Small Business, Major Success
As we prepare to bid adieu to 2021, there’s no better time to celebrate some big successes achieved by a few small businesses. Many industries struggled throughout this historic time, while some pivoted and others were developed and launched. ADPR has been following the trajectory of 3 very different companies that have each made a significant impact this year.
Feel For Your Life is a ground-breaking online platform and app that helps you advocate for your breast health, a first of its kind. Jessica Baladad, an entrepreneur and breast cancer survivor found a lump doing a self-breast exam and then developed an app in hopes to save lives.
Feel for your Life educates women on how to do self breast exams and make them a regular part of your routine, as well as understanding your personal risk. Jessica’s advocacy app has gained a lot of traction this year, even receiving national coverage on Good Morning America. National television press - in the US especially - is a huge deal. The reach is substantial and to be associated with a prominent program like GMA, gives Feel For Your Life serious clout. Feel For Your Life is highly regarded and viewed as trustworthy, it’s no surprise other media requests started rolling in.
Our Glowing Hearts launched as a hyper local initiative, to show love and support for frontline workers. Founder Jeff Moss designed a heart shaped light to help save his business MossLED, but also to promote unity and community, with proceeds going to charity. What started as a neighbourhood pandemic project, turned into a national phenomenon. Jeff and his neon hero hearts made the CTV National News in June and can proudly say they’ve shipped hearts coast to coast, and internationally, as far away as Japan. Receiving a glowing review of their glowing hearts on Canada’s premier news network, not only introduced them to a vast audience, but this feel-good story made a potential consumer base want to be a part of something greater than themselves. There is purpose and spirt behind this project and CTV national recognized that and because they spread that message, Our Glowing Hearts continued to build momentum and were even able to expand, recently launching a mini heart. Judging by the website, the mini (and original) are in even greater demand than ever.
Arise N’ Go was the brainchild of two Western University Students. As Kinesiology majors, health and wellbeing was a priority. Searching for healthy snack alternatives for students on-the-go, they discovered an untapped market: water lily seeds! Predominantly found in India, these seeds are protein rich, and full of antioxidants and amino acids, not to mention they’re gluten free and low in calories. We at ADPR are big fans and are not surprised the media jumped on this early, helping the brand land on shelves long before they ever expected.
The founders had been making some decent sales in their first few months but were able to meet the demand while manufacturing themselves, that is, until CTV & CBC picked up the story in February. In two days following that level of exposure, Arise N’ Go made as many sales as they had in the 9 months previous. And that, my friends, is the power of media.
Happy Holidays from your executive team at ADPR!
