Sheryl O’Loughlin is an eager entrepreneur who leverages passion and purpose to create a happy life and a huge impact. She is a huge proponent of bringing love and happiness into your work, and into your work culture.
She previously served as the CEO of Clif Bar, where she introduced the world to Luna bars (and grew the bars into a $70M business in just three years); she was the cofounder and CEO of Plum Organics; and she is currently CEO of REBBL super herb beverages.
Sheryl is also the author of KILLING IT!: An Entrepreneur's Guide to Keeping Your Head Without Losing Your Heart.
KILLING IT! was sparked by a study conducted by Dr. Michael A. Freeman, which found a correlation between entrepreneurs and illness such as ADHD, bipolar disease, depression, and drug abuse. He found these were present in about 72% of the entrepreneurial population, compared to about 40% of the general population.
Sheryl was experiencing this dark side of entrepreneurship, and she realized the need for a change in entrepreneurial culture. We need to start talking about the the dark side of killing it every day, and how we can avoid the big pitfalls.
“99% of business don’t make it, and entrepreneurs are going through this hardship alone because they think they’re the only ones. I want to change the culture of that so people don’t feel like they’re alone!”
Love and time helped Sheryl out of the darkness.
She fell in love with REBBL, a super herb elixir business created in collaboration with the nonprofit Not For Sale.
The nonprofit’s goal is to stop human trafficking. REBBL helps them achieve that goal because they source ingredients from affected indigenous communities, and the income helps support their livelihood so that they are no longer vulnerable to trafficking. A portion of the net profits also helps fund Not For Sale’s rehabilitation efforts.
“It’s a joy to go to work when you know you’re doing something with so much meaning.”
Social Mission Companies like REBBL, companies that intentionally pursue a greater purpose than pure profit, are able to create a powerful and sustainable impact that other support organizations don’t have the resources to accomplish. As an added benefit, the social mission creates an environment where people love to work because something truly meaningful drives every individual's actions.
Entrepreneurs, be wary of the hustle and the grind. Remember that the dark side is part of our nature, and that we can forge a path through the darkness and back to the light with support, love, and purpose.
“People are talking about how they’re killing it, but it could be killing you.”
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Production & Development for The Impact Entrepreneur Show by Podcast Masters