5 Things I Wish Someone Would Have Told Me…

Can you tell us a bit about your “backstory”? What led you to this particular career path?

As a child, I always knew I wanted to help people but I didn’t know how.  As a child, I also woke up every morning with the question, “what are we having for dinner?”.  I suppose some things never change. As a young adult, I struggled with what I wanted to do the rest of my life.  After graduating with a degree in cellular molecular biology, I moved to Colorado to become a whitewater rafting guide.  I guess you could say I didn’t think I could learn these skills in school and knew I would only be young once in life. Throughout my travels, I always found joy in the kitchen, even if it was only a fire pit.  

My passion for helping others landed me in the hospital, where I worked in the electrophysiology and cardiology departments.  From life-saving CPR to implanting pacemakers, I found joy in helping others when they needed it most. While I loved my job, I knew deep down that I wanted to help people before they ended up in the hospital.  A part of me also despised hospitals for screaming, “Let me fix you” but not offering nourishing, healing foods for patients when they need it the most.  You know what I mean? So I began thinking that maybe there was a better way.

After being accepted into one of the top schools in the nation for traditional chinese medicine and herbology, I left my hospital job and moved across the country.  It was here that I learned about preventive health, food as medicine, and of course - bone broth. Without a single source of high quality bone broth available, I had to make my own.  The Osso Good Co. was born and I guess you could say the rest is history.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began leading your company?

It’s hard to pick just one, but the first one that comes to mind is a customer testimonial I received the other day.  Well, here it goes!  My son Peter is 16 years old and he has quadriplegic cerebral palsy/seizure disorder.  He is completely dependent on others for all his care as he is unable to walk, sit up independently, use his hands or speak. He also is feeding tube dependent.  Despite all of this, he does understand everything and is one of the happiest kids you could ever meet.

Growing up he was in and out of the hospital a lot.  It seemed like he was always getting sick. A cold for typical kid is not life threatening but for a kid like Peter and his compromised respiratory system, he would end up getting very sick and often needed to be admitted.

I researched my heart out on what I can do to help him get healthier.  Despite the fact that he's tube fed, I switched him from formula to real food.  Most people on feeding tubes are given formula. Formula full of chemicals. It just didn't seem right.

The switch to real food made a huge difference.  Thanks to our Vitamix I was able to puree his meals to a consistency I could put in his tube. So much had changed.  His energy, coloring and strength improved. 

Almost two years ago he got very sick and we almost lost him.  He had pneumonia and a very bad lung infection. I kept reading about bone broth and how good it is for one's health. I looked into a few companies and I chose yours because of how it's made, the ingredients and the fact that it's frozen and the testimonies I read.

Peter gets one or two servings of bone broth every single day.  We never run out which is why I order so much at once. I also cook many of his meals with it. 

Fast forward to today, he has had a few colds that did not last long and not one hospital stay.  Not one! Could it be a coincidence? I doubt it. I know there is a chance he can get sick again but this is the longest he's ever gone. I also believe that his immune system was able to better fight those colds since adding OSSO broths to his daily care. His health has improved tremendously.  We have a suction machine for him. Another machine for his lungs and a few other pieces of equipment he needs for prevention of illness. Adding your bone broths has been life changing for him and for our family. I tell everyone that I think would benefit from them about them.

Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

When we began shipping our frozen bone broths across the country, we used dry ice to keep it cool.  We accidentally left the lid slightly opened and had no idea why we were so out of breath a few hours later.   We obviously didn’t suffocate, but we learned to check and double check that the dry ice lid was properly closed.    

What is it about the position of CEO or executive that most attracted you to it?

I believe the best leaders are just born with it.  I never thought for a million years that I would become CEO of my own business.  But, somewhere between chicken feet and stockpots, I found my “why”. I’ve been CEO for almost 5 years now, and my job description is always changing.  As we continue to expand our business, I love that I get to support growth in my fellow teammates. I am so passionate about bone broth and food as medicine;  it’s exciting to share that with others. 

In just a few words can you explain what an executive does that is different from the responsibilities of the other leaders?

CEO -aka- Chief everything officer.  While you don’t have to be the best at everything, you have to understand what each job does so you can help to manage expectations.  You have to be willing and able to roll up your sleeves and get the job done, regardless of what it is. Who you are and what you do will absolutely have a trickle down affect on how others within your company behave.  You set the pace and the direction for the entire team. Ultimately, you cannot ask others to follow you if you do not follow too.

What is the one thing that you enjoy most about being an executive?

Helping others achieve their goals.  It is so exciting to step back and see how far our team has grown since day one.  Sometimes it really requires me to step back to see it, but we have witnessed so much growth within The Osso Good Co.  Starting as only an online website that was selling out every week to now having an omni-channel distribution strategy, all of which is still produced in our new kitchen that is USDA, organic, and BRC certified.  

What are the downsides of being an executive? 

Ultimately, you have a million “bosses” and the pressure is always on you to perform and overachieve.  As someone who finds pleasure in work and achievements, it is both a blessing and a curse.  

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