How to Dream Big in Business with Tracey Warner Halama of Vital Proteins

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When one of Tracey’s friends had given her a sample of a new product to try that he had been working on, she noticed positive changes to a CrossFit injury within a few weeks. She called him up and decided to partner with him on the product. Soon after, Vital Proteins was born and it revolutionized the ingestible collagen market. 

Today, we sit down with Tracey Warner Halama, CEO of Vital Proteins, a CPG company that was the first to market ingestible collagen. She shares how Vital Proteins has helped her, the early risks that paid off, the mistakes that were made, and so much more. 

​​“In 2016, she [Jennifer Aniston] did her first interview where she mentioned, ‘there’s a collagen peptide that I use, and it gives my skin a healthy glow.’ And I remember we read that we were like, ‘how cool would it be if she actually used our product?’” – Tracey Warner Halama

If you’re looking to take your business to the next level, join the Entreprenista League today at entreprenista.com/join. We can’t wait to welcome you, support you, and be part of your business journey!

This week’s takeaways from Entreprenista:

  • Tracey shares her background and how Vital Proteins has changed her life (2:13)
  • Tracey talks about the risks they took in the early years that paid off during the pandemic (8:29)
  • Tracey discusses why Vital Proteins took on capital (16:47)
  • Tracey shares the mistakes that were made in the early years (20:11)
  • Tracey discusses navigating partnerships with celebrities (26:32)
  • Tracey shares who they worked with in the early days (35:26)
  • Tracey gives advice for successfully growing your team (39:02)
  • Rapid fire questions (43:25)
  • What being an Entreprenista means to Tracey (47:34)

Resources Mentioned:

Our Favorite Quotes:

  • “To really put out there that, you know, this could be a $500 million business was a big hairy goal. And I think, you know, the common denominator for all of us is that we really believed it could be a $500 million business or bigger.” – Tracey Warner Halama
  • “​​At Whole Foods, we were the first brand to go from zero to $20 million in sales in 24 months.” – Tracey Warner Halama 
  • “I really want to pay it forward for this next generation of leaders.” – Tracey Warner Halama

Connect with Tracey Warner Halama:

If you’re looking to take your business to the next level:

Join our Entreprenista League community of women founders! You’ll have access to a private community of like-minded Entreprenistas who are making an impact in business every day, special discounts on business products and solutions, exclusive content, private events, the opportunity to have your story featured on our website and social channels, and MORE!

Whether you’re looking to scale your existing business and want to make the right connections, or you’re thinking about finally taking the leap to launch your business, we’re here to give you access to a community of women who will celebrate your every step, and with whom you can share the candid reality of building a business from scratch.

Join the Entreprenista League today at entreprenista.com/join. We can’t wait to welcome you, support you, and be part of your business journey!

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