Episode 95: Laurie Cook

Laurie Cook On Reinventing The Way You Get Your Vitamins with VTMN Packs

This week Samantha chats with Laurie Cook, pharmacist, mom of two young girls and the founder and CEO of VTMN Packs, Canada’s first monthly vitamin subscription service that delivers personalized daily dose vitamin packs to your door. After spending years as a retail pharmacist, Laurie found that something lacking in her practice was a focus on holistic and preventative approaches to promoting health and wellbeing. She strongly believes in personalized medicine, and that there is not a one-size-fits-all approach to managing disease. That's why in 2019 when she found a gap in the market, she had to start VTMN Packs. They take the trouble and guesswork out of staying healthy, and have created the easiest, most convenient way to purchase and manage your daily vitamin intake.

The two discuss how she built VTMN Packs, her process from the first ideation of what she could do, into where she is now. They also do a deep dive into things like fundraising,  building a business, how to start and where to start, and also all things vitamins.

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Podcast Script

Sam: [00:00:00] Monetize your passion for wellbeing like a job you love every single day. Find a happy life from a healthy lifestyle. What's up guys. This is Spin, Skin and Other Addictions a podcast by me, Samantha E Cutler of The Fit Fatale. Each week I'm going to take you deeper into the world of wellness with entrepreneurs who are building brands designed to better your life.

[00:00:27] So you'll be hearing from fitness gurus, medical specialists, and influencers in the world of fitness, health, beauty, and nutrition. I hope you guys love it. Let's get down.

Laurie:[00:00:40] You don't just eat one meal a day and then be like, okay, good.

[00:00:43] I've got all of my nutrient balance for the day. No, you eat multiple things throughout the day because you're getting different amounts of nutrients at different times of day. That's allowing your body to absorb what it needs. We definitely take after food, take it with a full glass of water and take it multiple times a [00:01:00] day for most supplements.

Sam: [00:01:01] You're listening to Spin, Skin and Other Addictions episode number 95. And you just heard from our guests here today, Laurie Cook, who is the founder and CEO of VTMN Packs, which is Canada's first monthly vitamin subscription service. I love this conversation in particular because Laurie and I talk about her building the business, which is just about two years old now and all of her process from the first ideation of what she could do, into where she is now. And we also dive into things like fundraising,  building a business, how to start and where to start, what help she had and also all things vitamins. So if you're a vitamin lover like me and you just love to grab all your vitamins to feel good to boost your energy, to detox, all that good stuff.

[00:01:49] We go into rapid fire of her favorite vitamins for what? And we also just talk about how VTMN Packs customizes for you. So if you're in need of something, that's just easy to [00:02:00] take, space efficient, this is for you. But either way have a listen to this episode because Laurie is an incredible entrepreneur here from Toronto mom of two girls.

[00:02:10] And she's awesome. So without further ado, here is the episode.

[00:02:15] Hello, and welcome to another episode of Spin, Skin and Other Addictions. Today we have Laurie cook, who is a pharmacist, mom and the founder and CEO of VTMN Packs.  Which I am so excited to talk about it today. VTMN packs is Canada's first monthly vitamin subscription service that delivers personalized care to your door and vitamin pack.

[00:02:38] So you literally have your own pack of exactly what you need based off of your personal needs, your body and everything. And Lori is going to share a little bit more about why she created this, her background and really how this all got started a little bit about you, Lori. I just think the idea is so cool.

[00:02:54] I've told so many people about this. How does this exist? This is awesome. It's so [00:03:00] personalized. And we have it in Canada, which I'm just going to give a little woot, woot  for, because there's always these cool things that pop up that we don't get access to. So share a little bit about your background.

Laurie: [00:03:10] Absolutely. Thank you so much for the introduction and for having me. So yeah, we are the first of our kind in Canada, which I think is super, super exciting. And as you mentioned, so I'm a pharmacist and I worked in retail pharmacy for like longer than I'll admit here right now. So I was working in retail pharmacy in the traditional pharmacy role for a long time and kind of fell out of touch with what I was doing in my practice there.

[00:03:38] So a lot of the times in pharmacy and in traditional Western medicine, we're band-aiding problems with medication, and it didn't feel right to me anymore to be doing that. And, as much as you try and introduce lifestyle medicine into traditional practice, it just, it wasn't taking.

[00:03:57] I stepped out of retail pharmacy [00:04:00] and ended up in corporate pharmacy for a while, which was really cool. I was working as a  operations specialist and the director of pharmacy for a couple of pharmacy tech startups, which was really fun and exciting. And I got to use a different part of my brain and work on solving problems in pharmacy using like innovative techniques.

[00:04:20] So I was really into that and throughout my journey working as a pharmacist. I had a lot of personal health developments as well. And  we can get into that story later but anyway, long story short is I ended up falling into, love, or I found a lot of interest in the natural health space, starting taking vitamins on a regular basis and I got really annoyed with the process. Going to the store, deciding which brand to pick, that was annoying. And then also the act of taking it. So rather than having all of the bottles on my counter, I would fill up my, call it my granny pack, like the Monday to [00:05:00] Friday, little dispenser boxes. And I would sit and I would fill them up every week and it would take me like an hour every Sunday. And I was busy. I didn't have an hour every Sunday. So I started looking for a solution that was a little bit cooler, a little bit sleeker something that was, not going to take as much as my time and I didn't find anything.

[00:05:18] And I came across a couple of companies in the U.S who were doing these personalized supplements. Done and done. I need this, I wanted to sign up. And then when I went to go sign up, there was a couple of things that kind of threw me off is one is they were coming from the U.S and the quality of supplements in the states is a lot different than the quality that we have in Canada.

[00:05:36] Not to say that they're all bad, but there just, wasn't that transparency for me. Especially coming from pharmacy, I want to know a lot of things about my supplements before I take them. And pricing was a lot, shipping was a lot, and it was just one of those moments where it was I want this.

[00:05:52] It's not available to me here. I'm passionate about, health and wellness. So I'm going to start this company and that is [00:06:00] where we ended up. And then, so I quit my job and took a chance and started VTMN Packs. And that was  in 2019 and here we are.

Sam: [00:06:09] I love the process of just hearing people's stories of how they created brands.

[00:06:14] I think that's selfishly my favorite part about doing this podcast and also just letting people who our listeners feel a sense of community when they are taking that leap of faith, because a lot of people feel super alone and you're still a new business that's budding. Did you decide to do this on your own, did you have a team with you?

[00:06:33] What did that look like? Cause I know we go from I had this gap that was in the market. I needed this product. I had the experience to be able to build it, but then what, where did you start and how did you take that to the next level, because it's always this sort of gap between, and that's where I decided, and now I have the company, the like part where the baby grow. Tell us a little bit about that.

Laurie: [00:06:53] Yeah. All of this stuff that happens in between and we just  like to gloss over. I had a lot of ideas of companies [00:07:00] that I wanted to start. So I'm not like an entrepreneurial spirit by any means, but I think, deep down inside, everybody has this desire to do their own thing or build their own company.

[00:07:09] And, I would keep going to my husband and saying, oh my God, I have this great idea. I'm going to start a yoga studio for moms and babies, or, I'm going to do this. They were all great ideas, but things that already existed in the marketplace or things that, I didn't necessarily have skill.

[00:07:24] Like I'm not a yoga instructor. Why am I opening up a yoga studio? But  I finally came up with this idea and I said it to him. And this was the first time that he didn't call me crazy and be like no, that's ridiculous. What are you thinking? So he was like, actually on board.

[00:07:37] Okay, we're onto something and I did it on my own with him. So luckily he has his own creative design agency, so he does a lot of  design work for a lot of commercials,  he does 3D animation and graphics and design and a lot of, what I needed for my company is, the pharmacy background and the health background is good, but we're also an e-commerce [00:08:00] business, which means we need a web presence.

[00:08:01] We need branding, we need awareness. I pulled him in and said, Hey, if we're going to do this, you gotta help us get the creative aspect out there.  I was able to convince him to do that, which is great and we've got a lot of good feedback actually on our branding and it seems to resonate so yay for him.

[00:08:19]And that was it, we're a small business. It's me who does like 99.9% of everything behind it. My husband does all of our graphic and branding work and then actually my sister helps with the fulfillment and operations. We're a nice kind of family business.

Sam: [00:08:38] Okay. That is incredible. So are you still only three today?

Laurie: [00:08:41] Yes.

Sam: [00:08:42] Wow, seriously and that's what I think people don't realize. And that's why I love just like pulling these stories out of entrepreneurs to be able to share more transparency behind it. Because the second we see a product that looks pretty, is functional, is a great idea. We assume. Okay,  maybe they're a startup or they're young, but they're like [00:09:00] 20 people.

[00:09:01] They have a marketing agency, they have a whole team, a graphic team, you just assume that it's so much larger than it is. And it's really nice to see like the transparency behind some of these companies that we assume are just thriving and maybe, you guys are thriving, but just have a whole team where really we can get down to it in these conversations of what's the work, what's the nitty gritty that you're putting into a daily.

[00:09:23]So can you tell me a little bit about your fundraising process? Did you guys bootstrap the company? Did you get investors? How did that start to just take off vitamin packs? I think that's probably one of the biggest questions people have when they see these companies from the outside. Cause there's no idea and no way to really know.

Laurie: [00:09:40] Yeah, exactly.  So we fully bootstrapped so far and that's where we've done it.

[00:09:47] It's a passion project with our own finances. And it's tough, right? Like it is a lot of work to boot strap and you make, I think different decisions with the company when you know that it's your own money that's [00:10:00] going behind it. Looking into, investors or venture capitalists is definitely on our roadmap and we just want to make sure we're doing it at the right time.

[00:10:09] And I think one of the things that's interesting is, like you said, when you look at a company, you don't really know what's going on behind the scenes. When people  look at VTMN Packs. They may assume that we are a heavily backed company. We're definitely in a space where you see a lot of backing.

[00:10:24]But that's not the case for us yet and sometimes I wonder what would our path be like, or what would our direction be like if we did go the investor route versus the bootstrap  route. But for me right now, it's just a little bit about maintaining that control and maintaining the vision for a little bit longer until it until it's exactly where I want it to be.

Sam: [00:10:45] Totally and also  we hear so much from people who are so outspoken and fall under these boxes and it makes us intimidated as founders. I can speak for myself. It definitely intimidates me. Like you said, I want to hold on control [00:11:00] versus  giving away part of the company or like decision-making power.

[00:11:04] And ultimately I try to remind myself of ths all the time is that   , it is still within our control, right? Like we are choosing whether we take investment, whether we give a part of the company away, whether we give away a board seat, whether we have advisors who have shares or whatever, like we make all of those decisions.

[00:11:23] But when you step back for a minute, it seems so far away and so large and intimidating.

[00:11:27] Your like, if I start raising money, I'm giving away all my company. I'm giving away board seats. They have total control. Like it's not just me building this anymore. And then I'm not a part of it and it's on its own,  like my baby's born and now it's in college. Like we just need to assume it gets there.  I can speak a hundred percent from my own experience, it's definitely how it feels. And as women, we have a little bit more tendency to be more conservative. And I think it's such an interesting conversation.

[00:11:52] I personally am always drawn to female VCs and female investors, because I feel like they [00:12:00] understand that in a different way as well. In my experience, even, and I like to see like women backing women and just understanding what's going on in their lives a little bit, especially if you're a mom or  building your life or your home at the same time.

[00:12:13] I think that balance is understood a lot differently from females that I've come into contact with.

Laurie: [00:12:18] Yeah, I think so. And it's interesting so I find, I get a lot of my inspiration from like a business point of view by looking at, other inspirational women and, I tend to follow  Michelle Romano.

[00:12:31] I think she's like a very interesting female leader who's done like a ton of great stuff when it comes to financing and like ErinBury from W illful and, I look at them and say, okay, what are they doing as women in the business space? How are they growing?

[00:12:46]Joanna from Knix's has made like a lot of interesting commentary about how she chose investors as a woman and how her investors view on like being a mother or being a woman in business [00:13:00] has impacted her decision. So it was really interesting conversations to follow.

Sam: [00:13:04] Yeah. I think just the fact this is happening is so important. But yeah, like just having people like that in your core, but also having people like that, that you can learn from, listen from absorb, like whether that's in your social media feed or in podcasts, et cetera.

[00:13:18]Is so important and I love that conversation's happening. There are so many other things impacting us and you, and I probably have this in common. But  your husband has his business with you and helps you with it from the design perspective. I know it's more of your baby, but I do have my business, my partner, and it's like this balance of your life and your business and like how you view things coming together when you have all this other stuff and who comes on your team as investors as advisors, et cetera. So it's really interesting, but it is so fascinating to watch people build things because  really comes out of thin air. Like you said, you were like, I have this idea I'm going with it and your husband went, you're not crazy. [00:14:00] And then out of thin air, now, here we are. You said two years later, right?

Laurie: [00:14:05] Yeah. Just about.

Sam: [00:14:06] Yeah, that's crazy. I love it.

[00:14:07] So can you tell us a little bit more about how you got into deciding okay, how are we going to get these vitamins into people's hands? And how will we decide what they need? Because you mentioned picking your vitamins was always a really big issue for you. So where did that concept come from? Where you're like, okay, we're going to assess them. We're going to figure out what they need and how is that actually going to be what they need, right?

Laurie: [00:14:30] Yeah, absolutely. The buildup of the company took about 18 months and that was just the kind of, behind the scenes planning. So from the day that I said, yes, I'm going to do this and quit my job to when we actually launched, we're looking at about an 18 month window. For me, the very most important thing about vitamin packs was going to be the focus on quality and working with brand partners.

[00:14:54]First of all, that, that had a reputation already of being, good quality supplements who do their [00:15:00] testing who are just really known in the marketplace. And I really wanted to work with professional lines supplements as well. So it was a little bit of tandem work to decide which brands I think are going to be the most important that I want to increase access to.

[00:15:13] And then which supplements from those brands do we want to carry? And I also decided that my focus was going to be on what I call foundational wellness. So I'm not looking to treat specific diseases or conditions, because I think that supplements definitely have a role in, in doing that, but that's when I recommend you work more closely with a practitioner.

[00:15:32] But my goal was to say, what supplements do most people need? For foundational wellness, what do they need just to help boost your immune system, give them a little bit of energy, fill the gaps in their diet, help with gut health, help with some mental focus. The things that everybody is struggling with, that can use a little bit of help.

[00:15:52] I kind of identified the health concerns that I wanted to address. And within each of these health concerns, what are my top supplements for [00:16:00] each of those concerns. And then I narrowed it down from there and about,  let's say 10 months into the process.

[00:16:06] Once I had narrowed down what I thought was going to be the best supplements from the best brands and the best recommendations. That's when I started to build my advisory board. So we have an advisory board that's made up of naturopaths, nutritionists, dieticians and so we took my findings and my ideas and I presented it to them.

[00:16:25] And it was really important to me to work with a number of different healthcare practitioners in different disciplines, because everybody has their own opinions or their own clinical experience. And I really wanted my health assessment or the recommendations to be based on opinions of a large number of people.

[00:16:42] So  I took the recommendations to the advisory board. They, provided input, we made some changes and then finally came to our first iteration of the health assessment and the supplements that we carry. So we started with 30 supplements, we're at about 35 now.

[00:16:59] And [00:17:00] we're about to do a big revamp on the health assessment and increase our offering as well. So that's a work in progress.

Sam: [00:17:08] That's so exciting. What's interesting is that you also have vitamins from different brands, and I find that fascinating, as you were saying, you wanted to make sure you had the best products from each brand.

[00:17:19] So if like your vitamin D is from someone and your vitamin C is from someone, is that what I'm understanding?

Laurie: [00:17:25] Yes. Yeah.

Sam: [00:17:26] That's so fascinating. That's double the work where you could have just gone to one supplier and said, okay, I need all the vitamins. And let me just go off of this, but really you dove into individual suppliers, right?

[00:17:38] If I'm understanding, cause our audience may hear brands and think okay, you got your B complex from like a pharmacy brand, like Jameson or something, but that's not the case.

Laurie: [00:17:47] Well no I am talking about brands. So I'll clarify that a little bit. So we work with mostly per professional line brands.

[00:17:56] So NFH for example, is a brand that we have that we carry [00:18:00] a ton of products from and most of the time you can actually only access NFH products through a naturopath or through a holistic nutritionist. So these are brands that you couldn't necessarily find at your drug store or, at some health food stores.

[00:18:13]So we carry  NFH, AOR St. Francis Herb Farm, Prairie Naturals, Sisu, Renew Life. So we're really focusing on these types of brands, that's what I mean.

Sam: [00:18:25] Okay, awesome,  so tell me about this advisory board. Does your board still work with you today on every selection or are they really do they come in at the beginning and they just looked into okay, how will we make work for a broader spectrum and based off the quiz you put people into buckets, is that sort of how the process happens?

Laurie: [00:18:45] Yeah, I worked with the advisory board on a periodic basis. So absolutely anytime we're going to be making new additions to our lineup or changes to our health assessment. Every recommendation and product is vetted and [00:19:00] majority approved by these different practitioners, which is really nice.

[00:19:03]And then they help to advise on the recommendations, but overall, the health assessment is something that I built myself, which really took a lot of work and a lot of careful planning. So it's based on my professional experience and my personal experience, as well as the board's experience and a ton of references and resources as well, that went into it. And each recommendation that comes out of the health assessment is completely unique based on how you answer the questions.

[00:19:32]The other really cool thing is it goes through and it actually scans for drug interactions and nutrient depletions, which is really cool as well. And I think maybe a lot of people aren't necessarily thinking about drug interactions when they're taking supplements, because I think, okay, vitamin supplements, they're natural, they're safe, but that's not necessarily the case.

[00:19:51]There are some times where we would not recommend taking a specific vitamin or supplement if you are taking a prescription. And so we make sure to cover [00:20:00] that too, to the best of our ability. But the thing that I really love is the nutrient depletion part. And what that is, there's certain medications that people are taking really common medications that cause depletions and deficiencies in some general nutrients.

[00:20:16] So for example, if you were taking like something for stomach acid, which a lot of people tend to be on or birth control, which is the biggest one. These medications deplete your body of nutrients and if you mark off in the health assessment that you are taking, one of these things will give you a recommendation of supplements that will help restore some of that depletion that's been going on for having taken the prescription medication, same with like antibiotics.

Sam: [00:20:42] That's so fascinating and so important and so necessary because  I think as consumers, we don't think about it.

[00:20:48]We don't think that our nutrients are getting depleted, as you said or that are drugs or prescription drugs are interacting with our vitamins, and so it's important. That we have brands that are [00:21:00] able to think of that for us. But of course, like you said, if you're going and selecting all these different mix of vitamins and just taking based off of a broad spectrum of recommendations,  you don't know what you're taking with what?

[00:21:11] And so I think that it's so important to be able to have that mix. And I love that you've done that. Another thing that I also like, and I think is like one of the key probably win factors for a lot of your consumers is the fact that it's so hard to remember to take your vitamins. And I don't know why it is like the biggest challenge.

[00:21:31] I put them in the strangest places to be like, this is in front of you. Take your B12. Like I stick it in my face and I try so hard to try to remember to take it. But there's so many different bottles and you have a big cabinet and then you're like, oh right now I'm feeling low energy. So I want to make sure that, this is right in front of me.

[00:21:50] Cause I know this tends to help me.  So I feel like you're solving such a big problem there. How do your consumers respond to this?  How have you gotten, customer feedback [00:22:00] based off of like now remembering to take my vitamins or they're in my face, I just have my little pack.

[00:22:05] As you mentioned, you were like putting them in your weekly sort of granny pack like I just love that you've made it cool.

Laurie: [00:22:11] Yeah, absolutely. Like it's definitely, cooler to take it this way. And I keep my box, so we divide up your vitamins if you want into a separate morning and evening  box.

[00:22:21] So that, for example, I keep my morning box beside my coffee maker or my teammate, my kettle. Every morning I'm having a coffee or I'm having a matcha, like that's no exception. I remember to do that every morning, right? So I put my box right beside that. So as I'm doing it, I may not take my vitamins at that very moment, but I rip off my pack and I leave it on the counter.

[00:22:43] And that is my reminder that says to me, at some point in the morning, once you're done your routine, take your vitamins. And at night, I keep my box in my bathroom because every night I take off my makeup, I brush my teeth without fail. So that's where I keep my night [00:23:00] vitamins and same thing. I'll take it off and I'll either take my vitamins at the beginning of my night routine or at the end, but I always take them because they're together with things that I do without fail.

[00:23:11]And for me, that's really held and same with for my customers. Like I get a ton of feedback from people saying just how much better they feel and, have some really tangible examples. I got some feedback from a dad once it said I cannot believe the energy that I have now. Like he was a new dad was feeling completely drained, bought it started on a regular vitamin routine.

[00:23:36] He thanked me for having the energy to go and play with his kids again. I have,  marine sufferers who were dependent on prescription medication for their migraines. Which is not cheap, first of all and also has a lot of side effects as well. And they've been able to get off of their migraine medication because they're taking like regular supplements now and they're on top of a routine that's really helped with that.

[00:23:58] I've got a couple [00:24:00] people respond about their fertility as well, where they've been on a routine and they've noticed improvements in their cycle. And  one person got pregnant, which was really exciting. Not saying that's necessarily because of the supplements,but her body was prepared.

[00:24:12] She was giving it the nutrients it needed and she was able to go through with it. So I hear a lot of good feedback from people just about how much easier it makes it for them. But as much as I just said,  even as the founder of a personalized vitamin subscription company, I still miss my packs every now and again.

[00:24:29]I have two kids every morning. I'm trying to get them up, get them ready out for school or whatever. And sometimes I miss it and that's okay too, but I'm missing a lot less frequently than I was. Before, when I had my bottles in my drawers and I wasn't opening up my drawers to take them and they would sit there for weeks.

[00:24:47] Now, if I miss one, it's like here and there. But I'm way more on top of my stuff. 

Sam: [00:24:51] Can we talk a little bit more about taking vitamins? And there's a lot of conversation around when to take them, if you take them together sometimes it [00:25:00] affects people's stomachs. It might hurt their tummy. If they don't take them with food or if they take them on an empty stomach, what is your approach to that? And what do you suggest to your concerns?

Laurie: [00:25:11] Yeah. Great question because I'm definitely taking certain vitamins together is not ideal. Like for example, if you have iron and calcium together,  they're going to end up, canceling each other out and you're not getting the benefits from one or the other. So we definitely take care of that in terms of what goes well together. But in terms of taking your supplements, definitely taking them after food.

[00:25:34]Like you said, upset stomach is unfortunately something that we see a lot, especially when we're talking about high quality, multi. vitamin or a high quality B complex.  Taking your vitamins after food, for sure helps. And we've had a couple people reach out and say,  I follow a specific diet or I do intermittent fasting, so what's the best time to take my vitamins? We'll help work with people based on their routine and their schedule to provide the recommendation.

[00:25:59]Generally [00:26:00] take your vitamins after food, taking them multiple times a day is going to be better than taking them once a day, especially when it comes to a multivitamin. When you think about multivitamins, you want to think about it like food, right? You don't just eat one meal a day and then be like, okay, good.

[00:26:15] I've got all of my nutrient balance for the day. No, you eat multiple things throughout the day because you're getting different amounts of nutrients at different times of day. That's allowing your body to absorb what it needs. We definitely take after food, take it with a full glass of water and take it multiple times a day for most supplements

Sam: [00:26:33] Yeah, that's so important to remember. It's just like also, I feel like people forget that vitamins are so specific and also depend, like you said, on your diet. So also just reaching out to you guys, to know that they can get ahold of you and speak with you and just say Hey, I am doing  intermittent fasting, or maybe I'm vegan, or I'm sure a lot of this is involved in their health assessment, but while they're in the process, maybe things change and just being able to [00:27:00] have like literally a pharmacist to be able to reference back to and say Hey, here's, what's going on. Here's what changed for me? Like how can I make this work the best, to feel my best. And I want to take a little bit of a pivot and talk a little bit more into two really interesting subjects wanted to address with you.

[00:27:17] The first is the affordability of vitamins, because vitamins are so expensive, especially when we're buying so many. You spoke about that initially the beginning and just like buying so many different products especially when you're trying to get quality vitamins. How do you guys address affordability and making it just in general, more accessible for everyone to be able to have quality supplements for themselves?

Laurie: [00:27:42] Yeah,  that's a really good question. And we get that question a lot because it, admittedly, we're not the cheapest and that's for a reason because quality supplements do cost more than a traditional brand vitamin, but there's a couple of things that we do to help [00:28:00] people make sure that they can still access what it is that they need. So when you go through the health assessment, you're given an option to identify where you're at in your journey. So are you just starting out, are you a seasoned supplementer or are you somewhere in between and based on where you identify your recommendations are reflected accordingly.

[00:28:22] So you actually get a three tiered recommendation in your cart, which says, okay, if you have, just a small budget and you want just the most essential things based on the questions that you answered, here are what we identify as your top, 2, 3, 4 supplements. If you have a larger budget that you've allocated towards, your health and that you want to spend a little bit more on vitamins, then we give you more options as well.

[00:28:51] So we kind of tailor that to them. We do have an option for everybody's budget which, hopefully helps. The other thing is that, you don't need [00:29:00] a lot of vitamins and supplements. And I think some people feel that, they have to be  taking like 7, 8, 9 different things, but that's not really the case.

[00:29:08] We want to make sure that your wellness comes from food first, when that's possible. So focus on your diet. There's a lot of things that we recommend, even in our health assessment. Rather than taking the supplement, these are some foods that you can try incorporating, or these are some lifestyle things that you can try and incorporate. Cutting down your cart and just starting with the basics. The other thing that we did when we were picking our supplements. So I mentioned before that we have, specific supplements from specific brands. And one of the deciding factors that we chose was on price.

[00:29:39] So first was quality and said, okay, from this supplement,  which brands carry the best quality B complex, for example, then we said, okay, these ones are our top five X from these top five B complexes, which one is going to be the most affordable. Our goal is when we have our supplements is to make sure that we're offering the best quality supplements [00:30:00] from each brand and also the best price available for each particular supplement. And one of the things that you'll notice if, because we're carrying popular brands that you can buy at other places, if you price shop our products versus, some other health food stores are actually priced comparable. So it's not more expensive to get these same vitamins through us, but you're getting the added convenience of, your daily dose packs. The set it and forget it type of subscription, the direct delivery to your door. So there's a lot of value added as well.

Sam: [00:30:29] Yeah, a hundred percent. And the fact that, you know, you're getting a mix of good quality products, but as you said, you don't need all of it and you also don't need the whole bottle, right? Like you're getting what you need based off of your individual health.

[00:30:42] And I love that so much. The other thing I want to talk about as well, you guys have been successful and of course your husband has played into this, but in making vitamins cool. If I were to land on your Instagram, I'd be like, whoa, this is so cool. What, you know, at first you're like, is this a beauty product, but sort of is [00:31:00] in a way, the branding is young and fun and fresh and inviting. And makes you feel like, oh, you've made me taking my vitamins a cool process. And I feel like I want to be a part of this. And I want to talk a little bit about how you've done that, of course, just, through the branding, I'm sure through your advisory board as well incorporating creators getting out there, but what have been some of the key factors that you've said okay, this is gonna help us in this process of reaching our target demographic and just making the process cool.

[00:31:30] And not feel like you said, a grandma taking your vitamins.

Laurie: [00:31:34] Yeah. I wish that I had, some like secret recipe that I could say, oh, we've been following this, or this is what we were going for. But the vibe that was really important for me to get across was something that was professional, because it's important for me that people understand that there is a healthcare professional behind this brand and I take it really seriously. Like I'm not just here to sell you a thousand vitamins. I want to make sure that you're [00:32:00] getting what you need for your health and for your wellness. With our branding and our messaging, it had to have that level of professionalism. And I also wanted to kind of create a look that people would be proud to display in their home. Because the idea is that it has to be front and center for you to remember to take it. So the box has to look nice on your counter. Otherwise it's going to end up in a drawer like the rest of your bottles, that just go there. So it was really about creating something that was proffesional simple, sleek. Generally, I would say like my aesthetic and my husband's is very simplistic and I think simplicity appeals to a lot of people, right? We didn't want to be too heavy one way, like nothing that was too feminine or nothing that was too masculine or nothing that was too young or nothing that was too old.

[00:32:50]We tried to find that real good balance between professionalism, simplicity, and kind of air of neutrality across everything. So hopefully we achieve that.

Sam: [00:33:00] [00:33:00] Absolutely.

[00:33:01] I think you guys have a very neutral in a cool way, right? Like it's, you're really filling a gap. You're saying like, this is the product you need, as you said, it has to be front and center.

[00:33:13] And like you wanted to make the box cool, which is very transparent. I think in the design and the product, and it's so true because I'm looking around me and I have a vitamin  bottle or like, you know, , they're always, I don't know when you're, when you have too many, they always end up in strange places cause you're like, I'm trying to remember to take them and they're not cute. Like they're just sitting there and they fill up so much space. Also. Let's talk about that. I feel like you are Marie Kondo's vitamin dream because they take a lot of, space.

Laurie: [00:33:45] I'm using that in my next branding.

Sam: [00:33:48] Cause it's so true. Like they just take up so much space. They serve very little purpose with the bottles and 90% of the time they're like 10% full when you buy them. Which I still have zero understanding why vitamins and chips do that. [00:34:00] But it's the case. I think like you fill that gap. And also with social, what has your social media approach been?

[00:34:09] I know you guys are. Work with some creators. You've done quite a few events. Obviously. It's probably been like a key moment during the pandemic for you guys because everyone is wanting to order. So that's been such a great, I would assume such a great opportunity for you guys. How has your social media approach to building the brand unfolded as well?

Laurie: [00:34:28] Yeah, so it was really interesting and ironic. So for 2020, our goal was to do as many in-person events as possible. So I think we signed up to 11 trade shows or markets or fairs because I wanted to get out and I really wanted to meet people and have them touch and feel the product. And then of course, surprise pandemic.

[00:34:48] So we did, I think two trade shows before everything shut down. So that kind of was like, okay, Plan B and like the digital marketing space is [00:35:00] so big. We have barely scratched the surface. We've worked with a couple really good creators and influencers who've, really take into our product, which is great.

[00:35:08]But a lot of our growth I have to say, has to come, has been organic and it's people searching, what vitamin should I take? Or, personalized vitamin recommendations or vitamin subscription, Canada. And that just shows me that there's like a need for this product and people are looking for it.

[00:35:26] And, it's now just a matter of getting out there and making sure that everybody has heard of us, has a chance to see it or know somebody who's had a chance to try it. We've got a lot of space to grow in the digital marketing area, but we're looking forward to getting our name out there more that way.

Sam: [00:35:43] I love that. I think you're doing an amazing job to start and I can't wait to just continue to watch it grow. And hopefully this podcast helps in that as well. And a few of our listeners will say Hey, this is exactly what I need and you'll continue to thrive in that way.

[00:35:58] I am such a lover [00:36:00] of vitamins as we've spoken about, but I also feel like it's so hard to find like the right fit for the right needs sometimes because we see so much information, whether that's from creators we follow, doctors, naturopaths, the internet,  Google is like a nightmare sometimes to some of this stuff, or we go into the pharmacy, we ask the pharmacist or we look on the bottles. I often find what the bottle say is like completely not why I'm taking it. I also get very confused by that as well. So in your personal opinion, if you're down for it, I'd love to do some quick fire questions of what is your favorite vitamins for specific needs.

[00:36:34] And obviously this will be personal to you, but it'll just give an idea of how you fit them into your lifestyle.

Laurie: [00:36:40] Yeah, for sure. Let's do it.

Sam: [00:36:42] Amazing. Okay. What is your favorite vitamin? Let's start with a good one. Just for boosting your energy.

Laurie: [00:36:51] I love ashwagandha for me personally. Because I'm, so I'm a new mom, right?

[00:36:56] So I had a baby 18 months ago. So eight days before I [00:37:00] launched the company, I had my second daughter. Exhaustion was so real and ashwagandha is like by far the best to help boost that energy. Be like nourishing and supportive. Sorry you said rapid fire? Not give me a 20 minutes of explanation of why you love it.

Sam: [00:37:15] I love it.

[00:37:16] The whole story. Okay, let's do mood, which is similar.

Laurie: [00:37:22] Yeah, mood again, ashwagandha. I love adaptogens and B complex.

Sam: [00:37:27] Okay. Here's a good one for summer. What about if you're drinking? Is there anything you should take before drinking that'll help you hopefully avoid hangovers and anything the next day to detox or feel a little bit better?

Laurie: [00:37:40] Yeah, I'm I'm all about kind of overall general wellness. So if you tend to know that, in the summer you enjoy a few more drinks, which is absolutely great. I like milk thistle as part of your daily routine, vitamin C as well, and lots of [00:38:00] water.

Sam: [00:38:00] Yes. Okay. I love vitamin C for drinking. So I'm happy that you just reconfirmed that to me.

[00:38:06] I was like, am I inventing this? I'm pretty sure it helps. So you've confirmed it. You heard it here. Okay. What about for skin? I'm a big skin lover, as you can tell from the title of this podcast.

Laurie: [00:38:19] There are so many things that will help with skin vitamin C is absolutely one of them to help with collagen as well.

[00:38:27]Just a good multivitamin, to be honest is fantastic. It's giving you a little bit of everything that you need and zinc, depending on what kind of skin stuff we're talking about.

Sam: [00:38:38] Oh, what about acne? Would that be zinc?

Laurie: [00:38:43] Yeah, zinc is good for acne and the fish oils as well. You want to make sure you have a lot of those healthy omega threes that help give you glowy skin.

Sam: [00:38:52] Okay and then. What about for stress and anxiety? I think that ties a little bit into mood, but [00:39:00] maybe just, regulating our nervous system in general.

Laurie: [00:39:03] Yeah. Again, a B complex is really good for that and different adaptogens. So I talk a lot about ashwagandha, obviously. It's my personal favorite, Rhodiola as well. So it depends now ,you can have in your like elixirs or a  part of your smoothies are great. At therapeutic levels, you can definitely use these adaptogens and you have to use the right adaptogen depending on kind of what you're feeling. Are you someone who needs like more of a boost or do you find yourself more tired and wired? It really depends on the type of symptoms you're having.

Sam: [00:39:36] Okay and the last one, let's make it a fun one. What about vitamins for sex or sex drive?

Laurie: [00:39:45] Oh, absolutely. There are so much, so maca is a favorite for both, male and female libido, ashwagandha as well can help with that. So those are the two that I tend to lean on. [00:40:00]

Sam: [00:40:00] You are just a big ashwagandha fan.

Laurie: [00:40:03] If there's gonna be a thing, but it's true. You know what, like I think everybody will find a supplement that really resonates with them. That makes them feel good. And I have had so much positive response from people when they find the supplement that just clicks. And you know what another supplement that I absolutely love and cannot live without is magnesium.

[00:40:25] And I just, you know, for, for sleep, magnesium is amazing for headaches and for chronic migraines, magnesium is amazing. And most of us are depleted in magnesium. It just helps with so much. So that's another  everyday go-to for sure.

Sam: [00:40:42] Yeah and feeling anxious as well, your nervous system right? Does magnesium help with that?

Laurie: [00:40:47] Oh, absolutely It's really like the relaxation mineral, right? So anything that stress or tension, magnesium will just help to relax it.

Sam: [00:40:58] Okay, amazing. I need to take one [00:41:00] now. I loved that and I love all this insight. Is there anything else you want to leave our listeners with today to share about VTMN Packs or yourself, or any other insight that you want to share with our listeners that everyone should be doing, starting?

Laurie: [00:41:17] Absolutely. I think just like good nutrition, vitamins can play a part in everybody's daily life. And that's not to say that everybody needs a full compliment of vitamins, but there's certain things that people should really be looking to incorporate into their routine. Vitamin D and we didn't really touch on but like even in the summer, most Canadians are deficient in vitamin D.

[00:41:39] So I'd really recommend, incorporating that into your daily routine. Definitely getting tested through your doctor, through your natural health care provider, to determine where your vitamin D levels are because a lot of us are so deficient that we need, a lot more to get us up to that optimal range.

[00:41:57] And really like for any of those rapid fire [00:42:00] questions that you asked, vitamin D could have been an answer, like it also does a ton  for our health and wellness. So I would say, vitamins have a role for everybody. So just the same way that you want to focus on making sure that you're eating the best quality foods, getting a well balanced diet, incorporating things from every food group. I think the same extends to vitamins. They help to fill the gaps where, diet doesn't necessarily work.

[00:42:24]We have an option for everybody. I love to talk. If you have any questions,  I'm  accessible by email. So  hello@vtmnpacks.ca. I read all of those emails and address them. If there's ever anything that comes up, please reach out and let me know, and I'm happy to chat about it.

Sam: [00:42:45] Amazing. And I'll link that all in the show notes as well, so everyone can get ahold of you. And last but not least, can you share your website, Instagram, all that good stuff. If people want to follow along and just check out all of the coolness that [00:43:00] you're bringing to vitamins, as I've said before.

Laurie: [00:43:03] Yeah, absolutely.

[00:43:04] Please do. Our website is vtmnpacks.ca. So vitamin without the vowels packs.ca and on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, all the social media is where at @VTMNpacks. So that is where to find us. And we are going to be launching our blog soon. And hope to put just like a ton of great information there, just about wellness.

[00:43:33]If you check back soon, you should see all of that up with some amazing content from some really good contributors.

Sam: [00:43:40] Incredible. Thank you so much, Laurie, for your time today. This was so insightful. I'm sure everyone has gotten a little bit of insight into the vitamin world and VTMN Packs, maybe something they have been missing in their routine.

[00:43:53]And I'm so excited to watch you guys continue to grow and thrive and also get my hands on my vitamins so I [00:44:00] can share my experience because it just is so groundbreaking. It's just like, how did I not have this before with the mess of my vitamin, right?

Laurie: [00:44:11] No, absolutely.  I want you to try it and to feel it and to love it because if you already take vitamins, this is just a game changer. It's just gonna make it so much easier for you.

[00:44:21]Thanks so much.