This episode is brought to you by Sendlane.

 

BelliWelli makes snack bars and treats that are safe for those with stomach or digestion issues, says Katie Wilson, Co-founder of BelliWelli.

 

Stomach issues are more common than most people think, Katie says.

 

"My favorite thing to say to anyone is go ask five people in your life willing to be kind of honest with you if they suffer from daily gut issues or gut issues, period, and you will be shocked," she says. "It's going to be at least four out of five. I can promise you that."

 

Katie's career didn't begin in the food marketplace or anything related to digestive health. Instead, she developed gut issues during her career path working for matchmaking companies. Traditional treatments didn't help, so she turned to help in Facebook groups and found tens of thousands of people just like her. Eventually, her husband came to the rescue and hired a food scientist and dietician who were charged with developing the perfect IBS-friendly chocolate chip cookie. A brand was born.

 

"It seems like we found the right product at the right time and the right community," Katie says.

 

Katie says many of the critical decisions have come from the gut-challenged community, including the name of the business, the brand's tagline, and every flavor that BelliWelli has launched to date.

 

"I tend to think of our customers like friends. I never find myself using the word customer," she says. "I think of them in terms of how would I treat my best friend?. Every customer deserves to be treated that way."

 

In Part 1, Katie talks about:

 

* Gratitude to three executives at Nordstrom, including the CEO, who took 30 minutes to go over an idea that Katie pitched them when she was working there as a teenager.
* A 100-foot overview of the BelliWelli brand.
* Her career background.
* How her gut issues began and her reaction to traditional treatments.
* The development of the brand's first cookie.
* How the community plays an essential role in many brands’ decisions.

 

Join Ramon Vela and Katie Wilson as they break down the inside story on The Story of a Brand.

 

For more on BelliWelli, visit: https://belliwelli.com/ 

 

Subscribe and Listen to the podcast on all major apps. Simply search for “The Story of a Brand,” or click here to listen on your favorite podcast player: Listen now.

 

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