We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Vance Mcleod Jr a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Vance, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. 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 like this question because I feel like owning a business is an ever-evolving journey and reflection of self. My only idea was to do what I could to create a positive change in the world. Unfortunately, there is no clear business plan for that thought process, one that I believe many within my generation share. So, as many entrepreneurs might tell you to do, I tried everything. I failed many times, and still do to this day. It was only a combination of all these failures, the continuous living of life, and the faith of God that has brought me to this point of relative success. What you find in the process of trialing different business models and ideas, is that you gain lots of experience, very fast! You then, become the product! I have been able to connect the dots of so many life lessons, that I can now build most business models from zero to sales in the course of a week. What I do now, is a reflection of my desire to help others prevent mistakes, while making their businesses eco-friendly, more sustainable. The idea to help build an equitable world began as a teen, staring at the ceiling, knowing that my community needed help. The ability to articulate these thoughts didn’t form until years later, as a slightly older teen, in college. The capacity to build it into a viable business model didn’t become cohesive until my early 20’s. Thanks to many mentors, friends, and support groups I am now 26 going on 86 with the confidence of a seasoned professional, and an optimistically bittersweet burnout that proves my experience!

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I am now in the business of helping clients integrate sustainability into their brands after educating on the topic for the past few years. I was already on an entrepreneurship journey of my own when I learned about sustainability from my college professor. Having worked in management for local restaurants, later moving on to supply chain, studying macroeconomics, and my ventures in various business models, I was connecting a lot of dots. Acting on them with sustainability in mind gave me purpose.

Sustainability is a developing systems science, and many people are not aware of just how multifaceted it is. I support this work because I know that sustainable innovation can exist on a scale for everyone in some way shape or form. Essentially, I believe that even 1% of sustainable growth everyone will yield results and improvements for the planet that we are not even aware of. What sets me apart from others in the industry is that I can pull in perspectives from many industries due to my supply chain experience. I can identify hotspots in your value chain and provide you with solutions to problems and opportunities to increase your value streams. It takes a bit of digging and a lot of problem-solving, but to me, that’s the fun part!

I am most proud of the impacts that sustainable integrations have on individuals, businesses, and communities. Some benefits are apparent from day one, and some may not be until years down the road, but most business owners understand that it’s these types of changes that are chess moves rather than checkers. I want my clients that I work with, and any brands that I promote, to know that they are not alone. It may seem as if changes aren’t making progress initially, but many sustainable benefits have a way of presenting themselves in ways that are unexpected. However, once they are there, they might even become your favorite part of your operations!

How did you build your audience on social media?

Building an audience should be fun, and it should be authentic. It’s okay if it doesn’t happen overnight. It’s okay if you don’t have 10,000 or even 1,000 followers. Depending on your product or service, you might have more than enough not profit (by your standards of success) after 10 or even 100 clients. The most important thing is picking something that you feel you can be regular/consistent with. In the beginning, you won’t have access to a team, and that can be lonely, draining, and discouraging. The best method for growth before scaling, is to go out and share your passion in person. Focus on the social channels you can manage without burnout, and allow life to align you with your consumers. You have to leave room for fun and personality in your media. Balance is everything.

How’d you think through whether to sell directly on your own site or through a platform like Amazon, Etsy, Cratejoy, etc.

I have gone through the gambit of selling platforms and ultimately I believe the pros and cons all come down to budgets, operation goals, and WHAT IS INTUITIVE TO YOU. Most platforms nowadays compete with each other, so while I may personally enjoy selling digital products on Etsy, you’re product might be more optimal on Amazon. When it comes to physical products, you have to be even more aware of your supply and demand, and what platform is going to work with your scale. I encourage all business owners to take extra time to understand their numbers and be real about their fulfillment capabilities before signing up for one platform versus another. There is nothing wrong with trial and error, but more often than not, you can understand what works best for you with some thorough forethought and honesty. Don’t be concerned about going big for even the first year or two. Remember that your passion for your product or niche should be your main motivation before you focus on scaling for product. Otherwise, you will set yourself up for disappointment and burnout.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.sustainabilitybyvance.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sustainabilitybyvance/
• Twitter: https://x.com/_sbv4u
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzSibmiqg883GniMN8AuSUA