Insider's Guide Part 3: Lessons in Building Partnerships

When TrueToniq first launched, it had a small but successful distribution. Scott came back to us to create a low-calorie beverage in his product line, called Trim Toniq. He would bring us many flavor ideas and we would sit down and discuss all factors related to how they would affect a beverage. Many of the ideas were tested for solubility and judged on their flavor and aroma quality. They were often too earthy and herbal in nature. [Ohlgren] was very big on having millennials and younger people working for his company that were very interested in the "Whole Foods" market and major health-related trends. He was always looking for the next new-age ingredient, the next best thing, and came to us to help him make that happen.

Ohlgren's first product — True Toniq — was very successful. He was hoping to expand his product line following the success of this product. Aside from Flavorman, he was meeting with individuals who pushed him to move in directions that were not technically or financially feasible. We encouraged him to consider that certain ingredients would not work together and would present limitations for his business and products. Ultimately, he pursued a product that was more natural and organic — and very expensive. The downfall of this company can be attributed to the expectation of creating a product that was not financially sustainable. It is not reasonable to create a beverage with high raw material costs and expect to sell it at a price that many consumers will be unwilling to pay. Ohlgren had a vision for a product and at first, people were buying it. That vision, however, was completely altered by the business partnerships he adopted, and that eventually led to the development of an unsustainable drink.

It is important the listen to the people who have given you expert technical advice and have your best interests at heart. Ohlgren didn't know what he needed at first and came to Flavorman for help. We assisted him in creating a successful product and had been doing this work for a very long time. We know that when our clients are not successful, we are not successful because our business is directly linked to their product's success. Simply put, the lesson learned here is to work with experts, and trust your experts. As important as it is to explore what you can do with a beverage, it is also important to keep your ideas practical and logical, working with individuals and companies with the technical skill sets that can bring your idea to a feasible reality and help you maintain your success.

Scott Ohlgren was a kind and genuine person. We always knew that when he would come in, he would bring along a myriad of unconventional flavor ideas. He was also reasonable and was willing to listen to us; if a certain combination was not going to work, he followed our advice. It was such a fun project to work on and we learned a lot of new information about different ingredients that we never used before. With some customers, there is no margin to learn original information. Scott brought so many unusual ingredients to the table that we were able to learn a great deal from this project. And in some respects, he taught us just as much as we taught him.