Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in health and wellness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Jenna Coles, co-founder of Healthful Plus, located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Healthful Plus is driven by a small volunteer team passionate about donating Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) care packages to marginalized communities and essential workers across North America. We recently ran a GoFundMe to raise even more funds to help people in need and continue to donate face shields and face masks to charities, shelters, and volunteer groups in need of assistance.
Tell us about yourself
I’m a 27-year-old Australian Product Designer that moved to Canada 6 months before the pandemic hit. From a young age, my family always encouraged creativity and entrepreneurship. At the age of 6, I enthusiastically sold my ‘artwork’ to neighbours outside my family home for a steep $2/piece. By the time I was a teenager, I was lugging around my handmade jewelry and DIY cross-stitching kits in a shoebox to sell to friends, family, and teachers.
In March 2020, I watched so many of my friends struggle financially after losing their jobs or businesses and knew I had to step out of my comfort zone to help somehow.
That same year I quit a job I loved as a full-time App Designer to dedicate all my time and energy to launching Healthful Plus. There was so much I didn’t know, and that was part of the excitement! I was no longer just a designer; I was an operations/procurement manager, sales rep, social media and marketing manager, team leader, and business planner.
Learning all these new things, like how to source and donate quality PPE while there were massive shortages, was very rewarding and motivating - especially when we were able to see the direct impact of our cause during such a challenging time for many.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
Definitely hitting the milestone of donating over 12,000 PPE items! Reading all the genuine thank you emails, google reviews, and DMs on Instagram and Facebook has made everything worthwhile.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
Having to/knowing when to step away. Unfortunately, I’ve had a recent personal event prevent me from continuing my involvement as a co-founder of Healthful Plus, but I’m so grateful for the volunteers that will continue to keep things moving forward without me.
I am very proud of what I’ve been able to contribute and accomplish with Healthful Plus. I know that this definitely isn’t the end of my entrepreneurial journey. When I’m ready, I can definitely see myself pursuing another venture with just as much passion and even more knowledge after what I’ve learnt during my time building Healthful Plus.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Don’t keep saying ‘I’ll start tomorrow’ - that’s why side hustles exist! If you work 9-5, spend your evenings and/or weekends working on the passion project until one day you find yourself in a position to make it your full-time gig.
- Try to surround yourself with people you truly know and trust. Starting any business is a big risk, especially when you’re investing a lot of your personal time and money.
- Don’t be afraid to ask for help - some of the best free resources are region-specific Facebook groups for female entrepreneurs, start-up owners, etc.
Is there anything else you'd like to share?
If you’re an essential worker in Canada or the US in need of free PPE, you can fill out our donation registration form here (while supplies last):
https://healthful-plus.com/shop/personal-protective-equipment/free-ppe-canada-apply/
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://healthful-plus.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/healthfulplus/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennacoles/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
Feel inspired to start, run or grow your own subscription business? Check out subkit.com and learn how you can turn "one day" into day one.