Why We Need More Transparency in Business with Courtney Nichols Gould Founder of SmartyPants Vitamins

Dec 6, 2018

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Courtney Nichols Gould is the CEO of SmartyPants Vitamins. SmartyPants Vitamins have a gummy obsession which started because they believed that the very best vitamins are an all in one combination of different nutrients that would save money, time and peace of mind for customers. Their products can be found on Amazon, in Whole Foods, Kroger, Target, Costco and many more locations all over the US. Their bottle is the one with the cute owl winking at you. For every bottle sold they make a 1 for 1 grant to Vitamin Angels to provide children in need with nutrients and they have made over 6.2 million nutrient grants to date.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

[1:15] Jeremy introduces his guest, Courtney Nichols Gould.
[3:00] Courtney talks about her love of pranking people.
[5:00] Why didn’t Courtney go to Harvard Business School?
[7:00] Courtney opens up about her career working at various startups.
[11:45] Why is transparency so important to Courtney and her business?
[19:30] Standing out with the Vitamin Angels project.
[21:20] Courtney talks about the product line and which product came first.
[24:00] Creating an all in one vitamin.
[26:00] Launching a product on Amazon.
[28:00] Testing the product on friends and family.
[30:40] What led Courtney to take SmartyPants Vitamins to retail stores?
[35:00] The value of embracing customer feedback.
[37:30] Courtney talks about some of their bestselling vitamins.
[39:00] Why did Courtney and her team divide their products based on gender?
[41:00] Courtney shares her low and high moments in business.

In this episode…

What is the role of transparency in business? Does an organization have a responsibility to be transparent toward its customers or is it just a courtesy? On this episode of Inspired Insider, you’ll hear from business leader and entrepreneur Courtney Nichols Gould. In her conversation with Jeremy, Courtney opens up about her love of pranking, why she decided not to attend Harvard Business School, how she started SmartyPants Vitamins, why they launched their product on Amazon, and so much more. Don’t miss a minute of this entertaining and engaging episode featuring Courtney! When you decide to move forward in your career choosing the right path can be a difficult one. What led you to make the critical decisions you’ve made on your professional journey? Did you have an ultimate goal that led you down the path you chose? Courtney Nichols Gould decided to forgo an excellent opportunity to attend Harvard Business School because she knew that the typical corporate environment wasn’t for her. Instead, Courtney decided to pursue her prospects in the realm of startups. What can you learn from Courtney’s story? Have you made similar bold moves in your career? Which values does your organization highlight? Is accountability or quality customer service necessary to your business? How did the organization decide on which values to prioritize and publicize? At SmartyPants Vitamins, they honed in on transparency as one of the primary values for their new and highly successful brand. SmartyPants Vitamins believes that it’s customers have a right to know what it is they are feeding themselves and those they care about most. Simply put, they are convinced that they have a legal and moral responsibility to tell people exactly what their products contain. You can learn more about SmartyPants and their values by checking out a link to their website located in the resources section at the end of this post. What does it look like to build a vitamin company dedicated to making a difference? Can access to high-quality vitamins make a difference in people’s lives? Beyond just providing a great vitamin option to the marketplace, Courtney Nichols Gould and her team at SmartyPants Vitamins want to expand their impact even further. For every bottle of SmartyPants sold, they make a 1-for-1 nutrient grant to Vitamin Angels, a non-profit that helps at-risk populations – especially pregnant women, new mothers, and children under five – gain access to life-changing vitamins and minerals. It’s great to hear about amazing organizations like SmartyPants Vitamins committed to making a positive impact in the world! With the rise of the ecommerce sector, should businesses abandon retail options and focus on getting their product featured on platforms like Amazon? Should businesses flee the retail industry and focus exclusively on ecommerce options? While reports of the death of the retail sector are greatly exaggerated, the smart business leader would be wise to hedge their bets. Courtney Nichols Gould is focused on putting her brand, SmartyPants Vitamins in the best position to succeed. As the business got off the ground they focused on solidifying a positive presence on Amazon that resulted in huge sales and a wave of glowing customer reviews. Building off of their success with Amazon, Courtney and her team have expanded their reach to retailers like Whole Foods, Kroger, Target, Costco, and more.

Resources Mentioned on this episode

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