Today we’d like to introduce you to Adriana Christie and Paul Huizenga.
Adriana and Paul, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
After losing my wife to cancer on Christmas Day 2018, I faced a storm that really shook my foundations. I was on a personal journey of my own when I ended up in Slovakia and got introduced to the world of Polyphenols. The story that led me to Zlate Morace at Andrej’s farm is a little beyond belief. The few days I spent at his place proved to be life changing in more ways than one.
After taking his grape seed powder, I felt amazing. A feeling that had alluded me for some time. The sense of mental clarity and lack of pain was unbelievable. We agreed to send a package of samples home to share with friends and family. I was so confident everyone I knew would be interested in trying the product. I was wrong. The product is the most natural thing on the market, but I found people are very resistant to trying new things. It really did not help that Polyphenols sound like fentanyl the powerful narcotic. My friends and family did not want anything to do with what I was just trying to give away for free.
There was one brave soul that was willing to give it a try. My partner and friend Adriana started taking the product regularly and noticed smoother skin, increased energy, and some weight loss. I was really at the point of giving up. She was a believer and that gave me the motivation to keep moving forward. I returned to Slovakia and stayed with Andrej and his family for 30 days. We shipped back 30 kilos and worked out all the details of our distribution agreement.
One word of advice I have for anyone looking to explore the arena of introducing a new product or service to the market, be selective with the people you team up with. I really hit the lottery choosing Adriana. I could write a book on describing the positive qualities she brings to the table everyday, but it was her positive attitude that kept us going when I was considering giving up. To have someone that believes in you and what your doing can really make or break the success of any venture.
Working with a limited budget and having strong beliefs in our products and our message, we began to learn quite a bit about brand development and marketing. I have been working in construction management, and Adriana working as a licensed massage therapist, this new field brought several new challenges. We were very fortunate to recruit my cousin Jimmy which really helped us on the design side and brand development side of the business.
Things began to improve greatly when we started distributing our facial oil. It smells and feels amazing, but we soon found that it held healing properties for several skin conditions, including Psoriasis. Having some good results and testimonials gave us the confidence to reach out to dermatologists and other skin care professionals. Every week we hear positive stories on how the products are improving the lives of our clients.
Currently, we are focused mainly on reaching out to skincare professionals to provide free samples so we can discover as many uses for the products as possible. All of our products are 100% natural and pure coming strictly from the seed and skin of the blue grape sourced from Slovakia. Our face/ body scrub is the only product containing additional ingredients. One day Adriana was experimenting with the powder and oil for our scrub. On her first attempt, by adding honey, our scrub was developed. The feedback to this point has been very encouraging.
We are very optimistic with what the future holds. At this point, we are finalizing our website and look forward to introducing our line of products to individuals and professionals across the US and South America.
Has it been a smooth road?
Overall we have faced so many obstacles and challenges. Fortunately we have been able to turn these challenges into an opportunity/ learning experience. Here are a few examples:
#1 Maintaining our brand identity – dealing with designers in the branding process has been challenging in the fact that everyone has their own vision for how our brand identity should be represented. This taught us that our brand was an extension of ourselves. We strive to be honest, generous and provide objective information about our products.
#2 Dietary Supplements – Convincing people in the US to try new products has been very difficult. With any new venture, expecting the help of friends and family is something you depend on. We found it very disappointing when our circle was less than enthusiastic to give our products a shot. This led us to providing better labeling and product information. We began to expand our circle of influence which allowed us to get honest feedback from a wide base of potential clients.
#3 Working on a Budget – Having limited resources for marketing was a challenge as well, but became a great motivator to learn all aspects of our business, and self perform most tasks we believed were outside of our wheelhouse. Some of these tasks included research into competing products, graphic design, social media promotion, trademark applications, international wire transfer, creative writing, product testing, packaging, FDA rules and regulations, just to name a few.
#4 Starting a business during a Pandemic – Trying to develop a business during these times has been very challenging as well. We have learned to maintain a positive outlook and really focus on product testing and feedback.
#5 Packaging & Labeling – Getting the labeling correct was the most difficult task along the road. In addition, selecting the right bottles, jars, and pouches for the grape seed powder was tough. Once the artwork was complete, we found with a color laser printer and weatherproof labels sourced at Staples, we could create all of our packaging and labeling needs in house. This proved to be instrumental when developing our products. Being able to make changes in batches of 10 to 50 instead of 250, provided an opportunity to create a product line all of us at Zi Dobre were proud of.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Zi Dobre Inc story. Tell us more about the business.
At Zi Dobre, we import grape products from Slovakia. Our current product line includes Grape Seed Powder (powder & capsules), facial oil, and Face/ Body Scrub. We specialize in all-natural & pure products. Our processing of the grapes really sets us apart. To maintain all of the beneficial properties and micro elements. The only material used to create our final product is cold water. Our facial oil is not filtered and is packed with healing properties that have not been fully understood at this point. Everyday we are surprised with another miracle. We absolutely LOVE the fact that our products are proven to improve the look and health of our clients. It is great to know that our brand is going to change lives for the better.
We are most proud of our miracles, especially when it comes to healing skin conditions. I was not aware before this journey how skin disease can strip a person’s self-confidence. The stories of isolation are heartbreaking. We are so proud to be able to provide an answer that allows our clients to go out in the world and do something as simple as wearing a pair of shorts. It is very rewarding to hear the success stories and to liberate people from diseases that have held them in a prison with no walls for so long.
The main thing that sets us apart from others is our lack of experience. Walking the road with my wife and all the challenges we faced until here final day taught me a great deal about suffering and the medical field, but I have no training into the realm of health and beauty. This has allowed me to act as a spunge. When meeting with skincare professionals having a humble attitude allows our contacts to share so much. This is just my story. Adriana has worked with people as a massage therapist for over 20 years and has learned a way to connect with people like I have never seen before. This opportunity has opened so many doors, and I really feel that our ability to learn and listen and implement any solution that will lift our brand and products to the next level is something that makes us unique.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
We are so excited about the future. We love being involved with an industry that will be relevant to so many forever. In recent meetings with our partners in the skincare profession, they shared how everyday a new technique are developed to improve the skin of their clients. We feel we are the cutting edge in the fact that our all-natural products are improving the way our clients look and feel without any negative side effects.
We feel strongly that the industry will be shifting to simple and all-natural solutions to the most common issues we all face on a day to day basis. Fighting the effects of UV, and providing anti-aging solutions will become more and more relevant in the days to come. Our goal is to be a leader in this field. It is our mission to be vigilant in the purity of all of our products. We feel that nature provided the perfect answer, and it’s our job to maintain the integrity of the solutions she has provided.
Pricing:
- 1/2 OZ Facial Oil – $49.00
- 90 Gram Grape Seed Powder – $59.00
- 120 Grape Seed Powder Capsules – $69.00
- Face/ Body Scrub – $49.00
Contact Info:
- Address: 10 Canal Street Unit 196
Miami Springs, FL 33166 - Website: www.ZiDobre.com
- Phone: 954.415.2453
- Email: phuizenga315@gmail.com
- Instagram: @ZiDobreUS
- Facebook: @ZiDobreUS
Image Credit:
Paul Huizenga
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