Calloway Cook, created Illuminate Labs, a supplement company that posts its pills’ test scores on its website to be viewed by all. Cook recognized the need for a company that is honest and open about the quality of its supplements when he entered the market as a customer seeking such a company. When he found that others had the same concerns about the cleanness and safeness of supplements, he founded Illuminate Labs. He believes that money should not be prioritized as highly as health, and he wishes he had recognized that earlier in life. Starting a different business while in college, Cook failed to create success on his first try. He learned from his experience with that first business, using his found knowledge to create and run Illuminate Labs. Cook highly recommends The Lean Startup by Eric Ries, which seems to correlate with his experience starting a business, failing, and trying again to create a more successful one. One tip that Cook advances is to take a whole day off each week; he says that Sunday is good because business partners are less likely to try to get a hold of you. I find joy in the fact that Cook, though he may or may not be a Christian, believes that what Christians call a “sabbath” is good for mental health. It is not surprising that God knows what is best for humans, since he made them; people are likely to pick up on some knowledge of what is healthy on their own, but God has always known how people function, and He has provided commands and advice that promote health in the Bible. Cook may not call his off-day on Sunday a sabbath, but he has discovered its benefits.
I like that Cook decided to help consumers access information on pills effectiveness, which is something that most people don’t really think about on a normal basis. I also like you included a book to reference if you need help starting up a business
I like the fact that Cook based his company on his value of honesty. Transparency is a quality that is highly lacking in the supplement industry, and many consumers do not know which supplements are worth taking. Cook’s primary concerns about health rather than money bring a level of comfort to the consumer that is not present in other companies. I also like the way Cook was able to come back from failure and grow from his mistakes. He took the knowledge he acquired from his previous business and applied it to a new idea, helping him grow what he had created.