Infuse Infuse 10 December 2019 | Page 14

What characteristics do you need to succeed as an entrepreneur? I was told to pitch to them. At the time, I was definitely not ready to pitch to anyone, but I knew that I wanted to create a functional snacking company. I introduced myself to them and I shared my vision. There was about 15 people in the room and they were all nodding and smiling. From the beginning there was good energy between us. I think persistence is the number one trait. I've been told that many times and I think it's true. No one knows how many times you fail behind the scenes. You have to have the mental strength to just keep going even when you’re disappointed. Self-belief is also essential. You need to believe that what you're doing is ultimately going to work and stick to it. I was pushing for years behind the scenes before Uplift Food got off the ground. From there, I pushed the relationship. I was warned that they're slow moving and they'll talk to you for ages but never strike a deal. I continued to pester them, and actually created a proposal for an incubator that allowed me to serve as a nutrition resource to their R & D team in exchange for their overall product development support - they agreed! From there, they launched Snackfutures and I requested to present to their Chief Growth Officer up in Chicago. That day I told them ‘I'd like to be your first investment and this is how we're going to do it.’ Several months later – after extensive due diligence with their legal team - we formalised the agreement. Getting funding has been a roller coaster, but an exciting one to say the least. And finally, I think humility helps. If you’re humble, then amazing people will gravitate towards you, and together you can really make cool things happen. What is next for you and Uplift Food? I have been plugging away for the last eight months on a new snacking product and I have recently launched a new gut health-focused cookie range in the US. From there, the goal is to increase distribution and get on more shelves. I'm also currently acting as the media representative for the Global Prebiotic Association. One of the things that made my pitch unique was offering to work to get my foot in the door. LEARN MORE: https://upliftfood.com.au www.upliftfood.com www.theprebioticdietitian.com @theprebioticdietitian @travellingdietitian © Dietitian Connection 14 Infuse | December 2019