Humble Pie Ain't So Sweet

In our last chapter we thought the storm had cleared. Yes, we had some damage control to do with upset customers who received the counterfeit product, but we’d chased off the hijacker and were back on solid ground. In that moment I was proud of being right,  defending the brand and winning. But the sweet taste of victory was short lived. Almost immediately that same hijacker turned the tables in a way we never saw coming.

Turns out our miracle berries weren’t approved under the EU novel foods policy and the hijacker knew it before we did. Since the beginning Juliano and I never went with the “miracle” branding because 1) I believed it was better to under promise to over deliver and 2) that was the name given by the West Africans in Ghana where the berry is native.

So the whole time we never called our flavor-enhancing fruit anything but ledidi berries while they went with the keyword “miracle”, which prevented them from getting on the Amazon platform in their region. Obviously they didn’t think that was fair and suddenly we were off the EU and UK platforms. Not only did that revenue stream drop to zero overnight, we lost all the inventory we held in Europe.

Let me put it in perspective. The revenue we were pulling in from the UK and EU was just shy of what we were doing in the US. It was a huge blow, quite frankly 50percent was the biggest hit we’d ever taken to our bottom line. But because we’d kept things so lean and scrappy, bootstrapping all the way, we managed to weather that storm without losing the entire business.

It forced us to refocus on North America, which maybe we should’ve done from the start. It also taught me a lesson that goes beyond food and beverage. No matter what industry you’re in, the more pride you show, the bigger the fall will be. Yes, it probably was a matter of time, but we could have worked together instead of jumping into battle from the start. It’s a business lesson and a life lesson all in one, and it’s something I won’t forget.

But here’s where it gets interesting. We found a way to double down on Amazon by applying for its first-party platform, Vendor Express. And whether we got approved or not… well, you’ll have to stay tuned to find out. If we did, it could make up for everything we lost and then some. So stick around. There’s a lot more to this adventure.

And as we dive into this week’s flavor experiment, it’s all part of keeping that summer theme alive and I don’t know what’s more summer than watermelon.

Jamming to Watermelon Sugar, I went down to the grocery store, picked out a nice ripe watermelon, brought it back home and gave the berry 30 seconds to coat my tongue. That’s all it takes. Just 30 seconds of letting the berry do its thing and suddenly that watermelon tasted like the sweetest summer candy you could imagine.

I noticed I was shifting away from the idea that the berry is only for improving things that taste bad. Sometimes it’s about taking something already great and turning it into something unforgettable. This was leveling up a classic summer fruit into a whole new experience.

And yeah, I want you to feel like you’re checking in each week not just for the startup lessons and taste test ideas but for the fun of it. So keep an eye out for that hidden 48-hour Easter egg discount. It’s my way of saying thanks for coming back and being part of this ride. Look closely at this post for a hidden 48-hour 20 percent off alphanumeric discount code. Did you spot a word that’s formatted oddly? Enter it exactly as shown.

— Hank