We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Lorena Sloss a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Lorena , appreciate you joining us today. Are you happier as a business owner? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job?
The thought of having a regular job instead of dealing with the multiple headaches that come hand in hand with being a small business owner happens way too often. These thoughts usually come when I feel overwhelmed by the amount of energy and time Innerbloom requires of me, or when I am facing a challenge or struggling to stay on track. Although Innebloom is a small business, it is a big task to maintain it fully operational. It goes deeper than being open and ready to serve the community. It takes complete mental focus and time to prepare for the week, the month. As a small business owner, I am in charge of marketing, social media, customer relations, financials, inventory, and supplies. The list of to-do things is endless, but the prime aspect of being a small business owner is keeping the business from going “out of business.” For instance, this summer was insanely slow, with little or no traffic. Despite this summer’s business challenges, I managed to keep Innerbloom striving. I, Lorena Sloss, am happier now as a small business owner than when I was working a regular job. I realized the deeper I got into my career, the longer the hours and the bigger the tasks. Working long hours and devoting my time and energy to a big corporate company instead of investing in myself became a dreadful routine. A vicious cycle! For this reason, I created Innerbloom, from idea to execution! I created every single aspect of my company with love and passion for what my brand represents. To me, Innerbloom represents health, beauty, and wellness coming from within. I take pride in my business name, my logo, and most of all the Innerbloom Menu. All of my recipes were perfectly crafted to make every recipe perfectly nutritious and delicious.
Lorena , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
Hi, I am Lorena Sloss, founder of Innerbloom Nutrition. I hold a BS in Biology with a concentration in Health Education and Nutrition. My menu was created by me, and all recipes are inspired by my Biological and Botanical knowledge and background.
Upon moving to the area I quickly realized there were no true protein smoothies spots. The constant craving for a delicious protein smoothie turned into a desire to fix my problem. I then decided to bring that tradition over from my home town where having a protein smoothie after an intense workout, as a meal replacement, or just as a healthy snack was a must. An exclusive protein smoothie spot! Innerbloom Nutrition provides a healthy and delicious protein experience far from your ordinary juice/smoothie bars/herbal life. Our mission is to serve and satisfy every individual searching to get their protein fix on- the go. Innerbloom contributes to making our community a healthier community with every protein smoothie! Innerbloom serves convenient and mobile fast fuel for any individual looking to get their protein/health fix. Innerbloom also serves Açaí/smoothie Bowls, Wellness Shots, Organic/Fresh Juices, and Healthy Snacks.
Innerbloom symbolizes health, wellness, and beauty from within. Each recipe is crafted with that in mind. Our products are packed with beneficial and tasty fuel for anyone craving something healthy and delicious. We provide alternative options for consumers who are on restricted diets (plant-based protein, soy protein, and isolated whey protein.) We also offer alternative options in regards to fruit preference by offering fresh fruit or fresh fruit purees. Consumers will have the option to Add on supplements such as FIBER, COLLAGEN, LOTUS POLLEN, PASSION FLOWER, FAT-BURNER, BCAA, L-GLUTAMINE, SPIRULINA, JOINT FORMULA, MULTI-VITAMIN, B-12, and ECT.
Can you open up about how you funded your business?
Savings, savings, and more savings! I was working multiple jobs and saving that money for over 2 years. This was the route I had to take as I was denied a business loan due to my business being a start-up. That was a whole struggle on its own, which made giving up a much easier option. This was my idea, Innerbloom was my creation, sharing the credit with soemone else was never an option. I hate owing peole money so once I saved up enough capital Innerbloom was launched.
Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?
I’m 35, almost 36, lets’s say social media is not something I am great at, which in this day and age is very detrimental. However, I really enjoy photography, although an amateur photographer, I manage to do most of Innerbloom’s photography. I think I have built a pretty good audience. I am often contacted by other businesses who want to collab with Innerbloom. I believe my photos attract the right audience and can potentially help my audience grow. My advice to people like me who are not great at social media, don’t give up, keep posting, keep researching and stay updated with all the new trends. I recently got into Tik Tok!!!
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/innerbloomnutrition/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Innerbloom-Nutrition-102302608719210
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lorena-sloss-bs-mha-6685b9125/
Image Credits
Lorena Sloss