I think using your intuition from the get go is the biggest thing. Before you make a placement, be honest with yourself about the your expectations, pace and culture. Waiting longer to find someone who will thrive on your team is better than all that constant turnover and frustration.
I had the pleasure to interview wellness expert, Amanda Chantal Bacon, founder of Moon Juice.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series, Amanda. What is your “backstory”?
My culinary journey began after high school when I traveled for years, working in kitchens and exploring the different cultures and tastes of Europe, South America, New Zealand and beyond. It was during this time that I developed a love, not only for the preparation of food, but for tracing ingredients back to their purest forms. I grew up in downtown New York, but I’ve been in LA for several years. In 2012 I realized my vision and opened Moon Juice — a beautifully curated space where the community can eat, drink, learn and share in the most extraordinary holistic offerings.
Can you share the funniest or most interesting story that happened to you since you began leading your company?
As a self starter without a university degree some of the funniest moments I have are speaking at things like Stanford Alumn Business Conferences.
What do you think makes your company stand out? Can you share a story?
We have a product that actually works and there is a real need for it, that in itself is a standout. We get incredible testimonials daily, things like “I have taken spirit dust for a week and am nicer to my children and peers”. We are also a female founded and run company, our entire executive team and almost the rest of entire company is female.
Are you working on any new or exciting projects now?
Always! We have a really exciting launch of our first capsule called SuperYou coming soon!
What advice would you give to other CEOs or founders to help their employees to thrive?
I think using your intuition from the get go is the biggest thing. Before you make a placement, be honest with yourself about the your expectations, pace and culture. Waiting longer to find someone who will thrive on your team is better than all that constant turnover and frustration.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you where you are?
So many! My small group of investors have been true mentors to me, and I am so grateful for this. I also have an incredible team led by my co-pilot and president Elizabeth Ashmun.
How have you used your success to bring goodness to the world?
Moon juice its self is a mission based project, all the momentum we gain goes right back into the project in hopes of reaching a larger audience. We are truly committed to bringing health and happiness to people and the planet through plants.
What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Became CEO” and why? (please share a story or example for each)
To be completely honest there hasn’t ever been an event where I wished someone had warned me. I think being a founder/CEO is a unique journey and teaches you everything you need to learn as you go, professionally and emotionally. I can be overly brave and dont head warnings fully, my learning style has been heavily experiential. I do think this is key for entrepreneurs.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”?
“Enjoy your life and be happy.
Being happy is of the utmost importance.
Success in anything is through happiness.
More support of nature comes from being happy.
Under all circumstances be happy, even if you have to force it a bit to change some long standing habits.
Just think of any negativity that comes to you as a raindrop falling into the ocean of your bliss.
You may not always have an ocean of bliss, but think that way anyway and it will help it come.
Doubting is not blissful and does not create happiness.
Be happy, healthy, and let all that love flow through your heart.”
maharishi mahesh yogi
Some of the biggest names in Business, VC Funding, Sports and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with and why?
Kris McDivitt. I am in awe of what she built with Yvon Chouinard at Patagonia, a company that is of great inspiration to me and moon juice. whilst staying true to their mission she was able to build a brand with a sustainable legacy and has gone on to make unparalleled efforts in land conservation in Argentina and Chile (a place I lived for a few years in my early twenties).
Amanda Chantal Bacon of Moon Juice: Five Things You Need To Create A Highly Successful Startup was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.