Today we’d like to introduce you to Dara Erck.
Hi Dara, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I’m a single mom of two teenage boys, Sam and Leo (haha, yup!), and I was helping Leo, my older boy, prepare for sleepaway camp for the first time. We went to a couple of stores to pick out some stuff for him – body wash, deodorant, shampoo, etc – and I was struck by how much nothing was on the shelf for teens that was clean and natural and wasn’t super gendered (pink girl stuff and blue boy stuff). I thought maybe it was just me, but when I asked a lot of my other mom and dad friends, I realized that nope, it wasn’t just me! As it turns out, there is basically nothing on the market that is a) natural, b) gender-inclusive, and 3) in anything approaching compostable packaging. So…I decided that this was a hole I wanted to try and fill.
We currently have a range of five gummy vitamins (sugar-free and vegan options are available, too) in a fully compostable pouch and are working on more products for Gen Z in the coming months. We are committed to creating clean and healthy wellness products, sourcing the highest-quality ingredients, using the most environmentally-friendly packaging possible, and truly listening to what Gen Z wants and needs to power their future.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Ha! Does anyone say yes to this question? It most certainly has not been smooth, but the bumps along the road are what have brought us to this point, and I learned so much from each one. Some of the initial struggles were, as you’d imagine, funding, messaging, building a Shopify website, and trying to enter a seemingly saturated market. However, figuring out which vitamin formulas to launch with, the packaging, the liability language for the packaging and those kinds of details were also a huge challenge. I found that there was a really interesting combination of macro and micro tasks that were sometimes difficult to navigate.
Doing everything on your own is its own challenge – and reward, of course! Especially during Covid even though I could work with people online, it was kind of hard to test out products, and it certainly wasn’t possible to be at farmer’s markets and such, which is where we get a lot of face-to-face time now. During Covid, supply chain and manufacturing issues were also huge and dealing with minimum orders (which for a small business are quite high) remains a challenge.
As a company that prides itself on the most environmentally-friendly packaging possible is great but, as you can imagine, it’s much more costly than sticking the gummies in a plastic jar so figuring out pricing and profit is always a bit of a tricky business
Lastly, getting onto the shelves in retail stores is difficult for any brand but aisles are still very gendered so there’s always a question for us: where does a product that doesn’t fit into a gendered world fit?
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about SAM+LEO?
SAM+LEO is the first gender-inclusive body care and product company-curated specifically for the needs of Gen Z and the upcoming Gen Alpha generation (those between 11-24 and those born since 2012). I’m most proud of being 100% woman-owned and am always humbled and excited at the unbelievably positive responses I get when I share our product with people. I don’t have any prior experience in this space and while I do have over two decades of experience in global health (which has certainly informed my approach to my business), it feels amazing to have everyone from the general consumer to buyers from major health and wellness brands compliment our formula, packaging, and above all the flavor and texture of our vitamins. Apart from the products themselves, we’re known for our inclusive messaging, which is really something that’s hitting home for parents of Gen Z and for Gen Z themselves. This generation – my boys’ generation – is interested in authenticity, sustainability, storytelling, and purpose, and our brand is based on all these things. Our products are free of extraneous ingredients and come in environmentally friendly packaging, meaning that as we’re supporting teen health, we’re also not adding to the unbelievable amount of non-compostable waste out there. That’s still something that’s fairly new in the market, and we’re super proud of that.
We’re also proud to see our team growing its presence across the country. We now have team members in Los Angeles and Colorado and are building partnerships in Los Angeles and all over the country to bring more awareness to the needs and priorities of Gen Z.
Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs or other resources you think our readers should check out?
“The Puberty Podcast” is LA-based and dishes out amazing advice for those of us parenting kids who are going through puberty. It’s a doctor and a mom who are friends, and I find their perspective really interesting as it combines scientific information and strategies with parenting strategies all in super humorous episodes. “Unlocking Us” by Brené Brown is also another one I rely on for inspiration and advice. The Oura Ring is a tool I use to keep my business and personal life in balance, making sure I get enough sleep and maintain my physical and mental health. I love that it’s dynamic, so it’s kind of like my inspiration to speed up if I’m well rested or slow down if I’m rundown.
It’s also really helpful to have a growing team which lends diverse voices, experiences, and perspectives to our brand and voice and shows our exciting growth.
Pricing:
- Our vitamin pouches retail for $24.99 for 60 gummies, and we’re working on some other products like a deodorant and foot wipes that have gotten some rave reviews.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://shopsamandleo.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shopsamandleo/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shopsamandleo
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/80295595/admin/feed/posts/
