEAKER_00: You know, I think it is a little bit sad that we're so connected to technology that we can
[11:45] SPEAKER_00: appreciate the rest of life without it.
[11:48] SPEAKER_00: So I would welcome that challenge.
[11:50] SPEAKER_00: I don't know how long I would last. It really would depend on how resourceful I was at finding
[11:55] SPEAKER_00: a place to sleep building some form of lean to and being able to make tools so that I could catch fish
[12:03] SPEAKER_00: and start a fire. Those would be it really depends. If I could get that, I'd be okay for a couple
[12:09] SPEAKER_00: months, I think.
[12:10] SPEAKER_01: Is there anything you'd like to add Jennifer before you leave us today?
[12:14] SPEAKER_00: Being an entrepreneur in Calgary has been such a great opportunity for me and I'm thrilled
[12:20] SPEAKER_00: that the city has embraced me and my businesses and my companies.
[12:26] SPEAKER_00: I just see the city really booming with entrepreneurship and more companies growing.
[12:32] SPEAKER_00: They're doing a great job at supporting startups and encouraging it.
[12:36] SPEAKER_00: There's a lot of resources out there nowadays to start a business and I don't believe it's just about
[12:41] SPEAKER_00: you know, going to school and learning how to get a job.
[12:45] SPEAKER_00: I think it's about being able to pivot and create jobs.
[12:50] SPEAKER_00: Because we need job creators too.
[12:52] SPEAKER_01: Is there any way that listeners can get a hold of you if they'd like to reach out?
[12:56] SPEAKER_00: The best place probably is on LinkedIn.
[12:59] SPEAKER_00: So I check my messages on LinkedIn and that's a great place to connect. It's been a good tool.
[13:04] SPEAKER_01: Okay thanks Jennifer for being our guests on Calgary's podcast.
[13:08] SPEAKER_01: I've learned a lot about you and your business and I'm sure our listeners have as well.
[13:12] SPEAKER_01: Thank you very much.
[13:13] SPEAKER_00: Thank you Mario. Have a great day.
[13:15] SPEAKER_01: Hey there. Thanks for taking the time today to listen to Calgary's podcast on Canada's podcast
[13:21] SPEAKER_01: network. We hope you enjoyed the show today. Make sure you sign up for our newsletters and
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[13:41] SPEAKER_01: the country. See you next time.