Latham Thomas, Founder of Tender Shoots Wellness

Single Entrepreneur Spotlight

Latham Thomas

New York, NY

Founder of Tender Shoots Wellness

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1. My business and how I got started:

I founded Tender Shoots Wellness in 2006 to meet the lifestyle needs of busy women in the city that are on a path toward optimal wellness. Offering green culinary services, holistic nutrition counseling, and yoga, I am interested in helping women navigate pregnancy and offer them lifestyle solutions that would be sustainable. I have been in the wellness field for 10 years, but officially doing the work I do now for about 5 years.

2. Why my product/service is better than the competition:

My service is comprehensive, boutique, and result oriented. You can come to one place to learn what to eat, how to cook it, and how to incorporate yoga into your life.

3. A typical day for me:

My days alternate between kitchen/cooking days and yoga/counseling days. The first client of the day is usually a cooking client. I shop for groceries in the morning and prep meals for the week, store and clean up and head to the next client to do the same, until the day is over. Another typical day is a line up of group and private yoga classes that I teach at various locations throughout the city, including: vinyasa yoga, anti-gravity yoga, and prenatal yoga. Sprinkled in between I will see my nutrition clients, who come for counseling sessions.

4. What I love most about my business:

I love that I wake up every day and do work aligned with my principals and I get to help empower people to help themselves. I also love that I get to create a schedule that is conducive to my lifestyle and allows for “me” time.

5. I’m cool because:

I’m vegan

6. If my friends nominated me for an award, it would be “Most Likely to…”

Achieve her Dreams

7. A movie made about my life it would be named:

Hustle Mode or Blissed Out!

8. Strangest thing you’d find in my fridge, wallet or closet:

In my fridge…Lotus flower tea blossoms, in my wallet- a real 4 leaf clover, closet- an ’80s biker chick motorcycle vest.

9. Personal qualities I admire most in others:

Honesty, Follow through, compassion

10. Three things I hope to accomplish in the next five years:

1. Publish 2 books.
2. Expand my business to take on full-time employees
3. Get married

Want to connect with Latham? Find her on Twitter and Facebook!

Mariagrazia LaFauci, co-Founder of Be Satori and the Eco-Zip Bag

Want to know what sort of famous last words are whispered by executives behind closed doors? A few years ago at Conair it was a repetitive “When are we getting out of here?”. Mariagrazia LaFauci, former VP of Marketing and Product Development for Scunci (later bought by Conair) didn’t just listen to the words of Diana Menaged, her friend and co-worker of ten years. She left her six-figure salary and executive digs, and walked out the door…along with her new business partner.

A Merchandising degree graduate with 15 years experience in product development and marketing, Mariagrazia made the obvious choice to focus the new venture, Be Satori, on developing retail products. A handbag for tweens and a toy line later, Mariagrazia and business partner Diana continued seeking marketplace voids and eventually zeroed in on the Eco-Zip bag. Realizing its potential the pair re-focused, creating the new line of BPA-free plastic storage bags made with 20% less plastic, compartmentalized to get the job done with less waste.

With Eco-Zip scheduled to start shipping to major grocery chain accounts in 2010, and an accomplished business partner and friend at her side, Mariagrazia LaFauci has found that sometimes famous last words are just the beginning.

1.  How does marketing a grocery item compare to marketing hair accessories? Is one more challenging to break into (especially as a newcomer) than the other?

I think the formula is relatively similar regardless of the category because we stayed in the same trade of distribution, we did not go outside of our distribution experience.  Regardless it’s still challenging, breaking down those barriers and winning at these big chains takes diligent hard work. The key to success is making sure you have a viable product that adds value to your customers business.

2. You left an executive level position to start your own small business. What do your former co-workers think, and how do you think you would be received if you decided to re-enter the corporate world?

I am chuckling because my former co-workers know when I do something it’s big and it makes a huge impact on the business I am entering as well as change the lives of the consumers who use the products I develop. As far as re-entering the corporate world, my theory is that ….“it was more of a risk to not have taken the risk at all”. As Far as how I would be perceived it would have to be as a well rounded individual who understands the business development from start to finish!

3.  Eco-zip wasn’t the first product your company invested time in researching and sales testing. What products preceded it, and what convinced you to put all your efforts into Eco-zip?

We developed a kid’s toy line and a kid’s fashion handbag line. We decided to pull both and focus our efforts on Ecozip because it was the line that had the biggest business potential with the least amount of effort compared to the Toys and Fashion handbags.  Toys and Handbags involve much more time to develop and financially are a bigger investment. There is in-depth testing and engineering when developing a toy line, Safety is a key factor and Liability can be very high in this area. Developing a fashion handbag line is a constant changing business because you have to keep up with the Fashion trends every season.

Ecozip to us was something we knew could truly enhance the lives of people who used it and at the same time it would alleviate a burden on our earth. It does not get better then that!!

4.  Your name gives away a little bit about you. What is your family’s background and how has that shaped your personality?

Well, I’m Sicilian and come from a very Italian upbringing. My parents immigrated here in the 70’s and struggled financially.  Growing up and watching this I knew there had to be more. So my motivation and drive lead me towards success in the corporate world. Once I got to watch the success and rise of those that I worked for it motivated me to follow in their footsteps so that I could create a better life for myself , my family and those around me.  My personality has been shaped by the experiences I have lead and I am grateful to have had the background that I did because it is the driving factor that motivates me to continue to grow which allows me to achieve success in all areas of my life.

5.  How has your life changed since leaving the corporate world?

Gosh, if the feeling could only be put into words…I live a better quality life that’s for sure. I have also grown tremendously on multiple levels as an individual. My business experience has magnified and I am a much stronger individual overall.

Financially I took a hit, but the trade off was well worth it. I knew that I was taking ten steps back but would move forward with limitless opportunity.

The biggest one…No politics and I’m able to focus on moving ahead with no distractions from a corporate culture.

6.  What do you like to do for fun?

I really enjoy fine dining. I love a glass of red wine over great conversation. I enjoy traveling to new places.  I am interested in art and since leaving the corporate world I began painting. I hope to one day have my own art gallery.

7.  Describe the person who would best complement both your life and your business.

A complementary partner would be a man who can understand me and my passion. He would support my love for business as well as appreciate the importance of living a fulfilling, joyful abundant life outside of work.  He too should be successful and passionate for his business. Someone who has great communication skills is affectionate and romantic.

8. Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

I see myself continuing to build my business, inspiring my employees, loving and nurturing my family, feeding my soul artistically and doing philanthropic work.

Mariagrazia’s Bio:

Bio-
As an inventor, Mariagrazia LaFauci brings new meaning to “less is more” with her new product line of Ecozip food storage bags. Ecozip’s “Zip N Flip” technology allows you to separate and organize multiple items all in 1 bag or use the full bag by unzipping the center zipper. The Ecozip product line allows consumers to reduce their bag consumption while giving them versatility and convenience. They also make the bags with less plastic. Mariagrazia Co-Founded Be Satori with her business partner and longtime friend Diana Menaged.
The philosophy behind Be Satori is to bring consumers innovative products that are in harmony with the earth.

History-
With 15 years of experience in product development, branding and marketing products to the main stream, Mariagrazia has touched the lives of countless women and girls through her creative talents at some of the top accessory companies in the nation. Specifically, she is the inventor of the “No Slip Grip” Jaw Clip and Hairband she designed for women’s hair. She came up with the inventions during a seven year stint at SCUNCI a leading fashion hair accessory company where she served as Vice President of Marketing and Product Development. Her invention built the path and direction to incorporate the no slip technology in SCUNCI’S main line of hair accessories after consumers’ made it top choice.

Mariagrazia holds an associate degree in Merchandising, Marketing, and Management from Tobe Coburn School for Fashion Design; she is the daughter of Italian immigrants and speaks Italian fluently. In her spare time she enjoys yoga, experiencing Eastern cultures, painting and meditation.

Paige Davis, co-Founder of BlueAvocado

Thirty-four year-old Paige Davis’ entrepreneurial journey starts and ends with her roots in Austin, Texas.  Along the way to co-founding the earth friendly BlueAvocado brand, she gained a strong background in Social Media and website development, working with major startups in the Bay area at the height of the dot-com boom.

Back in Austin, a trip to the grocery store with her sister, also co-founder of the brand, led the one-time consultant turned Pilates instructor to co-develop a reusable shopping bag system.  Just launched in November of 2008, BlueAvocado brand products have already become regional best sellers at Whole Foods Markets and are gaining media presence through creative branding and innovative marketing strategies.

With one patent pending and brilliant marketing plans in the works, Paige is not just single and successful, she is sustainable.  Just like her brand.

1. Plastic bag replacements have been popping up everywhere the past few years.  Tell us a little about your products, how they work, and why they’re different.

BlueAvocado is a mission-driven lifestyle products company that makes it EASY to DO GOOD while GETTING IT DONE.   The BlueAvocado gro-pak(tm) is the country’s first reusable grocery shopping system that includes six pieces that meet all your shopping needs. All bags have their own function (insulation, ventilation, collapsibility) and fold together for easy sto-n-go.  They are responsibly manufactured with recycled material, machine washable, and include a carbon footprint label. By carrying this system, an average shopper can replace 15 plastic bags per trip and up to 1,000 plastic bags every year.   We also have a partnership with Kiva.org (which is an organization close to my heart) and reinvest 1% of income to fund micro—entrepreneurs around the globe. To date, we have invested in 28 female entrepreneurs from Guatemala to Cambodia.

2. I get the impression from you that BlueAvocado is not just riding the “green wave.”  Why was creating an earth-friendly brand so important to you on a personal level?

I think we each come to it from a different perspective. For me, it is really about raising awareness and inspiring change from a place of empowerment and fun.  We believe change is about being mindful – not militant.  We created BlueAvocado to help people to that first step on the green journey and just maybe find a little joy in the process.  Hearing our customers beginning to share their journeys is really what it is all about and inspires us each day.

3. Your press coverage is impressive.  To what do you attribute your media success so far?

Thanks – I would say it is definitely a magic blend of serendipity, intention, an amazing PR team, and a sprinkle of some hard core enthusiasm. When we were first approached by Real Simple and InStyle, much to the chagrin of our PR team, we played it far from professional and quickly turned into giddy school girls praising the magazines that we have loved for so many years. The amount of “We Heart You” that hit their in boxes could have been considered over expressive:-) We are nothing if not emotional, and for better or worse that comes through.

4. Who is “Schlumpy?”

It is kind of a running joke that Schlumpy is really the true love of my life:-) Schlumpy is a 7ft. x 8 ft ball of plastic bags that has been rolling around the country (LA, Austin, Chicago, Atlanta, Nashville) demonstrating the impact plastic bags have on our environment and invites people to take the pledge to collectively get 1 billion bags off the streets by 2010. Here’s a demo. His next scheduled stops include Lollapalooza, Austin City Limits Music Festival, and  San Francisco.

5. What is it like working with family, and do you ever find yourself struggling to maintain a line between work and family roles?

Beyond the overwhelming “yenta” factor, it is actually an unexpected dream come true.  With Amy and Missy being best friends and Missy and I being sisters, we went into this knowing that regardless, our relationships always come first.  Recognizing that challenges would definitely occur, we worked with a consultant very early on to help us identify and articulate our mission, vision, and values.  This has served as an amazing foundation that we can always turn to when emotions sometime run high and we are all reminded why we are in this.  Having said that, we definitely are in a constant state of self-growth and awareness as we quickly move through the various challenges that do arise – it can be exhausting and rewarding all at the same time:-)

6. Has being a single entrepreneur helped you or hurt you in business and why?

Well working with two moms who have four children between them all under the age of five, I definitely have sleep in my favor:-)  I also like to think I add a bit of some outside perspective/reality beyond the “mommy bubble” and on occasion some fashion insight.  However, there is no way I could ever imagine doing this on my own – it is the magic of the three of us that truly is the heart and spirit of BlueAvocado.

7. Describe the ideal person who would complement both your life and your business.

Luckily, I have amazing business partners who reflect every day what I am capable of, inspiring me, making me laugh, believing in me, challenging me, and empowering me to become the best version of myself. Ideally I’m looking to meet a man who is passionate about his life pursuits, secure in who he is and where he wants to go, can appreciate a good laugh (am fine if it is at my expense as I do it all the time:-), and building an inspiring and supportive partnership together.

8. Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

Oh man, the future question is always hard for me:-). Having grown up in a constant stage of goal setting for most of my life, my real challenge is to stay grounded in the amazing and not so amazing moments as they arise.  Having said that, I hope that in 10 years, I am continuing to “stay in the moment”, embracing success, surrounded by amazing friends and family, in a loving and passionate relationship, inspiring and being inspired by others, and able to appreciate a good giggle on a daily basis!

Paige’s Bio

As Co-Founder and Chief Inspiration Officer of BlueAvocado, Paige Davis brings her strategic perspective and background as an integrative wellness practitioner, sustainability consultant, and social media entrepreneur. With over 12 years of experience, Paige’s background is rooted in the Bay Area where she initially worked for Organic Inc. working with clients to develop first generation web commerce capabilities and social media applications.  Following her passion for integrative health and sustainable living, she founded a successful pilates studio in Austin, Texas – Pilates360.  Continuing to pursue her interests in sustainability, Paige launched Green Maven Strategies, a consultancy that provided strategic marketing and sustainable consulting services targeted to the LOHAS segment (Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability). Paige received her BA from Indiana University in Journalism and Environmental Science and is thrilled to see all of her life experiences coming full circle as she realizes the dream and potential of BlueAvocado.  Keep up with her latest musings and BlueAvocado news @ http://www.blueavocado.com/blog/.

Want to connect with Paige?  Follow her on Twitter and Facebook!

Editors Note:  For a special 10% discount for Single Startups readers go to BlueAvocado and use the code billionbag10

Shannon Boase, Founder and CEO of Earthcycle Packaging

Shannon Boase, CEO and Founder of Earthcycle Packaging, has an intellectual edge I can’t easily explain. I’m embarrassed to admit that after speaking with her about the technicalities of her business and diverse, high-level corporate experience, my head was in somewhat of a spin.

Born and raised in Canada, Shannon’s inherent business sensibilities soon led her to study at the prestigious Theseus Institute in France, earning an MBA with a focus in Information, Innovation and Strategy.  After working abroad in Thailand, she landed a job with the Malaysian government, and spent the next few years helping to create the Malaysian equivalent of a Silicon Valley.

Specializing in commercialization, she moved on to work with investors bringing new technologies to market.  A strategic alliance was soon formed with one such company, at the time involved with innovating an earth friendly solution to an environmental concern.  By creating packaging from discarded palm husks (normally burned by Palm mills) a natural, functional use for a renewable resource was born.

The solution to this problem is one Shannon calls “intuitive logic”  I call it brilliant.  A kind of brilliant someone like Shannon would understand.

1. Tell us a little about your products and how they are manufactured?

Earthcycle combines technology and the design brilliance of nature to help reduce the waste, pollution, and illogical use of fossil fuels associated with making disposable plastic packaging.  We use palm fiber an annually renewable resource to create disposable food packaging which composts in 90 days, turning into a healthy contribution for the soil.  A by-product of the production of palm oil, palm fiber is considered an agricultural waste product, left over from the palm oil harvest, and is usually burned.  Instead of burning, we steam, clean, chop and mulch the fiber into a natural pulp that is then molded into many different shapes and sizes for use as fresh food packaging.

2.  We spoke at length about pollution caused by burning palm husks. Can you explain how much pollution of this type exists in Malaysia and why it is such a problem?

In typical mill operations, the palm fiber by-product is mulched for use as fertilizer or for soil remediation; unfortunately, there still remains an abundance of excess fiber that is burned.  I lived through what many in Southeast Asia call “The Haze” which is thick, particle-heavy air resulting from such burning practices of the palm oil industry. Not only does this poor air quality negatively affect our respiratory systems, but it also inflames allergies and reduces overall quality of life, not to mention having an economic impact through the closure of ports and airports.

3.  You say you raised capital from “good friends with deep pockets and long arms”.  Where do you imagine you would be today if you had to rely on the “typical” outside investor?

Angel investors invest in the person as much as the idea.  As I was friends with my Angels for over 10 years before I even started Earthcycle, they already knew and trusted me.   So, having them as investors short-circuited the due diligence process and gave me a circle of close, trusted mentors, which has contributed to us being able to move quickly in establishing our position in the market.

4.  A sense of pride must come from running a business with global positive impact.  How has this affected your attitude towards “work”?

Our products have an emotional connection to the consumer.  The intuitive logic of up-cycling a waste product to a home compostable material that replaces petroleum based packaging rings with consumers “as the right thing to do”.  I think that emotional connection for me transcends into my business—so I don’t view my work as a “job” but more as a vehicle to make our environment healthier.

5.  After living abroad for so much of your adult life, what is it like to be back home in Canada?

Devla Murphy, the intrepid Irish travel writer, said that she only can craft her stories at home, after her travels.  She said that we humans have a “homing” device that attracts us back to our roots.  I felt this immediately upon my return to Vancouver.  It was time for me to return, I felt the pull, and I love being back.

6.  Has being a single entrepreneur helped you or hurt you in business and why?

In the early days of Earthcycle, being single helped the business.  I was travelling a lot and often upon a moment’s notice.  When launching a new product, in an established industry with established relationships, it takes a lot of face time with potential customers to at least get them to try our products.  My travel patterns in the early days probably wouldn’t have sat well with a partner.

7.  Describe the ideal person who would complement both your life and your business.

Someone who can read a Balance Sheet and P&L the way I read a novel—where I see just numbers in these statements, they see a story.

8.  Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

In 10 years, I want to have been able to create a lifestyle where I can run Earthcycle from the home office of my yet-to-be built place somewhere on the Gulf Islands of British Columbia.  During my lunch hour, I’d launch my kayak off the nearby pier.

Shannon’s Bio

With more than 20 years of experience successfully commercializing ideas and technologies in the Asia Pacific region, Shannon Boase, CEO/Founder of Earthcycle, is a proven senior international business executive. Her specialties lie in developing and orchestrating the fine details of bringing ideas to market, including operations, branding, marketing, communications, and talent management. Ms. Boase has earned an MBA in Technology and Innovation from the Theseus Institute in France, a Graduate Diploma in Asian Studies from the McRae Institute of International Management (Capilano University), and a Bachelor of Business Administration (Marketing) from Simon Fraser University. Ms. Boase is an avid cyclist, ocean kayaker, and runner. She spends her free time enjoying the outdoors as much as possible.