Ashlyn Newlove

Who are you and what do you do?

My name is Ashlyn Newlove and I am the Founder of Smart Sip Cream Co., a calorie-friendly, fiber-rich powdered coconut oil creamer designed to help you reach your goals without giving up your deliciously creamy cup of joy!

I've spent more than a decade in the health and wellness industry. My spark for fitness began with CrossFit where I coached for 12 years. During that time many people turned to me as they weren't seeing the results they wanted and it came down to their nutrition. As I had been on my weight loss journey and lost 35 pounds, people wanted to know what I was doing. That was when I became certified as a nutrition coach.

As a nutrition coach I saw a gap in the food & beverage industry as more than 90% of people aren't getting enough fibre, which plays a huge role in their health and weight loss goals. Sugary drinks that people consume leave them sluggish, struggling with their energy levels and elevating their hunger. I wanted to create a product that still gave them that delicious drink without all of the nasty side-effects and high calories impeding peoples' progress.

What did it take/how did you get started?

As our dogs got older and it was too much of a burden to ask family and friends to watch them if we wanted to go on longer vacations, we decided to start driving where we wanted to go and staying for a couple months with the dogs. Two winters ago we made a 5 day drive to Mexico from British Columbia and that was when the idea initially sparked.

I knew my social media followers and clients were interested in a macro-friendly creamer as they were always wanting to know what I used for this. Plus I had built trust with them over the years recommending delicious tasting foods that could benefit their weight loss journey so I discussed with my husband on the long drive how this could be a great idea.

Fast forward to the next winter where I had sat on the idea for an entire year and we were spending 3 days in the car driving to Arizona for our winter getaway that year, and I decided enough was enough, when I arrived in Arizona I was going to get the ball rolling on the idea and see what it would take to create a consumer packaged good.

What does the future look like for you and your business?

My followers went crazy for the launch of Smart Sip with its calorie-friendly nature and the fact that it has fiber in it. People are aware that having a fiber-rich diet is so beneficial for their health so it really doesn't take much convincing. Since it is the first of its kind in North America, it has started to gain attention all across Canada and after only 4 months I was nominated for BC Food & Beverage's Product of the Year.

As it approaches the 6 month mark since its launch, it is in 12 independent stores. That may not seem like a ton to some people but I have no reached out to a single store yet and these are all stores that have approached me to wholesale it. As my second production run approaches and I'll have more inventory on hand I plan to start approaching stores and get into some chain grocery stores as well.

What drives / motivates you on a daily basis?

I've always been a competitive person, even if it was just with myself. I love seeing my product in the hands of people across Canada and on the shelves with other major brands - that truly brings me joy! I don't have kids so Smart Sip is kind of like my baby and like any child you want to see it grow and thrive.

What advice would you give someone interested in doing what you do?

Anything is possible. Getting into the food and beverage game can require an investment but if you're scrappy and have a good idea with great drive, you can make anything happen! I didn't know anything about consumer packaged goods when I started but I researched what other brands were doing, made sure my cost of goods aligned with what I wanted for my brand (getting into retail and online marketplaces) and really leaned into organic marketing via social media since all that costs me is my time and I'm trying to keep additional costs low. If you are willing to do it and try it then anything is possible!

What has been the hardest part of your business journey?

I would say the hardest part of starting this business is just not knowing what you don't know. Always questioning yourself and knowing that the big growth that I want to see comes with a larger financial investment.

How have you managed burnout thus far?

When you love what you do, are you really ever working?

What are a few resources that you'd recommend?

My biggest resource was all of the old Dragon's Den episodes! It gave me so much clarity with where I needed my numbers to be. I also have found so many amazing resources through the Female Entrepreneurs in Agri-Development, BC Food & Beverage and the Food Venture Program.

I sign up for every free webinar, workshop and accelerator program that I can because I find that knowledge and connect with other people in the industry invaluable.

The last thing I do is as many of the cost-effective local networking groups. Being friends with other entrepreneurs is a giant help when you work by yourself and need people to bounce ideas off of.