4 Hard Lessons I Learned Building a Brand (That Can Save You Time and Money)
I Could Have Built My Business Faster—Here’s What I’d Do Differently
After 12 years of building my brand from scratch, I’ve learned a lot—mostly the hard way.
Today, my products are in over 10,000 stores nationwide.
We’ve got 20+ items in Whole Foods and Sprouts.
We’ve built an 8-figure Amazon business, growing fast.
And we’ve already maxed out production capacity for 2025.
But here’s the truth: I could have gotten here faster if I had avoided some big mistakes early on.
If you’re just starting your entrepreneurial journey, here are 4 things I wish someone had told me when I started out. These are the mistakes that slowed me down—and the ones you can avoid to move faster and smarter.
1️⃣ Don’t Expand Product Lines Too Early
In the first few years, I launched 15 different products.
I thought more products meant more growth. Wrong.
Here’s what actually happened:
Velocity dropped.
Cash burned faster.
Inventory became a nightmare to manage.
The smarter move? Focus on 3-4 core products.
Make them better before you make more.
Refine, improve, and increase distribution on those key products before thinking about launching new ones.
In the early days, discipline is more valuable than creativity when it comes to product launches.
2️⃣ Don’t Jump Categories Too Soon
In Year 3, we expanded outside our core category.
We pulled it off, but here’s the thing:
Jumping into a new category is like building a second brand.
Unless you’re ready to:
Raise boatloads of cash
Have more sleepless nights
Manage twice the complexity
…don’t do it.
Focus on dominating your category before moving into new territory.
3️⃣ Don’t Ignore E-Commerce and Amazon
Here’s one of my biggest regrets: I ignored Amazon for 7 years.
Why?
I thought Amazon wasn’t the right fit for our products. I thought e-commerce was a distraction from retail.
That was a rookie mistake—and it cost us years of growth.
Today, we have an 8-figure Amazon business, and it’s one of the fastest-growing parts of our company.
If you’re building a brand in 2024, e-commerce should be a core focus from Day 1.
Amazon is a massive opportunity for exposure and sales—don’t leave it on the table.
4️⃣ Don’t Stay Silent as a Founder
Every brand is a media brand now.
People want to hear your story. They want to know the person behind the brand.
I spent years staying behind the scenes, focusing on the business. But when I started telling our story and sharing real, authentic content, everything changed.
Today, I get hundreds of thousands of impressions per week from my LinkedIn posts. And that visibility has led to new customers, new partnerships, and new opportunities.
If you’re a founder, step out of the shadows.
Tell your story. It will pay massive dividends over time.
Final Thoughts: What I’d Tell Any New Entrepreneur
Starting a brand is hard. Growing it is even harder.
But if you avoid these early mistakes, you’ll get to your goals faster:
✅ Crush your core products.
✅ Stay disciplined.
✅ Tell your story.
And remember: building a brand is a marathon, not a sprint.
There’s no overnight success. But if you focus on the fundamentals, you’ll build something that lasts.
So, what’s your biggest challenge right now?
Drop a comment or send me a message—I’d love to help.
