Let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there. How did your company get started and why?

I’ve had respiratory issues since childhood where I would pick up any cold or flu that was going around, this would always lead to asthma and lots of coughing, so I’ve been having lozenges my entire life. About two years ago, I was standing at Walgreens, looking to buy lozenges and it just hit me how uninspiring and commoditized that category was. Old, stale brands. Boring and unpleasant flavors (cherry, herbal, lemon), irritating ingredients (menthol), lots of sugar or artificial sugar substitutes and rough texture that would begin disintegrating in my mouth and irritating my tongue. 

I wanted to launch a much better lozenge with natural ingredients, silky smooth texture and pleasant flavors. At the same time, I began to take herbs to improve my immune system, support my adrenal health and manage stress. I travel a lot for work, so many times taking powders with me was super annoying. This is where the idea to merge the two by creating a functional lozenge came together- each addressing a common modern need I want to disrupt the lozenge category and offer a new delivery form to commoditized gummies.

Kindroot Adaptogems combine nurturing adaptogenic herbs, sensory flavors that are based on principles of aromatherapy in a silky smooth texture for a full experience. Kindroot Adaptogems are super convenient and perfect in a purse, at the office desk or during travel, however, my vision is for someone to take a little pause or a little moment when putting one of these in their mouth – a few quick mindfulness minutes (generally each lozenge lasts 3-5 minutes) to focus inward, smell and taste the flavor and reset before moving on upward.

What is your product and how would you describe it?

We make functional aromatic lozenges that combine healing properties of plants with delicious flavor for a full body holistic experience.

How have you pivoted your business this year?

We shifted our focus on growing our community and loyalty – all through our own DTC business since retail expansion was pretty much non-existent for a few months. On the business side, we worked on operational streamlining and other administrative items that are crucial to businesses in the long run, but are usually “hard to get to”.

What is your next challenge to overcome?

The landscape is still somewhat unpredictable and we are continuing to see impact on velocities and just overall trial driving – which are crucial to new brands. We are taking a slow and steady approach and being very calculated with funds that we spend. Still placing a lot of effort on DTC channel as well as developing depth with existing retail partners.

What do you predict for the food industry over the rest of the year?

People will continue to mostly eat at home, so I believe all food brands will continue to see growth. The trend toward healthy and functional food will also continue to grow, especially with anything focused on immunity, recovery etc.

Learn more at: Kindroot.com