Q 1. Kindly give our readers an introduction to your business. Please include what your business is all about, in which city you are located and if you have offices in multiple locations/ cities.
Ans: Chill Frog CBD is on a mission to bring a little bit of chill to a stressed out world. We offer premium, organic, Full-Spectrum CBD products. We deliver from our pond directly to your pad, skipping the middle-man, so our customers get a great value. We bring clarity to a confusing CBD world with a simple, customer benefit driven, product lineup. We are also fun & approachable in our communication with our little frog! 🐸
Q 2. Kindly give us a brief description about yourself (it should include your brief educational or entrepreneurial background and list some of your major achievements).
Ans: My background is in marketing and product development in a wide range of industries from financial to sporting goods. I have an MBA from the University of Michigan. I have also provided business development consulting companies ranging from startup to over $500M in Revenue.
Q 3. What inspired you to (start a new business venture) or (to make significant changes in an existing business)? How did the idea for your business come about?
Ans: I have enjoyed the benefits of CBD and felt Full-Spectrum was underserved in the market. I also believe there is room to be very approachable and straight forward with customers. This industry gets a bit flush with hard to understand jargon in an effort to sound overly “clinical.” While I understand the need to convey quality & expertise, I think it can be done in a more friendly, approachable way.
Q 4. What three pieces of advice would you give to budding entrepreneurs?
Ans: 1) Expect to spend more money than you initial plan 2) Know your head size because you will wear a lot of hats 3) Seek out advice and feedback – even at the expense of your ego.
Q 5. What would you say are the top three skills needed to be a successful entrepreneur?
Ans: 1) Independent spirit that isn’t afraid to ask for advice 2) Being ok NOT knowing how to do something and seeking out help 3) Not being afraid to figure things out that you are capable of doing (and have the bandwidth to do)
Q 6. How many hours do you work a day on average?
Ans: Between 8-12. It varies. There is a freedom with entrepreneurship. I push it when necessary, but take time to enjoy life when I can as well.
Q 7. To what do you most attribute your success?
Ans: Curiosity. Asking insightful questions has served me well throughout my entire career. It’s how you uncover hidden needs and wants.
Q 8. How do you go about marketing your business? What has been your most successful form of marketing?
Ans: It depends upon the stage the business is in. We’re a startup so it’s been leveraging networks, reaching out to bloggers & influencers, SEO, and digital advertising to gain awareness.
Q 9. Where did your organizations funding/capital come from and how did you go about getting it? How did you obtain investors for your venture?
Ans: This has been a 100% “bootstrapped” startup to date, which is exactly what I wanted. I spent a couple decades answering to other investors be they shareholders, the market, or private equity ownership. There is a freedom (and a bit of anxiety!) in answering to yourself. The downside is I believe scale will build a bit slower without outside investment.
Q 10. What is the best way to achieve long-term success?
Ans: Keep moving forward and be adaptable and willing to change quickly as the market needs.
Q 11. Where you see yourself and your business in 5 – 10 years?
Ans: I’m planning for major growth and to be considered a genuine player in the health & wellness space, possibly beyond CBD products.
Q 12. Excluding yours, what company or business do you admire the most?
Ans: Under Armour. They carved out an aggressive positioning in a category most would have considered saturated.
Q 13. How important have good employees been to your success?
Ans: Having talented people I trust working with me has defined the best stages of my career. Many have gone on to do better things than I ever will and that fills me with joy!
Q 14. How long do you stick with an idea before giving up?
Ans: When the market is not perceptive to an idea, sometimes you need to finesse it a bit and look at it from another angle or two. Maybe there is something in the execution that isn’t quite right yet. That said, I’ve learned when it’s time to move on to something else quickly as well.
Q 15. What motivates you?
Ans: Ideas & creativity!
Q 16. What are your ideals?
Ans: Honesty and treating others the way I want to be treated.
Q 17. How do you generate new ideas?
Ans: Brainstorming sessions…looking for “problems” and figuring out how to solve them. Find the ideal end-state, and work my way back.
Q 18. How do you define success?
Ans: A happy family. That’s it
Q 19. How do you build a successful customer base?
Ans: Superior & responsive customer service combined with a product that keeps them coming back.
Q 20. What is your favorite aspect of being an entrepreneur?
Ans: The freedom & control it provides. If it doesn’t go well, I can only blame myself and vice versa.
Q 21. What has been your most satisfying moment in business?
Ans: Bringing a nearly dead brand back to life in the sporting goods industry.
Q 22. What do you feel is the major difference between entrepreneurs and those who work for someone else?
Ans: I don’t think there is a huge difference. Often, it’s just a matter of timing. For me, now was the right time to take the leap.
Q 23. What kind of culture exists in your organization? How did you establish this tone and why did you institute this particular type of culture?
Ans: Fun, friendly, hard-working, and brutally honest. We thought of some of the bad cultures we’ve been stuck in before, and went the opposite way! Actually, it’s just who we are. It’s important to surround yourself culturally with like-minded people. 9
Q 24. In one word, characterize your life as an entrepreneur.
Ans: Hopeful
Company Detail:
Company : Chill Frog, LLC
Contact : Paul English
Address : 197 Woodland Pkwy, Suite 104
City : San Marcos
State : CA
Zip : 92069
Phone : 866-245-3764
Email : support@chillfrogcbd.com
