Today we’d like to introduce you to Mark Malinsky.
Mark, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
For as long as I can remember I’ve had a strong interest in business and a desire to build something amazing. It’s hard to pinpoint now what really set me on this path, perhaps it was my grandpa who immigrated to the states to start his own company or my parents who worked odd jobs just to get by. I’ve always liked to work and have done random jobs like washing small airplanes or yard work in the unrelenting hot Florida summers, filing papers for weeks on end or cleaning out cars from crashes kept for evidence in a likely haunted warehouse.
As a teenager, I knew for sure I wanted to be the one who owns a warehouse, so I was going to need to create something on my own – I just had no idea what that would be. Fortunately, my mom raised my brother and I with a deep understanding of the importance of eating consciously (way before it was trendy). It was completely natural that my passion for entrepreneurship and belief in healthy living would come together.
I started by building a website and selling supplements online. I handled all the inventory ordering, website/shop maintenance, accounting, customer support and literally packed orders in my college apartment and carried them in big garbage bags to the post office. I was a regular there. The flexibility this work provided was perfect for a busy school schedule, but more importantly, I had the opportunity to apply many of the elements I was learning in my business classes.
This little venture always felt to me like a stepping stone to something bigger, and after a few years of daily garbage bag trips, the time had come. I removed all but a couple top sellers to buy some much needed time to think about what was next. I knew I wanted to get away from traditional supplements and go into the more functional whole foods space. I’ve always been active in playing sports and working out but quickly realized that the only option for a protein drink was loaded with crap and dairy. It was clear that we could fill that void with a line of pure, organic and plant-based protein powders – Epic Protein.
What started as an idea has organically grown into a small business over the last several years. An idea is just an idea without execution, which is something I learned much later than I had hoped. We now have a small, but incredibly dedicated and passionate team, striving to make things people consume better and healthier. We’re constantly refining our formulas with the discovery of new ingredients and unique combinations, and adding to our family of products.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
No single day is smooth, and if some seem to be relatively relaxed, I suspect we’re doing something wrong. The day-to-day grind is normal, and it is really the most fundamental part of setting the company up for success. But down that bumpy road, we’ve also hit some major potholes and almost blew out the tires along the way. We’ve had two instances where manufacturers have gone out of business on us – locked up inventory, production standstill, and all the other paralyzing associated fallout.
These two experiences have been extremely tolling on me, both physically and mentally. The ripple effect of something like this grows over months with stock issues and angry customers, as well as straight-up torpedoes team morale. But I wouldn’t be writing this if we didn’t make it through and thrive since. Countless valuable lessons came from these experiences and there are another half dozen that we learn on a weekly basis.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Sprout Living story. Tell us more about the business.
Our company makes amazing plant-based products with thoughtful formulations from the cleanest organic ingredients. Our focus from the beginning has been in active nutrition, and we’re slowly expanding into more functional foods and snacks geared towards everyone. Our main product line is Epic Protein, which is a multi-source, superfood based plant protein.
What we’re known for and what we’re most proud of is the same thing – products with quality as the priority over everything else. A lot of companies in our space go for healthy and clean, but I think we’re several steps ahead of everyone. We avoid commonly used additives, gums and “flavoring” blends – we just use whole food ingredients. If it’s grown, we’ll use it; if it’s made, we won’t.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
I think most things that people might consider luck are a combination of good timing (maybe this luck?) and action. I’d describe luck as something completely out of one’s control. For example, I’m lucky my parents did everything they could to immigrate to the US so we could have a better life.
I’m lucky to have an amazing older brother who is a role model in business and creativity. I had nothing to do with these incredibly meaningful elements of my life. Beyond that, I’ve been fortunate to have several opportunities, and in a few random instances, I’ve realized the importance of those opportunities and turned to action.
Pricing:
- $29.95 for Epic Protein (16 oz) – multi-source, superfood-based plant protein
- $4.95 for Drinkable Oats (49 g) – whole grain, multi-vitamin, drinkable oatmeal
- $29.95 for Pumpkin Seed Protein – single ingredient, cold-pressed plant protein
- $19.95 for FD Sprout Mixes – freeze dried sprout powder blends
Contact Info:
- Website: www.SproutLiving.com
- Phone: 1.888.633.5984
- Email: care@sproutliving.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sproutliving/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sproutliving
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/sproutliving
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