Ivy Ong and Adrian Soon are the co-founders of The Good Seed. They share their story with us…
Tell us about Sorted.
Sorted is a new better-for-you prebiotic fizzy drink for people who want a healthier lifestyle. It’s a 100% natural, high fibre, low carb alternative to artificially flavoured and artificially sweetened beverages, which is scientifically proven to support digestive health and maintain healthy gut microbiome. We worked closely with food scientists and digestive health researchers to create a delicious and healthy beverage that everyone can enjoy.
What inspired you to start Sorted?
Adrian and I are inspired by the wonderful world of gut health and probiotics. Probiotics and fibre play a huge part in maintaining healthy gut bacteria and our overall health and wellbeing. We discovered that a staggering amount of Australians do not consume enough fibre to sustain a healthy lifestyle. Modern diet has a lot to do with it and we understand that not everyone is attuned to their fibre and macro intake. To combat this, we decided to create Sorted, a beverage that brings back the nostalgic flavours we all loved growing up, but without the nasties and will help Aussies to improve their fibre and probiotic intake. We’re seeing a growing demand for healthy beverages, and we believe that Sorted is the drink of the future!
Tell us about your career and background.
Ivy: I originally trained to be a veterinary technician as I love animals! As much as I loved my studies, I had an itch to start a business, so I started a t-shirt screen printing business, which evolved into a contemporary clothing store in New Zealand which I ran for a few years after graduating from university.
Building a business felt like my true calling and after moving to Australia I wanted to build a business that had a greater purpose and resonated with my active lifestyle. I wanted to build a business that made the world a better place.
Creating The Good Seed came about very unexpectedly. My husband Adrian and I were living with underlying health problems. I was diagnosed with Psoriasis as a child and Adrian had hemorrhoids and a ganglion cyst. We discovered that our gut health was at the root of our health problems. Did you know that 70% of our health problems start in the gut? We didn’t know either. There is a huge link between gut health and our overall health. Poor gut health can cause inflammation, which most people would consider ‘normal’.
We started making water kefir and studying nutrition to improve our understanding of gut health, and after four months noticed a huge improvement. My psoriasis became manageable, and Adrian was no longer troubled by hemorrhoids or by his ganglion cyst. From then on, we decided to dedicate our lives to better the gut health of our community.
Adrian: When I was working as a business consultant in the telco industry, my manager asked me at the annual review, “Adrian, what would you do if money weren’t an issue?”. I’ve always enjoyed playing tennis. So, I would usually say health and fitness. Who knew, 3 years later, I’d return to Australia and became a tennis coach. I’d also have a certification in Nutrition.
Despite an active lifestyle, Ivy and I were struggling with strange health concerns. When looking for solutions we learn about kefir. “Could this drink heal us?” , I wondered. Seeing promising results in our own experience drove us to create The Good Seed Kefir.
Describe a typical work day for you.
Adrian and I live and breathe The Good Seed, our schedule is far from typical, but we love it. It keeps things incredibly exciting. Our weekday morning starts relatively early, the day begins with major hydration, water, kefir then it’s about getting our little lady ready for her adventure at daycare. We usually have our meals including breakfast ready prepped to take to work. After daycare drop off, we then head to work where we catch up on podcasts on the way. There is usually a digital to-do list to tackle – my role is about identifying where the gaps need to be filled, everything from planning, admin, and marketing (we did say we like the excitement of keeping busy). I enjoy having a list, they are categorised in 3 parts green, yellow and red. Red being most urgent and green less biting – what would one do without these planning apps?
Adrian handles the sales and logistics for independent stores and home-based customers. He focusses on building close relationships with the buyers and store owners to keep close tabs on the health food scene. As part of the production team as well, he is either busy in the factory kitchen or out on the road checking on the stores. Each day is carefully managed on the calendar with a separate to-do list that gets ticked off daily. As expected in a small business, he is also constantly jumping from one task to another and has adapted to fill different roles when needed.
We usually aim to be home at about 6pm, it’s not always the case but we try. By then we try and squeeze a quick workout, synchronise dinner and get the little one ready for the nightly routine. We then finish off the evening with a bit of work for about an hour or two then end the night with audible books or podcasts and catching up on convo with friends and family. It’s important to maintain a healthy work life balance. If we’re lucky, we fit in a bit of TV time with a core workout. It’s our new year’s rule – if we want to watch TV, we need to tie in a physical activity to be as productive as possible.
What advice do you have for those wanting to start a business?
Let’s be honest, being your own boss is a tough gig. It’s not just about doing things you enjoy, as there will be plenty of times you will need to do things you are not necessarily fond of. Set ground rules for yourself and your partners. Most importantly start with passion, it makes the pursuit so much more manageable. Also, we feel it’s incredibly important to ask for help when needed and surround yourself with a good supportive community. Joining an incubator program in the area you would like to start a business in is invaluable.
What’s next for you and Sorted?
We have so much more to offer – new products are currently being innovated. Also, we are currently in a promising discussion with a major retailer. This is a big deal for us – we want to help people get their hands on The Good Seed products easily. The more accessible we have TGS, the closer we are to help Australians achieve better gut health. We all know that better gut health means happier minds and also better health. Watch this space!
