Starting a Nutrition Business: Insights from a Founder | Lily Samuels
Lily Samuels founded a nutrition and well-being consultancy in 2020. It focuses on perimenopause and menopause nutrition, sports nutrition, and promoting corporate health and well-being at work.
What inspired you to start your own business?
After 15 years as a nurse, I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis and learned I needed lifelong medication. This led me to study nutrition to understand how food and the body can aid healing. I decided to help others struggling with lifestyle conditions through nutrition and exercise strategies.
What were the first few steps you took to get the business up and running?
After registering my business, I joined my local chamber of commerce and attended their free workshops on business startups. I then networked like there was no tomorrow!
For the first 3 months of the business, I provided free nutrition and well-being consultations to family and friends in exchange for testimonials and reviews.
How far ahead do you plan and what keeps you on track and motivated?
In my head, I know where the business will be in 5, or 10 years but to make it manageable I break it down to 90 days a year.
What keeps me motivated is that I love what I do – my two passions combined: enterprise and science. I stay on track by knowing that my work directly impacts my health and that of my clients. I can’t let myself or those who look up to me down.
Are there any sacrifices you’ve had to make as an entrepreneur?
Many sacrifices! One of the hardest is having to be stingy with my CEO time, saying No to friends and family.
What has been the most amazing day in your entrepreneurial life so far?
The day I landed my first premium client made me believe it was possible.
What has been your scariest moment?
Months where cashflow was a challenge.
How do you work on making your business grow?
I always ask myself this question when it comes to business ‘’Will It Make the Boat Go Faster?’’ if the answer is No then I won’t do it whatever it is.
Investing in business and personal development as well as having a mentor.
What is the best thing about being your own boss?
The freedom. I manage my schedule, which allows me to have total control of my life, and fearlessly embrace what others call risks, but I see them as opportunities for growth.
What are the challenges of working for yourself and how do you tackle them
Self-doubt sometimes and that no one is here to validate/support my decisions!
By regularly reminding myself that I have bet on myself and no one else is coming, it helps especially when making decisions where I have no experience, confidence or any data to back me up.
Who do you admire or look to for inspiration as a business owner?
There isn’t any specific business owner that I particularly admire because I don’t know the details about any of them. However, I do admire different aspects of various entrepreneurs that I notice on the surface. What inspires me is the unwavering belief of an entrepreneur and the understanding that nothing is impossible and that I’m on the right path.
What piece of advice has had the most impact on your business? And who was it from?
Two pieces of advice:
What are you willing to sacrifice? (This is a hard question but it’s worth taking time to answer it.)
There is no such thing as work/life balance if you want to become successful as an entrepreneur.
Both pieces of advice are from Tim S. Grover, who is an author and a former trainer to the althete Michael Jordan.
What are the three books, websites or resources (professional or personal) that you would recommend to other business owners?
Books:
1. Relentless by Tim S. Grover
2. Will It Make the Boat Go Faster by Harriet Beveridge & Ben Hunt-Davis
3. Blue Ocean Strategy by W. Chan Kim, Renee Mauborgne
What other passions do you have away from your business? How do you relax?
I love visiting London and the Cotswolds for weekend getaways to recharge. I enjoy dancing, cooking, and hosting.
Connect with Lily on social media
On LinkedIn
