Featured partner: Proof
What: Proof is a resource center that aims to educate, accelerate, and innovate resources for the consumer products industry as well as traditional food and beverage entrepreneurs.
Proof provides industry education and mentorship through online programs, workshops, and one-on-one coaching for emerging food and beverage companies to help build stronger, more scalable, and sustainable businesses.
Established: 2020
Location: Chattanooga, with partners nationwide
Proof’s core team includes:
Mike Robinson, Mia Littlejohn, Kaleena Goldsworthy-Warnock, Mish Hughes, Shanna Lucien, Stan Stout, and James Dawson.
Proof’s work:
One of the key pillars of Proof’s mission is community and connection. Proof leaders work with clients and entrepreneurs through their online community and e-learning platform, as well as through a newsletter, called CPG MBA and with social content. The organization helps clients solidify success strategies through workshops and other resources.
The latest from the team:
This week, Proof sent out the newest issue of its CPG MBA newsletter, which tackles the challenging topic of cost-based pricing for small brands. The newsletter offers examples, formulas, and visual aids to help readers understand concepts such as break-even pricing and cost-plus pricing.
Proof also has in-person workshops coming soon that will address this and other CPG related topics. CPG MBA will be in Nashville on June 1, Memphis on June 12, and dates are coming soon for Martin, Dyersburg, and Johnson City, TN.
For more information:
Follow Proof’s Linkedin page or visit the organization’s website.
Failing Forward with Proof, as told by co-founder Mike Robinson
Where to begin? From wondering if you will make payroll this week to imposter syndrome to staff shortages — the list goes on. As entrepreneurs, you face so many challenges because you have to wear so many hats.
One of my biggest challenges as a father of 3 and with a partner who is the CEO of her own large company is the pressure to achieve this “work-life balance” that society preaches.
As an entrepreneur, it’s impossible to separate work and life into two worlds. Inevitably, they are both competing for your time, and you have to find a way to merge the two. It’s more like “work-life integration.”
It took me a long time to understand the difference and that you can achieve a blend that doesn’t make you feel like a shitty parent or an unengaged boss.
It’s not easy but for those entrepreneurs starting families and companies at the same time, it can be done and done well on both fronts.
