In this episode, Molly is joined by Kris Maynard, who shares his journey from humble beginnings to Executive Chairman of 100% employee-owned Essential Ingredients!
Hear the ins and outs of Kris’ story, accumulating massive student loan debts, working a post-college nighttime gig for extremely low pay, and eventually co-founding Essential Ingredients: a company that partners with consumer brand companies and contract manufacturers to provide quality personal and home care ingredients.
Kris shares from a young age his penchant for risk-taking, including spending three months in Russia (11:35) and losing his job for planning to start a new company.
Tune in for an inside look at the start of Essential Ingredients, and how Kris learned from early struggles, to find his true north and live his values, when this wasn’t necessarily the way things worked. Don’t miss the many lessons Kris learned along the way, including what it was like to “wear many hats” (hello,... forklift driver!) as a co-founder and how his early Board of Directors helped them focus. He was quick to figure out surrounding himself with talented people smarter than him was a winning strategy (18:45).
Also, Kris explains how he built a successful business with a purpose of being a blessing to others, rather than maximizing profitability, with the ultimate aim of lasting 100 years. He also reveals a (now humorous) story about a time when he lost his level head in a heated moment where a distributor betrayed his trust (22:00)! Here’s an opportunity to reflect on your own values and how you put people first.
Learn from how Kris led himself to stay true to himself and succeed on his terms. He inspires others to know no boundaries and to commit to taking action so that all can be safe, seen and heard.
Molly’s Thought for the Week: The Maynard family motto—”Nothing’s easy.”
