John Occhipinti | NatureBox
JOHN OCCHIPINTI
CEO & Chairman of NatureBox, and Managing Partner & Co-Founder of Wheelhouse Partners. NatureBox is an online delivery service that home-delivers all-natural snack foods to their consumers on a monthly basis.
What Is NatureBox?
Naturebox is a healthy direct-to-consumer ecommerce and corporate snacking company. We have served over 7 million snackboxes to consumers and companies since 2012. We carry over 60 snacks in our line up, including the largest and most diverse collection of adaptogenic (wellness) snacks in the industry.
What Is Your Background? What Led You To Starting Your Own Company, And How Did You Choose This Space?
I grew up in Silicon Valley and have been a tech executive at Oracle and Netscape before becoming a VC investing in startups. After sitting on Boards for 16 years, I felt there was a need to start my own Fund that would own and operate companies that might have built great products but ran off course chasing the VC “go-big or go-home” mentality. My goal was to bring a new path to these companies by running them profitably building a renewed focus on core values, and, bringing back a sense of purpose.
While I was taking over the helm of Naturebox I had an interesting personal story that led us to focus on adaptogenic and wellness snacks. My daughter, who had just finished college, had suffered from migraines most of her life. After having exhausted hundreds of doctor visits over the years, we tried a hemp plant extract, aka CBD. Within an hour of taking a few drops, this plant extract cured her of headaches. In 2019 we launched a line of CBD Snacks that eventually lead-us to incorporating many different types of adaptogens. (Maca, matcha, moringa, reishi, ashwagandha). Our mission moved from not only to offering better-for-you snacks (no artificial preservatives etc), but snacks that can actually reduce stress in your body. We add these adaptogens in snacks that taste amazing. Example. Peanut butter Maca Cookie. Tastes like the best Grandma’s peanut butter cookie, but can also level out your cortisol stress levels in your body. This is real snacking to relieve stress!
What Have Been Both Your Favorite And Least-liked Parts Of Your Entrepreneurial Journey? What Have Been Your Most Challenging And Most Exciting Moments For You And The Company?
I have a unique perspective as I have sat on hundreds of boards. As such, there is not a mistake or situation in a startup that I have neither seen or caused. But sitting in the CEO seat is exhilarating and frightening at the same time. I think the hardest part is that it can be lonely. You need a strong mentor and board to help but ultimately decisions are made by the CEO. Decisions need to be made with imperfect information. Instinct and experience help but it does not help when you have to let someone go, or make hard decisions on people. The best part of being a CEO is finding common purpose and winning as a team. Developing and celebrating success with a team is most rewarding. When you are an investor you cheer from the Stands but you didn’t make the plays on the field.
What Was The Fundraising Process Like For You? Tell Us About Your Investors And What You Use The Money You’ve Raised For.
This is a CEO’s second job. The key is to make it a solid sales process. This is an area I have had a lot of experience in. We have stellar investors that are both patient and helpful. JW Asset Management is one of the largest investors in consumer products and wellness solutions. They have been a tremendous asset. I also lean on Welcan, an up and coming fund with partners that have experience across multiple sectors.
Can You Walk Us Through A Typical Work Day?
In today’s environment with COVID, my typical work day feels like Ground Hog day. We moved out of our office a few months ago and have gone completely virtual outside of our warehouse operations in the middle of the country.
I think the key tip I would give other CEOs is to understand how to manage stress. I use meditation every day in the middle or late afternoon. I think there is scientific evidence that this helps one get into the right mindset and productive flow. This might sound strange but I think about the state of my autonomic nervous system. Our bodies go back and forth between two extremes. On one end is a “rest and restore mode’ where you feel calm, creative and relaxed, this is called the Parasympathetic nervous system, and the other extreme is what folks call the fight-or-flight mode; this is your Sympathetic nervous system. One of the keys to being a successful CEO is to know where you are and how to navigate to the rest and restore mode of the parasympathetic system.
You make better decisions when you are calm and a dispassionate present observer versus being frantic or fearful.
How Has Covid-19 Affected Your Business And What Have You Done To Adapt To Any Changes?
COVID has had a significant impact on our business. A larger portion of our business was from in-office snacking solutions. We had a monthly subscription business for corporate clients across the country. When COVID hit a majority of this went on pause as no employees were in the office. What we did was change our offering to provide wellness snacks to home offices. Work from Home snacking solutions is taking off now as many companies want to keep morale high and engage their employees while forced to work from home. We do this on a monthly or one time basis.
Our DTC business is also continuing to grow as more people want to avoid going to the grocery store. Besides, the snacks we provide are not easily found elsewhere.
Any New Products Or Initiatives That Will Be Launching Soon?
We are launching a new service called ZoomSnacks. This is the easiest way to order snacks ahead of any virtual meeting using our new automated ZoomSnacks assistant.
By simply adding zoomsnacks@naturebox.com to any calendar appointment, we will automate the process for the host to get snack boxes to attendees. We think the workforce has changed permanently even after a vaccine for COVID. Over the last year companies have discovered the advantages of working from home. We think this trend will continue and usher in more innovation and opportunities.
What Are The Top Three Most Important Skills A Modern Day Entrepreneur Needs In Order To Be Successful? And What Advice Do You Have For Entrepreneurs Who Are Just Starting Out?
The best way to answer a VC’s or any investor’s questions, is with your customers words. Focus on the customer and provide value. First hack your way to providing real value, then figure out how to hack growth. At NatureBox we focus maniacally on the customer and their happiness. Second tip is to find purpose in what you are doing. How can your company really help others? When you and your team are motivated by a cause or a purpose versus money you can move mountains. It will also help you tamp down your sympathetic nervous system. :-)
Tell Us A Story Of Something That Happened To You That Either Made You Laugh Or Taught You An Important Lesson.
Recently I thought I could go viral and drive a bunch of social media traffic to our site by launching myself on Tiktok. My first video was me on a skateboard, like the viral video of a guy drinking Ocean Spray. My video went live and I got 60 hits. I got a comment from someone that said… C’mon you can do better than that… It made me laugh. It also made me understand that I cannot do everything. I can‘t chase every idea. The flip side is I am not shy of trying anything. Every mistake is a learning opportunity.
What Is Your Favorite Quote And Why Does It Resonate With You?
“When I run after what I think I want, my days are a furnace of distress and anxiety. If I sit in my own place of patience, what I need flows to me, and without any pain.”
This is a quote I heard somewhere, it is from Shams-iTabrizi a Sufi mystic from a long time ago. I think it resonates with how I have been able to solve hard problems, be my best and not always follow the status quo.
What Are Your Top Three Favorite Books, Or Three Books You Recommend?
It is funny you ask this. I am dyslexic and have a family full of them. So my book list is really an audible list:
The Power of Now - Eckhart Tolle
Are You Ready to Succeed - Shrikumar Rao
Never Split the Difference - Chris Voss
What Does Success Mean To You?
Success means making a positive difference in other people's lives.
