Meet Andy Hnilo of Alitura Naturals in Glendale

Today we’d like to introduce you to Andy Hnilo.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
A former Division 1 baseball player and high level athlete, I moved to LA to pursue a career in the entertainment industry. Within a month of moving to LA, I booked a lead role in an independent feature film. After filming, I got a manager and agent and had a very successful career, working on soap operas, network TV shows and modeling for brands such as Calvin Klein, Levi’s, Oakley and Coppertone.

However, all of that was put on hold when on March 20, 2011 I woke up in in a Cedars Sinai ICU bed after getting hit by a series of large vehicles. Seven broken ribs, a collapsed lung, and the worst compound fracture that the maxillofacial specialist at the hospital had ever seen…

BUT… I was alive. Driven and determined to get back on my feet quickly and in better shape than I was before the accident, I cannot describe the daily motivation that was ignited to accomplish just that. That accident rocked me right into my purpose. Period. Unimpressed with the products that my Doctor’s recommended me to use to heal my abrasions and scars, I began researching organic ingredients from nature to accelerate my scar healing. I truly believed my body was going to respond best to an all-natural, holistic ‘meal’ of nutrient dense, mineral-rich ingredients from the earth.

That accident turned out to be an absolute blessing in disguise, as it was the catalyst that rocked me towards my purpose of helping others feel better about what they see in the mirror. Out of pure necessity, I started creating our flagship product, The Alitura Clay Mask, during my healing period. Years later, our full line of skincare products at Alitura Naturals are located in 76 countries worldwide.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Jaw wired shut, front teeth missing, I would drive around Los Angeles with a little backpack filled with a bamboo bowl, a blend of organic essential oils, a mineral-rich blend of four clays, organic superfoods, a bottle of apple cider vinegar, other nutrient-dense ingredients and of course the clay mask. Just seeking feedback. The response was incredible! I knew I had something special when I picked up a friend of mine who had seen me in the hospital just weeks earlier and was completely blown away by my appearance and how quickly it improved.

No website, no price, no company name, I continued to give the product away for about a year or two. What that did was allow me to beta test and get feedback on how to improve the product. I never had the intention to start a business. But the rising interest of people in something that I truly created with my own hands, out of necessity, lit a fire inside me to keep pursuing more.

The process of designing and creating the brand itself was the hardest part. Everywhere I went I was getting advice from people and everyone had an opinion on what is going to work best. I heard about ‘going the conventional way’ with packaging, colors and fonts. Considering who the advice was coming from, I listened. But it didn’t feel right. Ever since I was a kid, I have been intrigued by sleek logos. Nike, Hugo Boss, Lexus, Montage… these are companies that I admire and they all have a level of prestige that follows their name. I knew that I wasn’t going to budge on my ingredients to make certain margins. I flat out DIDN’T KNOW enough to even think of that. What I DID know, was that the ingredients I’ve found were the best I could have found and I backed that up with absolutely not compromising on quality during the search. I truly didn’t know my raw goods cost until I had to. Margins and factoring in every single piece of the packaging of the product, were things that I had to learn on the go.

Please tell us about Alitura Naturals.
Alitura started in my studio apartment and is now sold in 76 countries. It has been a quick 4 years since the start, and I don’t regret a moment of it. Alitura has a mission to provide the highest quality, most nutrient-dense skincare that we can. Through my most tragic experience, I was able to overcome despair and create a business out of pure passion. With well over 1200 reviews at an average 4.9/5.0 rating.

We have the best customers. At the beginning stages of Alitura, I had a very passionate, small base of supportive customers who helped me build the foundation and have been part of the growth of Alitura from day one. To give back to them and show my appreciation, I would keep them very included through social media and this mentality has sticked.

If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
As far as mistakes, signing up for a shipping company and getting a printer and scale is the biggest advice I have. It may seem like obvious advice, but for the first 2 years, I would actually hand-write thank you notes and to-and-from slips and wait in line at the local post office every single day to get the piles of orders out. I would highly recommend delegating those responsibilities as soon as you can afford to do so. As a business owner, it is not our best use of our time.

Contact Info:

• Address: 1155 N Brand Blvd #503
  Glendale, CA 91202 USA
• Website: https://alituranaturals.com
• Phone: 323.657.3515
• Email: andy@alituranaturals.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alituranaturals/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AlituraNaturals
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/alituranaturals

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