The Disconnect Of "Where You Are" & "Where You Want To Be"

For today's blog, I will be answering the "Decisions" outlined by Helen Yu in Chapter 1 of Ascend Your Start-Up with the owner and co-founder of SBH Labs, a small e-commerce store that has found success on Amazon marketplace and is looking for ways to scale up business.

Decision #1: Why Are You on This Journey?

What is my "why"? What is the problem I am solving? Am I doing what I'm supposed to be doing with my life and with my business?

Yu, 2021, p. 37

The "why" of SBH Labs is simple: to bridge science and wellness. Co-founders David and Ivonne, husband and wife, believe that wellness should not rely solely on spirituality and feeling. Although Ivonne is a highly spiritual woman, David believes in looking at facts before anything else. The merging of their lives in their marriage marks the merging of their beliefs as well.

SBH Labs was born after they saw a lack of products that catered to their interests that offered quality ingredients without extra additives and chemicals. The journey of SBH Labs has just started. The co-founders have always dreamt of being financially free and having their own business seemed like the right way for them to achieve their goals.

Decision #2: What Problems Are You Solving?

The mission of SBH Labs is to enhance people's lives naturally through the merging of science with wellness. The problem they are solving is having a market full of options with too many unnecessary chemicals and no proven efficacy. SBH Labs focuses on using only a few, high-quality ingredients in all their products, keeping costs low to provide customers with affordable solutions.

Decision #3: What Does Success Look Like to You?

For David and Ivonne, success right now looks like having a well-established brand that people recognize and trust. Earning and keeping customer trust is the most important aspect of their work culture and environment. Now that they have established themselves as a trusted Amazon seller, the next step for SBH Labs is to make a name for themselves outside of Amazon.

Decision #4: How Will You Honor Your Brand?

At this point in time, SBH Labs is earning revenue. However, the co-owners are not seeing profits for themselves yet. Luckily, they both still hold their "day jobs" and work endless hours around the clock to keep their startup going. They are at the slope point Yu describes in her book. Yet, the owners of SBH Labs are not willing to compromise the value of their brand to see more money. One clear example David provided is their commitment to clean, natural, and organic (when it applies) ingredients in their products. When the option to use a synthetic ingredient for their best-selling product arose, an option that would increase their profits by 400%, they declined, sitting their commitment to their brand image and integrity.

Decision #5: How Will You Prepare for the Climb?

This is the million-dollar question we will continue to explore these next few weeks.

References:

Yu, H. (2021). Ascend Your Start-up: Conquer the 5 Disconnects to Accelerate Growth. United States: Made for Success Publishing.