Jaime Puskar

If you're anything like us, you've got summer vacation on the brain.  The weather has turned and before you know it that beach, golf course or mountain holiday will be beckoning, so it's time to think about how to stay healthy and stress-free while traveling. Here a 7 tips for healthy, stress-free traveling.

According to a research survey conducted by Trip It (the absolute best travel organizing app out there, in our opinion), it seems that eating healthy and exercising on the road are the #1 cause of stress for travelers (even more so than airport security!)  "When asked how stressful certain travel-related activities are, 67% of frequent travelers said exercising was either somewhat or very stressful; while 66% said eating healthy was stressful."

April is Stress Awareness Month so here are our top tips to help you stay healthy and stress-free en route:

1. We know it's tempting to hop on that escalator or moving sidewalk, but resist the temptation and take the stairs or walk on the regular floor - after all you just got off a plane where you were sitting for a while.

2. Ask the hotel concierge for a map of local running/walking routes, or if you're traveling for pleasure look into the walking tours available in that particular city.  If you want something less formal, check out the EveryTrail app on your smart-phone. This GPS app will guide you on an easy-to-read map as you walk, providing street names, a compass, audio guides, POI’s, and details of your average speed, elevation and duration.  Get to know the city at a faster pace.

3. If you don't have regular access to a pool at home and your hotel has one, take advantage!  Because of the water resistance, you'll burn more calories doing simple moves than you would on dry land.  Water is also easy on your back and joints.

4. There are plenty of simple yet effective exercises you can do in the comfort of your hotel room.  Try doing 50 of any or all of the following moves: jumping jacks, squats, lunges, push ups, mountain climbers, long jumps, chair dips, crunches or box jumps.  You can do it!

5. Stay hydrated!  Drinking lots of water is key and will keep you from bloating after flying and your skin from drying out.  It also helps balance out all those umbrella drinks you might be consuming because "you're on vacation!"

6. Eating healthy snacks between meals will keep your blood sugar in check and boost your overall energy and mood.  Packing snacks might be the last thing on your mind when you're frantically throwing your toiletries in your carry on, but you will be so thankful later when you're standing in the airport surrounded by greasy french fries, pretzels, ice cream, etc.  Carry healthy, portable snacks, like an apple or banana.  Or better yet, throw some Hail Merry Vanilla Maple Almonds or Grawnola in your bag.

7. As business and pleasure travelers ourselves, Hail Merry understands how hard it is to live a healthy lif

estyle on the road. And we are not alone in our desire for healthier-in-room options and on-the-go snacks. For this reason, Hail Merry is proud to be part of the health and wellness programs at Omni Hotels & Resorts, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, CIBO Express Gourmet Markets and Virgin America Airlines, . Please look and ask for our certified gluten-free, vegan, kosher and NonGMO snacks and desserts next time you are on the road.

Overall the takeaways here are to be mindful and be active and you'll be a happy camper.  Or beach goer.  Or mountain climber.

If you aren't familiar with Spark & Hustle, it's  a 14-city series of day-long conferences for current and aspiring women small business owners. Hail Merry is sponsoring the whole tour by keeping all the ladies fueled up with chocolate macaroons, and HM CEO Sarah Chapin is a featured speaker at the conferences in Washington DC, Atlanta and NYC.

The events are led by Tory Johnson, weekly contributor on Good Morning America (perhaps you came across Hail Merry when we were featured?), contributing editor to SUCCESS magazine and New York Times bestselling author.  We have to admit we are just slightly obsessed with Tory.  Not only is she a spectacularly gifted business woman (check out her empire that includes Spark & Hustle, Women for Hire, Good Morning America Deals and Steals and Friday Freebies segments, author of 5 books, should we go on?), but her tough-love approach is helping thousands of women across the country realize that their dream of running a successful small business could very easily be a reality. If you have any interest in attending, check out the remainder of the tour here - we'd love to see you there.

We are so honored Tory chose to feature Hail Merry's CEO and Founder in her Spark & Hustle Daring Dooers series.  See the full interview below on how Hail Merry has blossomed under their expert leadership.

Describe your business in one sentence.  Hail Merry is a snack food company that features raw plant based oils which make food taste better and improves overall well being.

How and when did you have the ‘Ah ha’ moment that led you to launching this business? Sarah: My ‘ah ha’ moment was seeing what Susan was doing. We had been introduced through a friend in a tea shop. She pulled her product out of a bag to show me and then I went to Central Market to see what was happening in store. I had just learned I was a diabetic. Susan shared her vision with me and in that moment our purposes collided.

Who is your ideal customer/target market? Susan: Professional woman. But really anyone who is seeking higher health and loves great tasting snacks.

How’d you land your very first customer or client? Susan: Being persistent mainly, but also offering a product that met a very unique need not being met in the marketplace.

How do you measure success and what early successes can you share? Sarah: KPI's ranging from fan-engagement, cases sold per week, hours per case, store count and our customers' year over year growth with us. If our retailers aren't growing then we don't need to add stores. Their success is ours. An early success to share was our movement to certified gluten-free status, followed by our recent one of sourcing 100% non-GMO verified ingredients. We are all about real food and ingredients sourced consciously and cultivated with respect for the world in which we live and which our children will inherit.

What’s the biggest struggle you’ve encountered? How exactly did you overcome it? Sarah: Capital. We overcame with friends and family and ourselves. The other was surviving the payment schedule on invoices for product sold through our big distributor. It was a 6 month delay on each distribution center for all POs cut and fulfilled, so managing cashflow was wild. We overcame it with personal credit cards, setting up a line of credit with our largest investor, and working with our suppliers. A bit of divine intervention as well.

What has surprised you most about running your business? Sarah: The privilege of employing people and helping them on their own health journeys. Sometimes one can take it for granted in a big company, which is my background. But the ability to hire people and grow with them and share in their successes is our greatest joy.

What specifically have you done well to promote the business that can be directly traced to sales? Sarah: We engaged with women-and built a fan base. We contacted people we knew and obtained them as customers. Make a list of those with whom you have done business and understand how what you are doing can help them. Serve their needs with what you do and business follows.

What two things do you know now that you wish you would’ve known when you started? (Or before you started?)  Sarah: It was all going to be ok! We believed it would be and in what we were doing, but there were some scary moments and we have really faced some wild times.

What keeps you up at night (business-wise!)? Sarah: Converging details and elements involved with explosive growth. Finding ways to bring costs down while preserving quality so our products can be accessible to more and more people regardless of income.

Ever tempted to throw in the towel and just get a job? Why/why not? Sarah: NO! When you are working to fulfill what you believe to be your deep purpose, that isn't even an option. Especially when I cannot imagine anything that puts to use all I have learned across my 30 years of working, alongside people I love and respect. It is awesome.  Susan: NEVER! First of all I spent 15 years working for big design firms. When your young it is important to learn from others so there is real value in working for someone else. But at some point you have to trust in yourself and go for it. I wanted to control my own destiny. I would never give up on my dream. Failure is never ever an option. It's like giving up on your kids. No good mother would ever give up on her children.

What’s your biggest business goal over the next 12 months and what will you do to meet it? Sarah: We've become cashflow positive now we will focus on becoming P&L positive, while building a facility and adding equipment. Susan: To reach as many mouths as possible so that we can help re-engineer their pallets away from junk food snacking towards healthy nutrient dense foods. We want to be sold at larger more conventional grocery stores where the options for true healthy packaged snacks is seriously lacking. This translates in numbers from 1900 stores today to approx. 5000 stores by this time next year. In order to get there we have hired a sales force to help us achieve this goal. We can’t do this alone. It is important to recognize when you need to give up some of your margin so that you can grow.

Pricing is always a challenge for women business owners. What’s your advice on getting it right? Sarah: Remember you are in business to make money and capitalism isn't a dirty word. Know your economics and at what level you can achieve desired margins - and what you can live with in the meantime. Price your products so they can have acceptance but not so low that you can't survive. Cashflow governs all. Susan: For me it was easy - partner with someone who can run the numbers in her sleep! That person is NOT me. Know you weaknesses and seek help.

Funding is never simple. What kind of money did you need and how did you get it? What’s your advice on pursuing funding? Sarah: Think about what you need and double it. Identify your ideal cast of funding partners - bank debt is great but isn't easily available. What kind of guarantees are you willing to make? Pledge? Have a business plan. Align your core investors and be prepared to show what you are contributing - if not cash then assurance that this is what you are doing and that you are all in and it isn't a hobby. Susan: Be prepared to fund you company yourself on credit cards or from family and friends in the beginning. The thought of putting your self at a credit risk and not paying back your family is HUGE motivation for success. At least it was for me. I put my kids education at risk. It is a serious risk. Take it seriously. When you have proven your concept then you can go seek other investors outside your family and friends.

Please share a few tips that are specific to your industry. For example, advice and insights on packaging, manufacturing, prototypes, sourcing, promotion, etc. Sarah: We are in the food business so we needed to make sure we had the team around the table to keep people safe, operate within the FDA's guidelines, and manage quality. Our third partner, Ali Brushaber, joined early and became the first critical resource. Susan: Research all the like products you can find on the market. Buy them. Live with them. Kick them around. How do they compare to yours? What packaging are they using? How could you make it better? Google will become your best friend. Research hours will stack up. The days of incubation are the most critical. You MUST get your prototype right or at least damn close for it to fly.

What’s your must-read online resource in your industry? Why? Sarah: Whole Foods banned substance list - they do so much research to identify what is real and isn't. We only buy real food ingredients. It sounds obvious but it isn't in America. Also related is the non-GMO verification database. We are proud to be 100% Non-GMO verified by the only respected third party. Susan: For the natural foods industry it is NewHope 360. This resource highlights trends in foods etc. You always need to stay up with the trends. I like to say "Be the trend - don't chase trends".

Complete these sentences:


Sarah:

The absolute best part of owning our business is picking who you want to work with and what you want your business to be about while fostering a culture.

If I had to start over again, I would have hired a manufacturing expert early to assess future equipment needs in order to secure enough capital for equipment.

I never imagined forecasting sales timing would be so difficult-we are really good at this and yet we don't control the month a product is added to someone's shelf. We celebrate and appreciate when we are selected and when fans ask for our snacks to be carried.

If standing on a rooftop facing crowds of aspiring or struggling small business owners, I would shout BE A CONSCIOUS CAPITALIST!

Susan:

The absolute best part of owning my business is the partnerships and getting to share in the journey with our Hail Merry family.

If I had to start over again, I would have hired packaging and equipment consultants.

I never imagined financing the initial on boarding of our distributor would be so difficult.

If standing on a rooftop facing crowds of aspiring or struggling small business owners, I would shout CONSCIOUS CAPITALISM!

Meet James Gibbon!  He's the newest member of our Student Ambassador Program and currently Keeping Austin Weird while attending the University of Texas - Go Longhorns!  James has been a big fan of Hail Merry from the very beginning and works really hard to maintain a healthy lifestyle - not the easiest thing to do when you're a popular, good-looking college coed with fun (and temptation) lurking around every corner.  Lucky for him he has the ladies at Hail Merry to keep him on the straight and narrow ;)

Name: James Gibbon

Hometown: Bozeman, Montana

Title: Student Ambassador, Austin

Little Known Fact: I really enjoy Hot Vinyasa Flow Yoga

Always on the Grocery List: Kombucha, Salmon, and of course Hail Merry!

What do eat/drink when you want to splurge? Pizza

Stay Healthy Tip: Exercise everyday, no matter how long or intense. You can't do it all in one day, but its important to not fall out of the healthy habit!

Favorite Hail Merry Product: Coconut Vanilla Creme Miracle Tart

The more the Merrier! Meet the rest of our team: Claudia, Sarah, Angela, Sara, Ali, Susan, Sierra, Jaime, Amy, Gerry and Lily.

As Chief Nutrition Officer and Director of Marketing, Claudia is busy spreading Merry's mantra about the importance of eating unrefined fats, such as the ones found in nuts, seeds, olives, coconut oil and avocado, wherever she can. Her current research correlates low fat diets to increased risk for autoimmune disease.

Claudia has been studying and working with food for her entire life. A classically trained chef, her food philosophy is grounded by the life sciences, nutrition, and health. In 2007, Dr. Pillow received a PhD in Health, and as part of the dissertation, developed and tested a celiac disease school-screening tool. In 2010, she coauthored, Gluten-Free Good Health (Agate).  As a resource for the Gluten Intolerance Group, after serving on the Board of Directors, Dr. Pillow lectures about gluten intolerance and teaches gluten-free cooking and baking classes nationally.  When not busy with food, Claudia can usually be found enjoying time with her family, playing tennis or exploring the globe - just working up an appetite for the next meal.

Name: Claudia Pillow, PhD

Hometown: Somerset, New Jersey

Title: Director of Marketing

Little Known Fact: I was a gymnast in high school and can still do splits.

Always On the Grocery List: Lemons, Bananas, Eggs (I grow most of my own greens).

What do eat/drink when you want to splurge? Homemade gluten-free pizza and red wine! I pretty much eat a gluten-free paleo diet so pizza is a real treat.

Stay Healthy Tip:  Soak in a warm tub with eucalyptus oil and bath salts.

Favorite Hail Merry Product: Orange Cranberry Grawnola because it is a lifesaver when I travel. It works as breakfast, lunch or an anytime on-the-go snack.

Stay tuned - there's many more of us to come ;)

The more the Merrier: Meet Angela, Sara, Ali, Susan, Sierra, Jaime, Amy, Gerry and Lily.