Dive Through the Wave: Interview with Stuart Kronauge, CEO of Juice Plus+
I recently went one on one with Stuart Kronauge, the first female CEO of the global health and wellness company Juice Plus+. Stuart previously served as Chief Marketing Officer at Beyond Meat and in several senior leadership executive roles at The Coca-Cola Company.
Adam: Thanks again for taking the time to share your advice. First things first, though, I am sure readers would love to learn more about you. How did you get here? What experiences, failures, setbacks or challenges have been most instrumental to your growth?
This is a big question!
My career has always been to follow interesting and challenging opportunities in the food, beverage, and nutrition space. I love to understand what and how consumers choose what they decide to put into their bodies. To me, that decision is a very intimate one as it shows preference, passion, culture, and sometimes even aspiration. I love human behavior and the places I’ve had the pleasure to work gave me a front-row seat to human connections and patterns.
I think that every part of an experience curates one’s growth. However, for me, growth equals movement. Movement can be in my mindset, my skill set, or my attitude. I like to say that my “signature move” at work is taking on hard tasks that others may shy away from and then figuring out how to get them done well. This choice can oftentimes mean that it is filled with failures, setbacks, and challenges…those to me, are the things that create movement, then growth.
In your experience, what are the key steps to growing and scaling your business?
It starts with having the combination of a motivated and capable team, a differentiated product, and a mission. Of course, it also helps to have some resources in the bank. If you have that combination, then outlining a plan of action and working together in an accountable way within a reasonable time frame helps enable the ability to scale your business.
What do you believe are the defining qualities of an effective leader?
Curiosity, optimism, humor, and a strong network. You also must really like, know, and believe in yourself.
Awareness of your own emotions and biases. As an example, I have found that leadership can be somewhat lonely, and you need to understand when that may be a good or bad thing in your day-to-day journey.
Effective energy management and comprehending your own mental and physical stamina are imperative to staying sharp and even-keeled.
Confidentiality, trust, and humanity are critical in all dealings. Plus, people are looking at you to make decisions and set the tone and organizational norms.
Surrounding yourself with diversity and making sure that your “kitchen cabinet” of advisors and people includes both like-minded and divergent thinkers.
Humility and a service orientation.
How can leaders and aspiring leaders take their leadership skills to the next level?
Try things that scare you or that you may have never done before…that is really the only way to learn. Also, be ready to not be great at everything but cut yourself some slack as it is a journey.
What are your three best tips applicable to entrepreneurs, executives and civic leaders?
Don’t forget that you have responsibilities to others.
I believe that we all want the same things…to be healthy, happy, and safe.
Try something new but tell people why.
What is your best advice on building, leading and managing teams?
The culture you live in and seek can make or break a team and its success. When people do not feel seen, heard, or safe many things suffer. The hard part is getting the balance of culture and growth calibrated correctly and I have found that building, leading, and managing a team is a totally different and more difficult tasks since the pandemic.
What are your best tips on the topics of sales, marketing and branding?
Listen to your inner voice. If it is saying that an idea or plan is a not good enough yet, don’t ignore that!
Remember that it is about people and their emotions first, logic second when they are buying something.
Brands are like people, and you cannot violate their personal characteristics, values, and traits.
Don’t stop until you are proud.
What is the single best piece of advice you have ever received?
“Dive through the wave”-My Grandmother, Momet
She used to take me to the beach when I was little, and I was scared of the white cap waves, but I desperately wanted to get into the water. She would hold my hand and say to me if you dive through the wave not over or under you will break through on the other side more safely. She didn’t say that it wasn’t going to be scary but that if you want something and it is scary, uncertain, or different that if you push through to the other side, you will be rewarded, and it will get easier.
Is there anything else you would like to share?
Since leading The Juice Plus+ Company, a compilation of things and events have come together to form a unique experience. I have met and learned about the lives of our numerous global Partners who work tirelessly every day to help spread the Juice Plus+ mission of “Inspiring Healthy Living Around the World.” Their passion and belief in the brand are amazing and what’s even better is that the Juice Plus+ mission has become their lifestyle and purpose. Each of them seeks to help change people’s lives in small and large ways. It has reconfirmed that small actions by many empowered people can change the world.
Adam Mendler is the CEO of The Veloz Group, where he co-founded and oversees ventures across a wide variety of industries. Adam is also the creator and host of the business and leadership podcast Thirty Minute Mentors, where he goes one on one with America's most successful people - Fortune 500 CEOs, founders of household name companies, Hall of Fame and Olympic gold medal winning athletes, political and military leaders - for intimate half-hour conversations each week. Adam has written extensively on leadership, management, entrepreneurship, marketing and sales, having authored over 70 articles published in major media outlets including Forbes, Inc. and HuffPost, and has conducted more than 500 one on one interviews with America’s top leaders through his collective media projects. A top leadership speaker, Adam draws upon his insights building and leading businesses and interviewing hundreds of America's top leaders as a top keynote speaker to businesses, universities and non-profit organizations.
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