From Idea to Super Successful Product Launch in Under 10 Months with Leslie Danford
brandiD is a comprehensive personal branding agency dedicated to elevating your online presence. Founded by serial entrepreneur and internet pioneer Rachel Gogos, brandiD has been crafting soulful, strategic, and scalable brands since 2007. They offer an all-in-one solution encompassing branding, copywriting, web design, and marketing, ensuring a cohesive and impactful personal brand strategy.
Rachel: Welcome to The Business of You podcast! I’m your host, Rachel Gogos, and today’s guest is Leslie Danford, founder and CEO of Vitaminis, a clean-label functional food and beverage brand that went from concept to market in just 10 months. Leslie, welcome to the show!
Leslie: Thanks so much for having me!
Rachel: Before we dive into Vitaminis, tell us about your background.
Leslie: I’ve always been entrepreneurial. As a kid, I would draw books, borrow money to make copies, and sell them. I studied economics at the University of Chicago, then worked in investment banking before earning my MBA from Harvard. Eventually, I moved into consumer products and beverages.
Working in alcoholic beverages, I saw a lot of research on clean-label, nutrient-dense, and convenient products. I also managed my own nutrition but struggled with supplements—pills made me nauseous, and gummies were sugary.
Then, when the pandemic hit, I lost my job in hospitality, and I was suddenly home with my three kids, pregnant with my fourth. I thought a lot about keeping my family healthy, and that’s when the idea for Vitaminis was born—I wanted something clean, whole-food-based, convenient, and effective.
Rachel: You went from idea to launch in under 10 months. How?
Leslie: I took small, fast steps. By late 2020, I had interviewed friends and family, identified nutritional gaps, and set a personal deadline—before my fourth baby arrived.
The hardest part was finding a manufacturer. The product needed to be shelf-stable and in a shot format, but most co-packers specialized in either refrigerated shots or large shelf-stable drinks—not both. I called over 75 manufacturers before finding one that could do it. Once that was in place, we moved quickly.
Rachel: How did you choose the ingredients?
Leslie: I originally wanted to start with gut health, but during the pandemic, everyone was focused on immune support. So I went that direction first.
Through research, I found that zinc and magnesium were hard to get from diet alone unless you ate tons of oysters or dark leafy greens. Vitamin C was a natural addition for immunity.
I worked with a food scientist to make the formula shelf-stable, nutrient-dense, and whole-food-based, ensuring no preservatives, artificial ingredients, or added sugar.
Rachel: How did you come up with the name and branding?
Leslie: I worked with a small creative agency started by a former colleague. We brainstormed a lot, but nothing clicked until someone suggested Vitaminis—a blend of “vitamins” and “mini.” It was descriptive, simple, and catchy. I checked trademarks, locked it in, and we moved forward.
Rachel: You originally launched Vitaminis as an e-commerce brand. What made you pivot to retail?
Leslie: Initially, I planned for direct-to-consumer, especially during COVID, but quickly realized that social media ads were expensive and online growth wasn’t scalable.
People need to see a product 7-8 times before buying. Ads weren’t enough. After 18 months online, I decided to shift to retail.
Retail brought credibility—seeing Vitaminis on shelves built trust. Now, retail serves as a pipeline for e-commerce: people buy a single bottle in-store, try it, then order a 12-pack online. Our best customers eventually subscribe, and the average subscription lasts 15 months.
Rachel: Tell us about Daily Greens—your newest product!
Leslie: Daily Greens is a green apple-pear juice shot with vitamins A, D, E, and folate from leafy greens. It helps people who don’t eat enough vegetables get key nutrients in a quick, tasty way. We’re also exploring mini bars and chews, staying true to clean-label, whole-food-based nutrition.
Rachel: What’s your biggest advice for entrepreneurs launching a product?
Leslie: Don’t overthink it—just start. Many big companies spend years researching before launching, but startups don’t have that luxury. You’ll never have 100% certainty—you need to get a 60% answer, launch it, and refine it as you go. What feels like failure is often just market feedback that helps improve the product.
Rachel: What’s next for Vitaminis?
Leslie: Our focus is expanding retail while using it to funnel customers into e-commerce subscriptions. We’re in five Midwest states now but looking to expand nationally. We’re also onboarding with a new distributor, bringing us closer to WholeFoods.
Rachel: Where can people buy Vitaminis?
Leslie: The best place is vitaminisbrand.com—that’s where you’ll get discounts, recipes, and expert content. We’re also on Amazon and Walmart Marketplace, and if you’re in the Midwest, you can find us in Fresh Thyme and Fruitful Yield.
Rachel: Amazing! Leslie, thanks for sharing your story!
Leslie: Thanks for having me!
Visit the Vitaminis website: https://vitaminisbrand.com
Connect with Rachel on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelgogos/
Connect with Leslie on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leslie-danford/
