[Maddyness] What was the inspiration behind your business?
[Salvatore] My passion for health, fitness and mental wellbeing was a huge driver in setting up Vivo Life. I was using health supplements myself and was frustrated by the lack of good quality products, transparency of ingredients and ultimately, results. This was teamed with my interest in e-commerce and graphic design. I love to create things, and I believe it’s in all of us to create. I find that creating something that has a defined purpose just motivates me even more.
That’s why we created Vivo Life and we’re proud to make 100% plant-based health and fitness products which help people look and feel awesome without costing the earth. We’ve always been concerned about the future of our planet, which is why we’re dedicated to giving back whether this is through our tree-planting initiative, charitable donations or the ethical sourcing of our ingredients.
Looking back, is there anything you would have done differently?
I would have started recording KPIs and targets a little earlier on, so we could have continually seen the progression of the business in the early days. I would also have reminded myself to laugh more during the hard times, as these are never as bad as they seem. Hindsight is a wonderful thing!
How is your business operating at the moment?
We’ve always treated our entire business as a community. We’re truly concerned with the wellbeing and development of our employees and we’re an incredibly close-knit team. When it comes to measuring our business success, it’s definitely the impact we have on the planet. We’re committed to ensuring we have the biggest possible positive impact on the planet, and the people who call it home. We do this without compromising the quality of our products and our service.
What advice would you give to someone starting out?
I’d advise them to record KPIs weekly so they can monitor where they are and strive for improvement. One of the hardest things for business growth is not knowing where you’re at with the business or what areas you need to work on. KPIs will help you identify these areas. Also, I’d remind them to test things continuously, be light in your approach and ready to build when you see signs it is working. The most important thing to remember though is to do something you are passionate about.
What changes have you made to keep your business running?
With a whole range of immune and health-boosting supplements, we’ve been showcasing the benefits these can have on peoples physical and mental wellbeing. We’ve also been helping people stay as active as possible by hosting live workouts with our ambassadors, cook-a-longs, mindset and productivity training and so much more via our Facebook community page.
Salvatore Notaro Is Co-Founder of Vivo Life, a 100% plant-based health and fitness company on a mission to improve peoples health and support a cleaner, greener planet.