- Insight: Ensure that you are serving your customers and providing value.
How She Started: Being a founder risky, how did you decide to be an entrepreneur?
CP: When I went to college I was an undeclared major. I was accepted into the business school there and that seemed interesting to me, but I didn't want to major in the traditional Business School disciplines. I wasn’t interested in accounting, finance, real estate, or marketing. My major was serendipitous because at the time USC had created this entrepreneurship emphasis and it was #1 in the nation. I saw the opportunities to learn from great entrepreneurs, and I knew this program was for me. I always intended to be an entrepreneur.
HSS: How did you acquire your first customers?
CP: In my senior year I wrote a business plan for a clothing line for plus-size teenage girls and one of my professors that year was keen on me launching it. This is like back in the late 90s before any brands catered to this segment. My problem was I needed seed money. My dad was the only business person I knew and he wasn’t fond of the idea.
It was just too different for him; we were talking about selling it online and he didn’t get it. I ended up working in advertising. A few years later, Torrid (a plus-sized women’s clothing brand) put their first store in the mall where I had done all my research and it became a multibillion-dollar industry. Though I wasn’t able to pursue that idea, creating that business plan and looking at changing consumer demographics helped me found future ideas.
What's UNiTE Food's story?
CP: UNiTE grew out of my own personal frustration. Before starting unite, I worked for 17 years in my family’s plumbing and manufacturing distribution and hardware business. It was a large business and I had to travel quite frequently. Getting my work done quickly was vital so I could make it to daycare before it closed.
I often skipped lunch and resorted to eating protein bars, but I never truly enjoyed them. They just didn't come in flavors that I was excited about. It was always chocolate or vanilla. Every brand seemed to have just those two flavors.
I think it was so unexciting to me because I came from a background that was full of exciting Food and flavors. My personal story is that I immigrated here to the US when I was 5. I noticed a stark difference between the food that my mom cooked and the food that was served in school Standing in the protein bar aisle, I felt like I was reliving my childhood, lacking diverse options that resonated with my preferred flavors. I started to think about consumer demographics and how the US is shifting to incorporate more diverse backgrounds and that led me to launch UNiTE.
HSS: Once you got some traction, how did you get your initial customers?
CP: We launched in March of 2020 which is a crazy time to launch a business. Our first customers were online because grocery stores weren't going to meet anybody. When consumers were going to grocery stores, they were really concerned with toilet paper and less so with protein bars, so we didn’t enter retail immediately.
Our first retail customer was a local chain that I shopped at. I just walked in and asked if we could sell the bars in the store. The store had a program that supported local brands. We were able to launch in about 15 stores for a limited time, and it gave us crucial data about customer preferences.
HSS: How do you retain your customers?
CP: Our foremost strategy is delivering an exceptional product. In the food business, it's all about repeat purchases and making a product that's so good that everybody wants to try it and tell their friends about it.
HSS: How are you able to handle the competition and how are you able to scale?
CP: It's a very competitive industry, but our value proposition is quite different. With us, it's about flavor, fun, and nostalgia.
HSS: What is your growth strategy?
CP: We want to continue to build relationships with our customers and help them use UNiTE as a tool in their wellness journey. Additionally, having been in retail for just two years, we aspire to expand our brand awareness, cultivate repeat customers, and explore different channels, such as partnerships with colleges and universities.
HSS: What are your lessons learned so far as you look back on this business?
CP: You don't have to be good at everything. You can find the right people to help you with things that you don't understand, and that's OK.
HSS: Do you have any additional advice for female-founded businesses?
CP: Surround yourself with other female entrepreneurs and strong business leaders who can form your support network. There's tremendous strength in sharing resources, knowledge, and experiences. Make those connections even if you think that it might not be applicable. You might be in a different industry, but the foundations of business remain similar regardless of the product or service you offer.
- Insight: Ensure that you are serving your customers and providing value.
- Insight: Every entrepreneurial endeavor can be a learning experience.
- Insight: Identify a strong pain point. In Clara’s case it was the lack of time and unexciting meal replacement options.
- Insight: Draw from your own experiences to create an authentic and inclusive brand.
- Insight: If you identify an opportunity, go for it and make the most of any opportunities that are available to you.
- Insight: Customer retention starts with a great product.
- Insight: Have a strong brand identity and personality.
- Insight: Identify ways to expand. In Clara’s case she wants to expand UNiTE presence on college campuses.
- Insight: One strategy to drive your business forward is to “hire your weaknesses.”
- Insight: Build a community and continue networking. It has the potential to bring you closer to your next opportunity.
I messaged Clara and we set up a call.
I've always been passionate about women helping other women. I created this blog to tell stories of successful female-founded businesses. Hopefully, these stories will help inspire more women to found their own businesses.