We were lucky to catch up with Neda Faraji recently and have shared our conversation below.

Neda, appreciate you joining us today. What was it like going from idea to execution? Can you share some of the backstory and some of the major steps or milestones?

I actually never intended to make bone broth into a business. During the pandemic, making homemade bone broth was just something I was sharing on instagram and facebook. I couldn’t find any pure, authentic bone broth on the market. Everything was sold on an unrefrigerated shelf, which means it’s been altered from its original form to stay shelf stable (bone broth should always be refrigerated or frozen).

Everything tasted gross and had extremely high salt content. After being unsatisfied with the lack of options, I decided to take matters into my own hands and research how to make bone broth. After many failed attempts, I researched some more. After more failed attempts, I finally got it down! It’s a long, meticulous process and I can now see why there are a lack of authentic options. Time and money.

Identifying an ethical source for the bones, blanching the bones (detoxifying them), and preparing to make them the bone broth is about a 24 hour process. When I was sharing all this on facebook and instagram, people started to reach out and asked if they could buy it from me. Buy it? That caught me off guard. I didn’t know the first thing about food products or the industry. Nonetheless, I began to sell it anyway. Then there was a higher demand for it. And I started to get scared. I didn’t have food permits, a legal business, a website, labels, food safety certifications, etc.. It was all so overwhelming and I was terrified. We are very fortunate in this day and age to have google, youtube, and all the information at a click of a button, I really didn’t any excuse for not being able to figure it out.

I also felt major imposture syndrome, if I’m being honest. I had no experience. Then I remembered, that God doesn’t always call the qualified. He qualifies the called. I didn’t need for things to be perfect or have years of experience in order to launch. I was going to launch and adjust. It never has to be perfect, I think perfect is a cop out. I think “perfect” stands in our way of executing. Launch where you are. I like to think of one of the laws of physics when it comes to this principal. An object at rest remains at rest, and an object in motion remains in motion at constant speed and in a straight line. It’s through execution where you learn to make it better. If nothing is in motion, nothing can progress.

To this day, I’m still figuring it out, and I think every business owner will tell you the same thing. You don’t really reach this “final destination”. It’s always a work of improvement and how you can better your product. Listening to your customers for feedback is probably one of the smartest things you can do to take your product to the next level.

What’s been the best source of new clients for you?

PR, I would do as much as you can to be published in any media outlet that will take write about you. It helps you get your name out across multiple platforms and helps with SEO backlinks.

Any thoughts, advice, or strategies you can share for fostering brand loyalty?

Absolutely! It’s so important. Your customers aren’t just buying into your brand, but the meaning that YOU bring to your brand. I do e-mail campaigns that provide useful information and follow most of my customers on instagram and facebook. Engaging with their content is important.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.ossumbroth.com
• Instagram: @ossumbonebroth
• Facebook: @ossumbronebroth

Image Credits
Kimberly Motos