Whitney Tingle is the CEO and Co-founder of Sakara Life, a health, wellness, and fitness company that delivers organic, plant-rich meals and functional products. After completing her Bachelor’s degree and graduating magna cum laude from the University of Arizona, Whitney began her career in financial services. She interned as a financial advisor for Merrill Lynch and later served as a sales and marketing associate at Merlin Securities. She then became the Business Development and Marketing Executive for R.E. Davis Group before co-founding Sakara Life in 2011 with her best friend and business partner, Danielle Duboise.

Whitney joins us today to discuss the genesis of Sakara Life and underscore the importance of being on a mission when building a company. She highlights the importance of believing in yourself and the business you’re building and shares her advice for navigating the early stages of fundraising. She also explains what it means to “put on the chicken suit” and details how continually challenging yourself can create an exciting and purposeful Entreprenista journey.

“A mission is something that serves others. If you can find your mission, you can better serve more people. And the better you can serve, the more successful your business will be.” - Whitney Tingle

This week’s takeaways from Entreprenista:

Whitney’s background, her career in Wall Street, and why she built Sakara LifeHow the Wall Street work culture impacted Whitney’s healthThe mission that sparked Sakara LifeHow they transitioned from bootstrapping Sakara Life to raising capital for the companyThe importance of believing in the business you’re buildingHow much Sakara Life raised in their first round of fundraisingThe bias in venture capitalism and Whitney’s advice for raising capitalWhat keeps Whitney going through tough business daysWhy it’s important to put your mission at the heart of your businessSakara Life’s first hire and how the company’s team has evolvedWhat it was like to hire 100 people during a pandemicKeeping company culture alive while working remotelyWhy companies should use SlackWhat it’s like to build and scale a business with your best friend

Practicing gratitude in business and life and Whitney’s favorite Sakara Life snackHow Whitney balances her work at Sakara Life and her role as a mom

Resources Mentioned:

Book: Fiber Fueled: The Plant-Based Gut Health Program for Losing Weight, Restoring Your Health, and Optimizing Your Microbiome by Will Bulsiewicz, MDSlack

Our Favorite Quotes:

“You need to put on that chicken suit if you’re raising money. If you want it enough and believe in yourself and business enough, nothing will stand in your way.” - Whitney Tingle“Your business will always ask you how much you want it, and you have to continue to show up for it, to keep saying ‘yes’ to it.” - Whitney Tingle“Being an Entreprenista means having creative ideas and bringing them to reality as something you can touch, feel, and share with others.” - Whitney Tingle

Connect with Whitney Tingle:

Sakara LifeBook: Eat Clean: Play Dirty: Recipes for a Body and Life You LoveSakara Life on LinkedInSakara Life on InstagramSakara Life on FacebookSakara Life on TikTokSakara Life on YouTubeWhitney Tingle on LinkedIn

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