Lifeway Foods: Julie Smolyansky

Thank you for tuning into "Starting Small", a podcast about brand development, entrepreneurship, and innovation in the modern world. In this episode, I am joined by Julie Smolyansky, CEO of Lifeway Foods, America's largest manufacturer of kefir. Lifeway began in 1986, when Julie's parents, Russian immigrants Michael and Ludmila Smolyansky began making Kefir in the basement of their Skokie, IL home. The cultured dairy drink had been popular in Eastern Europe for centuries, but the Smolyansky family was determined to share their delicious health secret with their newfound home. While finding massive success with Lifeway, Julie's father ended up passing away in 2002, which led her to take over the position as CEO... With the new position, Julie became the youngest female CEO of a publicly held firm at age 27. Under her leadership, the Company has expanded distribution throughout the United States, Mexico, the UK, and Ireland as well as portions of Central and South America and the Caribbean. Continuing the companies growth, Lifeway went from $12 million in annual revenue when Julie first took over to surpassing $120 million in annual revenue.  Make sure to check out Lifeway Foods at: https://lifewaykefir.com/   Follow Starting Small: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/startingsmallpod/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Startingsmallpod/?modal=admin_todo_tour LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/cameronnagle   Support for Starting Small comes from Humanscale, the leading designer and manufacturer of high-performance ergonomic products that help create a healthier work life. All of their products, from chairs to standing desks and more, are comfortable, easy to use, and sustainable. And great for either the office or the work from home environment. With an increase in shifting workplaces, comfort can be especially hard to find. As I run the podcast, I am in front of my desk for hours a day; from scheduling, researching, interviewing, and more. Humanscale allows me to remain productive, without the consequence of body stress to follow.  Make sure to check out Humanscale at humanscale.com, and use code: STARTINGSMALL at checkout to save 20% on your purchase.