Founder Spotlight: Katie Wilson (BelliWelli)
Meet Katie Wilson:
Made by and for people living with IBS, founders Katie Wilson and her husband Nick took their personal struggles with gut health head-on to find a solution. With over 140 recipes experimented with, BelliWelli is packed with gut-friendly goodness: each bar contains a healthy dose of belly BFFs like gut-soothing probiotics (500 million cfu!), almond butter, soothing peppermint, coconut oil, golden flax, and anti-inflammatory ginger! BelliWelli is available in four flavors: minty chocolate, cinnamon swirl, lemon white chocolate, and fudge brownie.
Startup Stage:
Bootstrapped
Location:
Los Angeles, California, USA
When did you launch the business?
March 2021
What led you to where you are today?
BelliWelli came about because I developed debilitating gut issues six years ago and I quickly realized I wasn’t alone. In fact, 70% of the US population is reporting daily gut issues. After years of trial and error (everything from colonoscopies, to diets, to breath tests, to antibiotics), I was feeling frustrated, discouraged, and in need of sweet treats that I could actually eat. With the help of a food scientist and a dietitian, my husband got to work and spent hours finding the perfect “IBS-friendly” treat from our home kitchen. Five months later, we launched our bars and saw sales sky-rocket overnight. We decided to go to work raising capital, building a brand, and iterating on the product to bring the gut-challenged community, BelliWelli bars.
What do you wish you knew before embarking on your entrepreneurial journey?
There are a few things I wish I had known before embarking on this journey. Imposter syndrome is very much real and also very much normal to experience. There is such a thing as too much advice. I spent the beginning of this journey collecting a lot of advice. While it was helpful, it ultimately led to decision paralysis. Lastly, competition is healthy, but it’s important to not compare yourself too much. Learning from other brands is great but every brand has its unique path and journey to success.
What is the most difficult decision you've had to make regarding your business so far?
We had to halt production, even though we needed product, because I wanted to tweak our formulation. This meant a less cost-effective production run, and less product, but it was ultimately the right decision for our customers.
What can you help the VEGPRENEUR community with?
BelliWelli is here to provide people with gut-friendly, delicious snacks that you can enjoy, even with IBS or other gut-related issues. Our bars are plant-based, gluten-free, packed with probiotics, and contain no sugar alcohols. We aim to shed light on IBS and educate the community on the importance of gut health.
How can the VEGPRENEUR community help you?
As a recently launched brand, we're eager to build out community so that everyone knows about this healthy, good-for-your-gut snack option. BelliWelli is a snack that anyone can enjoy, regardless of dietary restrictions or health issues.
Fun fact about you:
I was a matchmaker for 10 years!
Anything else you would like to share?
Please feel free to reach out. If I can help anyway or if you have a question. Id love to hear from you :)
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