Today we’d like to introduce you to Lani Tran.
Hi Lani, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Growing up in an Asian household, the only acceptable career paths were in the medical, law, or engineering industries. I struggled with finding my passion within these parameters, so I worked towards a law education while exploring other hobbies on the side. My entrepreneurial inspiration started at a young age – my dad would always tell me that I would never be as happy working for a corporation as I would owning my own company. At the time, he was in the engineering industry and was working toward owning his own business. Today, my dad is a published author with his own successful consulting firm and he has been my sounding board for my entrepreneurial endeavors. Following in his footsteps, I started my first business when I was 22.
It was a small business, making custom jewelry by hand and selling it on Etsy. I fell into it by accident, making 14k gold bracelets for friends while on my lunch break from reading depositions. Before I knew it, I was being reposted by influencers, gaining a following on Instagram, and getting $10k in orders daily. My passion for business started there. Since then, I’ve worked on concepts from ice cream stores to wellness events. Not every endeavor was a success, in fact, most were not. Each step of the way was a learning experience that has lead me to where I am today.
Today, I’ve co-founded a handful of small businesses, including a CBD seltzer brand called Redy, a sexual wellness brand named La Lune, and a workplace wellness brand called Fynne Wellspace. Although we are far from reaching our goals, my partners and I are able to draw from a collective wealth of experience (and failures) to try and bring the most authentic and value-driven products or services to market. We are still small and finding our way, but growing these brands have been some of the most fulfilling experiences in my life.
Owning multiple companies takes a lot of time, grit, and work, but it’s something I’m more than willing to give because I’m truly passionate about bringing to life concepts that contribute something positive to the world. Instead of sticking to a 40-hour corporate work week, I work 100 hours a week so that I can have the freedom to express myself creatively while building something meaningful. As it turns out, my dad was right owning my own companies have been much more fulfilling than any corporate job I’ve ever had.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It has not been a smooth road. Making the decision to turn away from a family-approved career path was one of the scariest I’ve ever faced. It was walking away from everything I was conditioned to believe would lead to a successful and happy life. This decision was something I struggled with for a long time because the mere thought of it brought feelings of guilt and shame for letting my family down. There wasn’t one defining moment that lead me to make that decision. It was a series of small occurrences that helped me realize that I naturally gravitated away from my day job and towards my small businesses, whether it was a milestone achievement or an obstacle to solve.
Personal feelings aside, my partners and I faced consistent challenges from being small minority-owned businesses. I’ve found that such is normal for small businesses trying to grow and compete. For example, promoting sexual wellness products for La Lune Vibes can be difficult to do without a big budget to work with well-known influencers. With Fynne Wellspace, we face issues with finding the right partnerships as a small business in the growing wellness space.
I can provide a more specific example of the trials and tribulations a small business may face. Redy, our CBD seltzer brand, was sold out for a year due to production issues. Because we could not order 200,000+ units (our order was MUCH smaller) for our next production run, our co-packing partner kept putting us on the back burner. We spent the better part of a year searching for a new co-packing partner, with many companies turning us down or ignoring us for being too small. There were times we considered throwing in the towel, but strong customer feedback and our love for our company kept us going. We finally found a new co-packer and were forced to reformulate and source new ingredient suppliers, which took another handful of months to accomplish. In the end, we were rewarded for our perseverance because we ended up with higher quality ingredients, a better taste, and the ability to lower our pricing because of our new co-packing partner.
These examples are just some of the many struggles we’ve faced along the way. I believe that the hardest part of running a business is the simple willpower to keep going and the desire to solve all the problems that come along the way. The struggles are what make the outcomes worthwhile. Having a productive mindset has been key to our ability to overcome any failures and challenges.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Redy, Fynne Wellspace, and La Lune?
I try to focus my efforts on concepts that encompass well-being or do some good in the world. The three brands I’ve talked about so far in this interview are Redy – a CBD-infused seltzer, La Lune – a sexual wellness brand, and Fynne Wellspace – a brand focused on cultivating well-being at work.
Redy is a premium infused seltzer brand that offers restoration for the mind, body, and mood. With 20mg of CBD for relaxation, B12 for energy, 100% DV of Vitamin A & C, electrolytes, and only 25 calories, it’s the perfect addition to any wellness routine. This blend of ingredients lends an experience unique to other beverages on the market. Redy comes in 3 flavors and is sold in variety packs of 6 or 12. (www.drinkredy.com)
La Lune is a sexual wellness brand that curates a wide array of sex toys, accessories, and games and puts them into one space. We believe that happiness and well-being is holistic and should include everything from mental to physical, emotional, and sexual wellness. In addition to curating a premium selection, we provide in research on how to choose the best toy for her, for him, or for them. Our brand supports inclusivity and endeavors to destigmatize the conversation around sexual wellness through our content. (www.lalunevibes.com)
Fynne Wellspace is a company dedicated to cultivating well-being at work through workshops, events, and conversations. Our methods focus on simple, science-backed habits and techniques that can easily be incorporated into your work and life to create more resilience, productivity, and balance. Our events are fun, engaging, impactful, and offer you actionable techniques, a like-minded community, and helpful goodies to get you on your path to a balanced work/life lifestyle. (fynnecollective.com)
What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
Since the pandemic, we’ve seen a shift in the way people treat their physical, mental, and emotional well-being. I believe this focus on living healthier, more balanced lives will only continue to grow. As it grows, we’ll explore new ways to be well and dig deeper into the science of being happy. Through my brand missions, I hope to be part of this shift and contribute to this mindset of growth.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: littledistractions
