A startup with an unusual name – A Boring Life – is gaining traction with its line of CBD-infused organic snacks. They are led by a highly experienced team, and the founders have successfully sold their previous company in the organic consumer foods sector. A Boring Life has been backed by Canopy Boulder venture fund, and now is rapidly scaling.
Interview Date: 11th June 2021
Having previously started, scaled, and exited the organic food company Hip Chick Farms after reaching 250% YOY growth in 5 years, Serafina Palandech has now set her sights on a new way to promote healthy and organic food. As the CEO and co-founder of A Boring Life, her product line is placed at the center of three growing trends in today’s market: hemp extract, organic/natural, and plant-based proteins.
Palandech lives on a lavender farm in Boring, Oregon with her partner and co-founder Chef Jenn Johnson. It is here where she first realized that boredom creates room for opportunities and, as a result, founded A Boring Life.
Harnessing Hemp to Address a Real Need
“Really, what we’ve created is a wellness company that uses CBD to provide an overall sense of well-being,” Palandech tells us. “As the leading mental disease in the US, anxiety is an overwhelming problem for people today. More people are being diagnosed with chronic anxiety and things are only getting worse. Folks are looking for a natural way to feel better and medical research shows that both hemp and natural high protein foods help,” she explains.
“We, of course, don’t make any medical claims, but our line of products are infused with hemp because it is known to help anxiety, sleeplessness, and pain along with a host of other ailments. And not only does hemp have the ability to heal our minds and our bodies, but growing hemp also has a tremendously positive effect on soil.”
Natural, Healthy, Organic, Local
“After A Boring Life launched in August 2018, we saw an overwhelmingly positive response from customers. Now, our product line is available in 100 stores across the US with multiple channels of distribution: grocery, specialty, convenience, and direct to consumer. The product line initially included a range of flavorful CBD-infused nuts. We also introduced more products like organically cultivated and non-GMO honey, hemp extract oil, and even gummies for dogs,” says Palandech.
Palandech maintains a strong focus on naturally sourced and cultivated ingredients. “We grow some of the ingredients and cultivate bees that make truly remarkable honey on our biodiverse lavender farm. However, A Boring Life is scaling beyond our capacities quickly, and we expanded our supply chain by sourcing from local family farms in California.”
A Unique Offering in a Crowded Marketplace
There are many companies offering CBD infused food items – what sets you apart?
“Most of the companies in the edible CBD space are very sugar-based. Whether it’s candy bars, gummies, or beverages, it’s mostly made of sugar and artificial sweeteners. Not only are our products vegan, keto, paleo, and gluten-free, but we also have naturally sugar-free options as well as high protein options. So ultimately we have a healthier offering that really resonates with our customers.”
With co-founder Jenn Johnson’s experience as a nationally renowned chef, they also focus on impeccable flavor. “All products are made by hand in small batches with the broad-spectrum CBD to pay extra attention to exceptional quality,” says Palandech.
Growing Demand and a Transition to Scale
A Boring Life claims an ability to scale rapidly with strong gross profit margins of 40-50%. With distributor and retail partners in the US and China as well as preliminary approval to launch into Sprouts stores (350 stores nationwide) in Q2 2020.
We asked Palandech why they chose equity crowdfunding:
Most traditional VCs can’t fund hemp yet as it was only recently declassified and still needs to be added to their current bylaws. As a result, we decided on equity crowdfunding, and this is our second campaign, this time we are running our campaign on Republic.”
With a projected profit of $4M by 2021, Palandech plans to scale into new stores, fill new channels of distribution, and launch their first retail location in the Pacific Northwest. Because of their past experience, they also have strong relationships with buyers and press in the industry. “We’re currently self-producing, but once our volume reaches a specific threshold, we’ll move to a co-packing environment. International distribution is a huge opportunity for us, as well as consumer sales and retail. So with the continuation of our current business plan, we plan to easily achieve our forecasts,” she adds. “This is a great time to join us, and we welcome anyone that believes in the qualities of hemp and in the importance of consuming natural food to come and invest and take a part in our journey.”
