Today we’d like to introduce you to Vinnie Merrill.
Hi Vinnie, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I started Lucky Soul back in 2010. Crazy Story that’s too long to type, but the name Lucky Soul came to me in a dream. I was working on a new Lakers collection which seemed like the perfect opportunity to debut the new name. My whole mission was to create a brand that could inspire the mind, body, and soul. A symbol of hope to people who have a dream. On my entrepreneurial journey, I found that you need to have a good heart, have patience, be a little stubborn and most important have thick skin and know how to deal with people telling you NO or It’s Not a good fit or It’s Not the right time. You see that’s where the real work begins. You can choose to give up and walk away or you can pivot, work on a new approach, tweak your idea and follow up again with something better. It’s a rollercoaster ride. More lows than highs. But it’s worth it when you get those wins.
On this rollercoaster, I started off making apparel, which led to making CBD products, which led to SOULTOX, one of the healthiest and best-tasting recovery waters in the US. It’s a bold statement, but if you look at my health journey, this functional beverage helped me recover. Now I’m on a mission to help people hydrate better and recover quicker.
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?
It’s been anything but a smooth road. For most small black-owned business, we don’t have the resources to make dreams come to reality. Money is a big issue that we face. You can have the greatest idea in the world, but with no money to make it happen, it’s just an idea. The struggle comes trying to figure out how to make it happen and not lose yourself, family, and friends in the process.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I’ve always been creative at heart. Since I was a kid in elementary drawing Nike shoes…lol. It’s something special about making things from scratch and watching them grown into something amazing. I come up with ideas and concepts that inspire or help people in some way shape or form. I’ve talked a little bit about Soultox, but what really drives me is storytelling. I want to tell stories that inspire people’s souls. One thing I’m super proud of is I Co-Created and wrote new black superhero animated series that’s in development. It’s crazy to think I can create a whole new world with paper and a pen.
Can you share something surprising about yourself?
That I was in and out of the hospital for years with stomach problems and doctors didn’t know why. Scary times I was going through and kept to myself. It’s easy to solve problems for what you can see, but there’s nothing you can do when you can’t see the problem or when it comes on.
Pricing:
- SOULTOX 12PK: $29.99 sale Amazon
- SOULTOX:12PK: $29.99 sale Lucky Soul
- Muscle Crack Cryotherapy Gel: $19.99 sale Amazon
- Lucky Soul apparel: $29.99-$54.99
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.luckysoulusa.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/luckysoulusa
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/luckysoul
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/oneluckysoul
Image Credits:
Jeremy Pivens holding Soultox
