Holi Scoops with Co-Founders, Camille Lasker and Jenna Grossbart feature 86 of Together Talks

"Together Talks" feature 86: Holi Scoops presented by KLS, freight company

Some Background on Holi Scoops

Today's edition of "Together Talks" campaign, KLS had the privilege to interview Co-Founders, Camille Lasker and Jenna Grossbart, of Holi Scoops. A plant based frozen dessert that promises more nutrition, more function, and more indulgence. After various health setbacks, both knew the way they consumed food had to change. Everywhere they looked, they found sweets focused on minimizing - less calories, less fat, less guilt - which meant less flavor and way less satisfaction.

The question arose: How do we bring more to our freezers without settling for less?

They set out to create a product that was better than "better for you," never sacrificing flavor. And after years of continuous formulation, they made something Holi.

They created Holi Scoops with a mission to feed our body and soul mindfully, using healing adaptogen plants and nutrient dense ingredients to prioritize health, while never skimping on indulgence.

So join Holi Scoops in taking a small scoop toward mindful, holistic living.

3 year formulation

While Holi Scoops formally launched in August 2021, it was years in the making. Camille and Jenna shared with us that in total it was over three years of preparation prior to launching. The biggest portion of that was the formulation of the product itself. Surprisingly it started with Camille making adaptogenic energy balls in her kitchen. That was her first foray into the food space. Both admitted that around this time Halo Top was making a big push into being widely accepted. The Co-Founders of Holi Scoops took notice of this traction. Eating ice cream almost nightly, they realized there was an opportunity to do it differently and in a better way.

With the "better for you" approach becoming more mainstream, Camille and Jenna sought out to truly innovate in the space. Their desire for ice cream would be their avenue into the space. "We were obsessed with ice cream and our passion to fix the problem with this product was too good of an opportunity for us to pass up.", Camille explained.

Ice Cream!

Entering the CPG space with no prior experience proved to be a challenge, but their optimism would ultimately lead them. The three years prior to launch they watched, researched, and gathered as much info as they could on brands and consumers. Camille and Jenna came to two realizations, "In order to be 'better for you' something had to be sacrificed, whether it was less fat, less sugar, etc. and in order to achieve those claims the quality and flavor was significantly impacted. With that they knew their entry into the market would cater to both issues.

Holi Scoops is dairy-free, plant based, and low in sugar. They believe they are truly unique and one-of-a-kind in this space. In addition to boasting those qualities, they also use adaptogenic ingredients which means their ice cream is infused with healing mushrooms and herbs which not only makes it truly better for you, but functional at the same time. Bringing transparency to their products via their ingredients was imperative when creating their company. Jenna explained the benefits of their product while tackling what the industry was lacking, " The mouth-feel experience wasn't there with similar products to ours. It would often taste chalky, it didn't feel or taste like ice cream. We were able to produce a product that is dairy-free, plant based, low in sugar, that feels and tastes like real ice cream."

Brand and Recognition

While the benefits of the product are very apparent, the duo had to get the word out about it to garner traction. Building hype around this innovative brand was another challenge for the company. Bringing a fresh, new, fun brand to the industry was their goal. They tried to achieve this with the bold colors, the imagery, the name, but also the feeling they hoped to communicate when seeing the brand and then trying it.

Camille and Jenna discussed with us on how they try to remember to step back and reflect when celebrating wins. Often times it is difficult to remove themselves from the day to day operations to acknowledge the growth or achieving a goal. They both mentioned how vital it is that they have each other, being able to rely on and celebrate with each other brings a true balance to the Holi Scoops equation. Jenna also mentioned that during their time running the company they have learned the lesson of staying in their own lane, "We have found it is important to focus on ourselves and not others. It can be easy to get caught up in what other companies are doing or achieving, but it is just a distraction. We have our company to worry about and invest that energy into where we want to go next."

Camille told us that people just need to try the product. Kids love the product and it comes with the easiest sales pitch in history, "You can have it for breakfast! But seriously, because it is low sugar and functional you can eat it at any point in the day for any meal." Who else can provide that? She shared an even more impressive fact with us, an entire pint of Holi Scoops ice cream has less sugar than half an apple.

We will wait while you read that again...

The duo said they anticipate big things for the upcoming year. While most of it needs to be kept under wraps their one big secret is that a new product will be launched and the release date will be at Expo West. Stay tuned to see what Holi Scoops is whipping up!

Challenges

Jenna and Camille explained that the one aspect they didn't fully grasp was the challenges that surround making, storing, and selling a frozen product. Fortunately they both said their passion for the product and the benefits they can provide to consumers allowed them to navigate the difficult learning curve. Another challenge was getting noticed in the space enough to get shelf space. Camille explained how difficult it is for a new brand, but how they adapted, "We don't have the millions that these large companies can spend on marketing. We have had to be resourceful and scrappy. Without the funding it creates additional obstacles for us, but we have put a premium focus on getting the word out organically and building that following to grow out brand."

Both Co-Founders acknowledged how supportive other individuals and companies can be in the CPG space. Initially in their journey they said they would try to lean on guidance of those who had experience and were grateful for the help the received. As they have grown and elevated to new levels, their demands have also changed. While they still try to network and find new connections in the space, the role has changed slightly where now they can provide help and guidance to others in the CPG space. Both commented how unique it is for individuals within an industry willing to help others.

We asked both Camille and Jenna about fears they had when starting Holi Scoops. Camille took us through the moment where they decided to act and move forward, "It was pre-launch, but I was in business school at UCLA Anderson and the head of the accelerator program asked me, 'When are you going to rip the band aid off?' We were so nervous and felt we needed more time and more pop-ups, but ultimately she was right. We couldn't be afraid of failing. We needed to give ourselves a shot, take a leap, and see what happened." She commented how it is scary, scary to make that leap and start something new, but until you start you won't know what you're capable of. And as time passes it gets easier if you continue.

We discussed a goal they achieved and how it made them feel and surprisingly it happened two months after they launched. Thats right two months after Holi Scoops was live they got into Sprouts. Getting accepted should have provided a joyful reaction considering it was one of their dream retailers, however they both said it was more of a panicked state. Jenna explained, "For a moment or two when we got the news we were appreciative and accepted the good news, but it just hit us like we have so much to do now. Looking back and reflecting on that moment has really shown how much we have grown. We got an opportunity and we succeeded with it." Back to ripping off that band aid, don't know what you possess until you bet on yourself.

Their journeys

Being the Co-Founders requires an incredible amount of work and getting lost in the sea of daily duties can make it a struggle to appreciate the victories. Camille and Jenna both stated they struggle with acknowledging it on their own. Both are focused on continuing to build and grow Holi Scoops. But they did credit receiving feedback is always validating and reminds them of the impact they sought out to create. They described it as "the goal post keeps moving", always on to the next thing, a true entrepreneurs' mindset. Jenna said it is important that they understood to dial in their focus during these opportunities and realize where energy needs to be directed. She said this can be a very hard practice, but achieving that balance is optimal.

In terms of the aspect of running a business they appreciate most it was the ability to control their destiny. For Camille, chasing her own dream resonates with her. The ability to make choices and decisions to reach the heights she hopes to reach rather than building someone for someone else is truly special. And for Jenna, the fact that nothing is off limits. She loves the creative aspect that she can continue to imagine new ways of doing things and not held back because she is the Co-Founder.

When we asked the duo about a moment that brings them the most joy they provided a really unique answer. "We had recently just got rejected on a new account. It was humbling. We were hoping to get into it, but we failed. We took this experience as an opportunity to step back and evaluate our company and ourselves. We took the time to revisit a lot of things. While it was a no now, we don't view it as a no forever. Instead we believe it is a sign from the universe that it isn't the right time. Something in this equation isn't ready, so although this isn't our moment, our moment will come."

They continued, "We took this humbling experience as a chance to reset. It almost lit a fire under us and said ok time to step up. We did a lot of self reflection on how we can improve from this opportunity to be better prepared for our next shot." They said while being eager to improve, it is important to remain patient. Understanding it isn't a race to the top, they want to appreciate the experience, good and bad. It is why it is so incredible that their moment they reflect on with appreciation is a moment of rejection.

Camille and Jenna discussed what they envision for the future with us, while they ultimately would love the fairy-tale exit, for them it is about following the process. They aren't envisioning steps and steps ahead, but rather what is the next step for them and how can they conquer it to the best of their abilities. They summed it up incredibly well, "There have been conversations where we thought we would move forward and ultimately didn't. It is a constant reminder that it wasn't the right fit for us. We want to be aligned every step of the way. We trust that all of the "no" we receive are leading us to the most aligned opportunities. Trusting the next right thing will be aligned, and leading us to the most aligned yes."

Piece of advice

The conversation with Camille and Jenna ended with each sharing their piece of advice.

Camille - " My two big ones are patience and resilience. You're going to have so many ups and downs and everything. I've learned to take a hit now and be like, okay, it's okay.

It's not going to ruin my company's life. You will survive and then resilience plays into that too, where you can continue no matter what the obstacle is. There's no obstacle that's too great. We're just like, we'll figure it out. So one way or the other, if we can't figure, who can we call that we'll know the answer. We believe we're very resourceful."

Jenna - " Everything can be figured out. Like Camille said, being resourceful, finding a way. But also I think it is critical to be present to what is. Being in the moment and understanding what you're doing, why you're doing it, and are you truly taking anything from the experience. How can we be present and learn and continue to grow from everything we encounter."

In Closing

KLS wants to thank Holi Scoops and Co-Founders, Camille Lasker and Jenna Grossbart, for today's "Together Talks" feature. Follow along for the Holi Scoops journey with their social handles below!

Instagram / LinkedIn / Facebook / TikTok

Klimson Logistics Solutions - Together Talks with Holi Scoops feature 86