[Advertisement feature by Sleep Well]
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Sleep Well, creator of the popular sleep-inducing milk drink, is now open for investment on Seedrs. We sat down with founders Sam and Allan to discuss their vision for the company and how the unique beverage is helping thousands of people cope with day-to-day stress and wind down for a restful night’s sleep.
What inspired you to build Sleep Well?
As parents and busy business owners, we were cheating ourselves of sleep for years and it ultimately wasn’t healthy. We were living our lives like the half of Brits who admit that stress and worry keep them awake at night and prevent them from getting the rest they need. Averse to using medication to improve our sleep patterns, we set out to create a comforting, delicious drink made of natural ingredients that our whole family could enjoy and benefit from.
Knowing that we wanted to use Jersey Milk from our Island home and honey, all we needed was the right natural ingredient trusted to improve sleep patterns. Once we discovered Valerian, the root that has been helping people all over the world relax and sleep for nearly 2,000 years, Sleep Well was born. While the business and brand have grown since, we’re still very passionate about the vision that inspired us to build it in the first place – helping people all over the world to get a better night’s sleep.
What have been the greatest challenges you’ve had to overcome so far in building your business?
EU Regulations concerning health claims in food. Luckily, we were meticulous in our processes and this helped us to overcome obstacles as they arose. Our recipe has been independently verified by a specialist food lab in Berlin and, coupled with the wealth of positive customer feedback, we know that Sleep Well works. In addition to a significant investment of money and time, we have taken both financial and reputational risk in order for our company to come to life. However, the incredible sense of achievement in seeing our brand come to life despite these challenges made it all well worth it.
Did you always know you wanted to start Sleep Well, and if not, how did your previous career experience prepare you for this venture?
Both Allan and I had worked at Director level and accrued significant experience running our own enterprise. Having successfully built a marketing company into an award-winning agency from the ground up, we developed a number of skills that have been instrumental in launching the Sleep Well brand. This experience, in tandem with our academic qualifications in business, marketing and law, have helped us enormously in building our brand. Despite all this, we’ve definitely had to learn a lot along the way.
What is one of Sleep Well’s most significant goals for the future?
Thousands of customers are already reaping the benefits from our natural bedtime drink and our focus is on continuing to grow this loyal customer base. In addition to the recent launch of our new chocolate flavour in December, we have been listed with one of the UK’s biggest distributors to independent retailers, Cotswold Fayre, allowing us to reach over 2,500 stores across the country. This was great news for our customers who will be able to source the products they love at their local grocery stores as well as online. With that in mind, we are looking to supercharge our marketing efforts to help us grow the brand even further to support this listing and secure even more in the near future.
What differentiates Sleep Well from other remedies (medicinal and non-medicinal) currently available to combat sleep deprivation?
A lot of customers crave a good night’s sleep but would prefer to avoid taking medication. We effectively responded to this demand by creating al natural alternative made with only wholesome ingredients that people of all ages and from all walks of life can enjoy. Sleep Well is the only ready-to-drink sleep food on the market that serves as a healthy and mindful alternative to a medicinal pill or potion. Sleep Well works best as part of a healthy bedtime routine and is already helping thousands of families, students, shift workers, travellers and stressed executives to sleep more soundly. It’s a cup of goodness that can be enjoyed either hot or cold in two delicious flavours to aid restful sleep, no matter who you are or what kind of life you lead.
What’s one thing you’re still learning?
Patience and diplomacy with those who aren’t willing or able to work at the same speed as we like to.
What’s one piece of advice you would give to the future generation?
Every time someone says “that won’t work”, prove them wrong.
To find out more, visit Sleep Well’s campaign here.
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