"Entrepreneurship is more of a mindset than anything else" with Varun Sharma
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An entrepreneur with a focused mission to inspire, Varun Sharma believes in empowering the community to create a better world with the help of technology and knowledge. His latest venture Laumière Gourmet Fruits is a D2C company, aiming to change the orthodox misconceptions regarding nutrition and health by setting new trends that redefine healthy-eating, gifting, and self-indulgence. Sharma has previously been a TEDx Speaker and was awarded the BITSAA Mantra Award for Social Leadership by his Alma mater.
Can you tell our readers about your background?
I come from a middle-class Indian family that has grown together. The culture my parents Inbred in me early on is what makes me who I am today. As a person, I love technology. I love the potential it has and has always been fascinated by it. I have spent most of my life in Dubai, and the city gave me a myriad of opportunities to grow as a person and dream out of the box simultaneously. As a person with an avid interest in technology, I care about the future of the planet and am committed to make it a better place but I believe my intentions aren’t enough to do that. I need to work on projects and ideas which align with that. Laumière is my first big project where I take on an idea and convert it to reality. Today I am proud to say Laumiere Gourmet Fruits is leading the change by building the unique connection between luxury and nature. Our products blend gourmet excellence with a healthy lifestyle and seeing the response from others has helped us to build it more.
What inspired you to start your business?
The idea of starting the business came from my dad instead of me. He spent close to 5 years perfecting his idea and when it was time to get it going; I got involved, and we slowly scaled a company to what it is today. He spent 20+ years in Dubai and then moved to the USA to launch Laumière Gourmet Fruits. I want to help him out and build a brand that remains relevant in the years to come. At the same time, I am learning about the complexities of leading a meaningful life. I do not have all the answers–but I feel strongly that progress with Laumière will help me answer them.
Where is your business based?
We are based out of Bakersfield, California, and that works best for us. Operating from California, and simultaneously complemented with immeasurable resources in our surroundings for our ingredients gives us an advantage that sets us apart from other companies.
How did you start your business? What were the first steps you took?
The business started by my dad moving to California by himself 2 years back in January 2019. He initially did the groundwork and we launched in August 2019. The groundwork involved a lot of purchasing of machinery, raw ingredients, and hiring a team to work. Once we did that, we got around to retailing online and looked back at it as a bold timely move that worked well for us. I was helping him out part-time initially and then joined him full time in July 2020. Month after month, we are making big strides and trying to achieve new targets for ourselves.
What has been the most effective way of raising awareness for your business?
Word of mouth! I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to make a product so good that your minimum viable audience enjoys your product so much that they rave about it in their communities and with their friends. If you can achieve that sort of customer satisfaction, your brand will flourish.
What have been your biggest challenges and how did you overcome them?
Being a bootstrapped firm, getting the cash conversion cycle going well for us is the biggest challenge. We always take steps big enough which we can afford to take. This helps us to grow organically and slowly rather than have an uncontrolled growth where we don’t have enough in control.
How do you stay focused?
Always look at the bigger picture and never forget why you started. If you can do that by waking up every morning, you will be focused and you will progress with the company.
How do you differentiate your business from the competition?
In the food industry, there has been a decaying factor when it comes to maintaining a quality-oriented essence. Nutrients getting lost in this process and crafting low-quality products in its stead can lead to physical ailments. Including a hearty diet into your daily routine can maximize every aspect of your life. As a food brand, Laumière believes in seeking a healthy balance of delicious and luxury. We also believe that you can be virtuous and compassionate in a capitalistic world. A value-based business model can create goodwill for businesses from all around the world and we try to do that with everything we get our hands into.
What has been your most effective marketing strategy to grow your business?
I believe marketing is a sum of all that your brand does and letting one channel be called the most effective wouldn’t be right. We use a lot of digital advertising platforms aligned with our audience which has worked well for us. We also use email, SMS, Messenger as other strategies. To put it differently, word of mouth is the most effective and will always remain the most effective strategy for any brand.
What's your best piece of advice for aspiring and new entrepreneurs?
Entrepreneurship is more of a mindset than anything else
You can come up with a million ideas, and that is relatively easy. To have the will to execute an idea and convert it to a startup, you need the desire to create, to build something that will be, somehow, the continuity of yourself. It’s not the act of creating a product, service, or a company that I enjoy; for me, being an entrepreneur is a mindset that influences every aspect of life and teaches me how to be resilient. I can be a business owner without being an entrepreneur: the difference lies in the fact that an entrepreneur is constantly looking for something new, something that can grow, something that will keep you ahead of the game. Currently, I am doing so with Laumière and plan to continue doing it till we are well established. Take the risk and dive in if you want to get into it. If you’re avoiding risks, you’re risking missing out on life and the fun of entrepreneurship.
Who is your business role model? Why?
My dad! I have seen him work hard on Laumière at this age and it goes to show that age is just a number and you should always be excited and work hard on what you’re passionate about.
How do you balance work and life?
It comes down to prioritization. Some days you’re prioritizing work, some days life but having that healthy balance for yourself is effective. Whenever I try to build in too many directions at once, I fail. I overwork myself. I get burned out, even discouraged. But when I was able to focus on improving one or two channels at a time, I do better. This is a lesson that fundamentally changed how I think about not just business, but every pursuit in life. One thing at a time. Complete focus but at the same time having a work/life balance. Startup culture either promotes all work and no play or a balanced working lifestyle. Adopt the latter and do not burn yourself. It’s a marathon, not a sprint. You are in this for the long run.
What’s your favorite way to decompress?
Keeping music and fitness in your life. I’ve been a DJ for over the last 10 years. The new music I listen to keeps me going and has an immensely positive impact on me. I have been focused on my personal fitness for a little over 5 years and it makes a big difference to my mood. For some people, this might be via painting, dancing, or drawing. When you have art in your life, it nurtures joy from an activity you can rely on which is so essential, especially in this day and age.
What do you have planned for the next six months?
We are working on expansion to other parts of the world. We also have multiple collections launching soon. We are truly excited for 2021 as much as, if not more, we were for 2020.
How can our readers connect with you?
LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/varun810sharma/
Website — www.varunsharma.online