CPG Insider Interview: Brian Hart, Vitam Founder

Hey there, CPG Insider Journal shares stories of people, brands, and companies who make it possible for us to enjoy the products we all love. This week we sat down to talk with Brian Hart, the founder of Vitam. Let's take a deeper dive into our interview...

Q1. Hey there, thank you for sitting down with us to do a featured article for our audience, can you tell us more about you?

I was born in Germany and raised in Texas and went to the University of Texas Business School. After I graduated I worked as a financial software consultant in Austin and a few years into corporate life I decided to go on an adventure so I quit my job and traveled the world for 3.5 years and afterwards I got my MBA at a university in Germany. I then wrote my masters thesis using a neoclassical economics model to conduct an industrial analysis of the Colorado Cannabis Industry and moved to Colorado to grow and sell cannabis. I also consulted on cannabis for several years before leading me to where I currently am as an entrepreneur launching my own hemp beverage infused with vitamins and minerals.

Q2. Tell us more about your company?

Vitam is a hemp beverage with low dose hemp derived THC, CBD, and vitamins and minerals. It is a nonalcoholic alternative that is mood elevating and it is dosed similar to beer. The company promotes wellness not only through its ingredients but also through social connection. In 2023 the Surgeon General issued a report titled the Loneliness Epidemic highlighting that American society is the loneliest it has ever been. Dr. Murthy highlights loneliness is similar to smoking 15 cigarettes a day. With that said the company wants to encourage people to spend time together and Vitam is another way to do so without drinking alcohol while drinking a beverage that can be relaxing.

Q3. It is always fascinating to learn how people get started doing what they do, how did you get started?

It happened because I traveled the World, did some soul searching and asked what am I passionate about. Cannabis is something I shared with people around the world and I feel if more people consume hemp/cannabis products and less alcohol there would be a net positive effect on society. So I followed my passion and got into the cannabis industry!

Q4. The journey is not only about what we achieve in the end, it is a lot about what we learn along the way, can you please share with us more about what you have learned on this journey?

A favorite quote is "This too, in time, shall pass". I think it is important to embrace the present moment, good or bad, and appreciate it since it will not be around forever. So if things are going great with business and you made your first sale, appreciate it! If you had someone be terse and impolite, appreciate that as well because that is a part of the journey. But I will also say, kindness to everyone, whether they reciprocate it or not, goes a long way and has lasting impacts.

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Q5. Where do you see you / your company in 5 years?

Distributing all across the United States as well as in foreign countries. I see tremendous growth with Vitam and I also see Vitam playing a role in a culture shift where people do not drink as much alcohol and more importantly start focusing on values that connect people and less on material possessions. Instead of talking about how expensive and nice someone's car is or how high status their job is, I envision people connecting and having more community with one another and through this having more fulfillment through personal interaction rather than financial accomplishments.

Q6. Tell us something that other people may not know about your company or yourself?

We go the extra mile in our ingredients and people can taste it. We use cane sugar and monk fruit instead of high fructose corn syrup and we will never use ingredients like aspartame that has been linked to health issues.

Q7. We want for more people to discover your story and support you & your business. How can our audience find you on the web and on social media?

Please follow Vitam on Instagram - VitamCommunity as well as find us on our website www.thevitam.com. We want people to share our vision of connecting with each other and using our beverage as a non alcoholic alternative that is still mood elevating. Of course we would love for people to experience it themselves and purchase our product, invite folks over, and enjoy drinking Vitam while connecting. Most importantly we want to encourage people reading this to ask themselves and those around them if they have a strong social circle and take action to build or maintain it.

Q8. Thank you for sitting down to share your story with us, do you have any parting words?

People are not meant to be alone and we need connection with one another. There are people in countries who do not have nearly the financial resources Americans have but they are more content and happier because they have an in person social network they can rely on. We have a loneliness epidemic and a stigma that we shouldn't talk about being lonely. Push back against this, please spend time with people and focus on your relationships because it is more fulfilling than chasing the next promotion or purchasing a very expensive car that in the end does not matter nearly as much as the people in your life.

We at CPG Insider Journal wish lots of success and growth to Vitam under Brian's leadership and will be following the Team's new achievements for years to come!

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