Incendium Podcast: Lindsay Wilson, Founder and CEO of Owl Venice(0:01)
James introduces Lindsay Wilson, founder and CEO of Owl Venice, highlighting her company’s impact on the wellness industry with innovative gut health products.
The Accidental Entrepreneur: Founding OWL (0:30)
Lindsay shares her journey, starting with making bone broth to heal her own gut issues. Unable to find suitable products without common irritants like garlic and onions, she created her signature recipe. Friends noticed her results, leading to organic growth and eventually, the launch of Owl Venice.
The Rise of Wellness: Market Trends and Innovations (2:40)
Lindsay discusses the growth of the wellness market and the evolution of Owl Venice from a bone broth company to a program-based business. She highlights their unique Gut Reset Program, which includes health coach support and a focus on nourishing the body rather than restrictive dieting.
Navigating Growth: Challenges and Strategies (4:09)
Lindsay details her role in branding and marketing, as well as the challenges of scaling. She emphasizes the importance of bringing brand voice back in-house and focusing on authentic storytelling. Early on, unpaid partnerships and word-of-mouth were crucial for growth, leading to a shift towards UGC video ads.
The Power of Community: Unpaid Partnerships and UGC (6:20)
Lindsay explains their unpaid partnership program, which focuses on authentic brand love and value-driven content. UGC videos, gathered through these partnerships, now make up 75% of their paid media. She discusses the challenges of scaling manufacturing and maintaining customer satisfaction.
Data-Driven Decisions: Balancing Intuition and Analytics (12:24)
Lindsay acknowledges the importance of data analysis, despite her natural inclination towards intuition. She discusses the use of Shopify analytics, Lifetimely, and internal reporting systems to inform decisions, particularly regarding meta ad performance and profitability.
Stabilizing for Success: Current Challenges and Future Plans (15:14)
Lindsay outlines Owl Venice’s current phase of stabilizing, cutting costs, and focusing on profitability. After a year of growth challenges and external impacts like local fires, the company is prioritizing core customers and brand voice.
Lessons in Resilience: Advice for Aspiring Founders (17:35)
Lindsay advises aspiring founders to prioritize persistence, resilience, and self-trust. She stresses the importance of focusing on core customers and profitability over rapid growth, and learning from past mistakes.
