Lara Schmoisman 0:05
This is Coffee Number Five. I’m your host Lara Schmoisman. Hi, everyone. Welcome back to Coffee Number Five. As you guys know, I don’t have a filter, you know that. So I’m ready to talk about business. But I’m also ready about talking about things that are personal. So today I invited someone super dear to me, Lana Kerr. She, I don’t only work with her, but I respect the hell out of her. And she’s not only an amazing businesswoman, she also been living helping other woman. So welcome, Lana.

Lana Kerr 0:42
Lara, thank you so much for having me on your platform, it’s good to be,

Lara Schmoisman 0:46
Oh, I’m so excited that we were gonna have real talk today. And it goes, I know, so many can benefit from not only your journey, but also from the line that you have created. So let’s talk a little, let’s go back in time how it all started. Because first you were working with weight loss issues.

Lana Kerr 1:08
Yes, yes. Well, okay. So like, you know, again, like most things that I get involved in and get passionate about, it usually starts with some need that I have, right? You know, my father has always said in terms of business, you just have to find a need and fill it. And I think that finding things that I need is typical of what another person is going to need to kind of get involved in that. So yes, after I was in accounting, and finance, which is my educational background, I went back to school studied nutrition, because I wanted to get into beauty and image and weight loss. And I thought that was a big thing for me at that time. And, and so I got involved in weight loss. And we’ve helped, we’ve helped through our program, we’ve helped really, I think it’s the numbers over 30,000 people to achieve their ideal body. And that’s kind of what led me into the more the beauty line, I feel like when people they you know, they lose weight, then they start looking at their skin, they started looking at other ways to improve. And so we decided to open a spa. And in that spa, looking for something that would be as unique and as innovative as the weight loss program that we had brought me to carboxytherapy. And that’s pretty much how I got into it, you know, when you when you have a spa, you know, you’re gonna get people who are trying to sell you products to use, and I didn’t want to use something that everyone else was using. And so I would just really interview people and see what they’re doing on their skin, if I liked their skin. And you know, one particular woman had talked about carboxy therapy, and I had never heard about it. And I liked to know about things that I I’d never heard about. And we did a little research and carboxy therapy was a very old protocol or technology that they were using in Europe. So that’s where should get it done. And we were thinking, let’s do this here. But I’m just investigating, getting the machine to deliver the co2 gas, because that’s what carboxy therapy is, is a therapeutic use of carbon dioxide to regenerate the skin or tissue. And it was just some complications with that the FDA was not allowing that here. And then we’d have to hold we leverage it, we’d have to have a medical provider who was providing this. So we just did further research. And we found a group of scientists in Japan that actually patented the technology for which we have the exclusive rights to this technology, and we formed created CO2 Lift. And we launched in 2016.

Lara Schmoisman 3:40
So how was the journey because that’s going through a lot of loops and trying to find out on FDA get involved. That’s not an easy task. You knew that he was a gut feeling that you had to go with this because that’s a hard one, to decide. I’m gonna do it. We’re gonna do this and find the company in Japan and sign an agreement with them. And manufacturing.

Lana Kerr 4:06
Yeah. I know it’s, you know what it is? I was just like, you know, I kind of followed my gut with that. And you know, I have a great partner, my husband, we’ve done, we’ve married now, last year, we celebrated 25 years, but we’ve been in business together for almost as long as we’re married. We’ve always done things together and collaborated and we’ve just everything that we’ve done pretty much if we agree on it, or we push forward. It has, we have reached a level of success that we’ve been happy with. So with this when this came on, we’re both looking for something and so when I came across this he started doing research, and we just we knew that based on the technology, you know where things were going in skincare people were looking for non-invasive ways to look younger. And this is a really a medical treatment that you can do at home, you know, biologics were starting to come in, or people wanted to just, they’re looking more of the quality of their skin. So we just knew that this would be the way to go. And we just, we kind of died, we dove in, because we put a lot of money into it. And we did a lot of research before we actually launched. So we just, you know, like everything that we have done in the past, once we kind of made that decision, and we put the commitment in, we just, we’re gonna see it straight through.

Lara Schmoisman 5:28
I want to say two things. First of all, this treatment really works. I did it myself. Lana saved me a few times by the what she doesn’t know, I think is that I lost over 100 pounds. And this is always my neck is something that is very problematic area. And this has been the only treatment that I’ve been seen a little difference.

Lana Kerr 5:52
I’m so glad to hear. Because you know what it is? Lara, it’s went back, we just completed another clinical just on the standalone benefits of this.

Lara Schmoisman 6:01
That’s what I was going.

Lana Kerr 6:02
Yeah. So it’s one of the things that was remarkable about it is that it increases elasticity in the skin by 26%. After only six applications. Now what you have to understand one of the investigator, the chief investigator on this with is Dr. Zoe Draelos She’s, she’s a very well respected dermatologist. So she investigates, many of the cosmeceutical companies go to her for their clinicals. And this is something that she’s never seen. 26% elasticity is not anything something that people can claim. I mean, they’ll say, a measurable increase in elasticity. But for us to actually say 26% increase in elasticity. That’s a huge number. And after just six treatments, which can be done within a month.

Lara Schmoisman 6:49
Yeah. And it’s amazing. It’s really amazing. But it’s also we’re gonna be talking about this a little more, because I’ve been discovering more uses and that I wasn’t even aware of, and this is amazing. But for you to go and do these really clinical studies, they’re very expensive. Yes, yes. And time consuming, nerve wracking, Because you don’t know what you’re gonna find.. That’s right. Yeah, it’s so why. Why should the work? Why do you feel like you need to do it for the products to make claims or just to real, really know what your products do?

Lana Kerr 7:29
Well, because I want to first of all, there’s so many cosmeceuticals on the market, how do women decide how do women choose and it’s a lot of it is not regulated. So before we put something out, I want people to feel confident that we have done the homework, we know that what you’re using is going to get what we’re promising. And that’s very important to me. First of all, for me, I want the results myself because anything that we promote, it’s something that I stand behind that I receive results that I want my friends and family to enjoy. And I really, for me to be authentic, and for me to be sincere, I have to make sure that it’s working. So yes, it’s very important. Before we even launched, we started just to make sure what are some of the characteristics about this product that is so unique. And one of the things we found early on was the hydration level, the hydration level was 117% after one application, and that’s huge. So that’s one of the findings. And then second to that, Lara. What we wanted to make sure carboxy therapy, which typically is done well with a needle before that it was done in carbonic springs, but with an inch needle, we compared the gel to the needle to see the isn’t really touching microcirculation because we wanted to make sure that people knew that this is really carboxytherapy. And we found that to be the case. In fact, there are other products that claim to be carboxy we actually did a study with it, and we used those products to see is it really doing that when we in on further investigation, none of the other products are touching microcirculation so we can be confident that what we’re selling is really being represented, and that’s why it’s important for us to do clinicals

Lara Schmoisman 9:09
Yeah. And I was like, for example, I was talking to my cosmetologist last week, and she not only knew about the product, and she was a big fan, she was explained to me, like for example, a lot of people they are doing micro-needling, and he’s just scaled out of the micro-needling and she said but why would you leave the micro-needling without the facility without putting something on your skin? Because that’s the whole idea of opening your pores so you can really get products Yeah, so there’s so much Miss-information out there how to like this all these big treatments but what do you do about after the treatment? What do you do after you put the Morpheus or what do you do after even you get a tattoo or you need to heal or even lose weight there is there are all these offerings they are but then there is no post treatments.

Lana Kerr 9:58
Yeah, well You know, we so we have two different avenues, we mark it to physicians, dermatologists, plastic surgeons, gynecologist. And then of course, we have another formulation of the CO2LIFT face that we do direct to consumer. So let’s talk about when we even regardless of what what since we’re in that, Dr. Audience, there are other products that do post care, it’s true. The thing about what is different about the CO2LIFT is that post care is supposed to help with healing. So that’s what we’re doing very effectively is helping helping to heal the skin barrier. Once you once you’ve done a procedure, whether you’re doing some type of energy based device, or you’re doing something type of mechanical device, there’s now affecting the skin barrier, you need to repair that. So the CO2LIFT is the fastest way to do that. But in addition to that, Lara, you’re actually doing another treatment. So it’s almost like doing a combo treatment, because not only you’re repairing the skin barrier, but you’re actually trying to support the same results that you just did with the energy based or the mechanical device. You see, when you do an energy or micro-needling or a mechanical device like that, which by damaging the skin, you’re causing the body to start healing, right, so you control damage, so the body can force to start healing with the CO2LIFT, you’re doing the same thing without damaging the skin. Because once you put co2 gas into the skin, the body’s going to natural to respond with the healing mechanisms, that’s going to start repairing the tissue thickening the tissue bringing hydration to the tissue. So if you do it in combination with a procedure, not only you helping to heal that procedure, but you’re actually helping enhance the results of the procedure.

Lara Schmoisman 11:43
That’s incredible. But then you went a step forward, and you find another problem that a lot of woman’s that we’re having even having after having kids or just sneezing, and peeing and that happens to a lot of us out there. And but you also got a solution, you found that carboxy also was a great sexual wellness product.

Lana Kerr 12:10
Yes, well, so it’s again, going back to my own problems. When I was in my mid-40s, I started noticing a difference in the quality of my intimacy, put it that way. And I spoke my my gynecologist, I was explained to her that I wasn’t feeling the same, you know, after intercourse. And, you know, she proceeded to educate me of what happens to us as we get older, which I don’t think many, many women understand. But the tissue down there, it’s similar to what’s on your face, it gets thinner, it gets drier lack of blood flow. And so when because it’s getting thinner and drier, you don’t naturally lubricate in the same way and then even sensitivity decreases. So she was recommending a laser procedure which actually I signed up for because I’m a big believer if you’re going to do something, make sure you’re doing it right even if it’s sex make sure it’s right and you’re enjoying it um so I sign up for but on leaving I thought you know we have something already that works very similar to energy based device with no pain involved, no downtime that we’re using for the face and the body. Why not do go out and try it or? Before I did before I did. I just spoke with one of our advisors who is a gynecologist, a cosmetic gynecologist spoke to him about what my ideas were, and he says like Lana, let’s just do a pilot. So we did a pilot small, just 10 women, but it was double-blind, which means the investigator doesn’t didn’t know if it’s going to be the ultrasound gel, which is the control or the CO2LIFT technology. And then the patient didn’t know what she was using. So we did questionnaires, which were standardized questionnaire, forms that measure orgasm desire, lubrication apparents and the women that use ultrasound gel showed no changes because obviously it’s an ultrasound gel. So even the placebo didn’t make the effect change. Whereas the women who use a co2 lift technology showed significant changes in all five areas. So then we did biopsies and the pathologist again didn’t know what when when when a woman started or when a woman he finished with the before and after and he was we were able to see the difference in tissue after only 10 treatments that tissue looks thick and full of just the hydration the quality of that tissue looked like the woman was in her 30s so we got very excited and then that’s why I tried it no pun on the word excited and so I tried it and I just thought to myself oh my goodness I forgot how it felt like you know you, you forget sometimes

Lara Schmoisman 14:47
Of course, you forget to have- what it’s like about having a baby otherwise you don’t do it again.

Lana Kerr 14:52
Exactly. So I thought okay is this is my enjoyment. Just mind over matter? Is it just because I knew that this is going to produce something so I gave it to my mom was in her 70s, and my aunts in their 60s, and they went from sandpaper to butter. That’s what I said, Oh, my goodness, we have something. So then we did a soft launch. And then we did a larger study, which was published in 2020. And then we we’re currently in the process of doing another study, with 60 women, we’re adding stress incontinence to that. So I’m excited to see the results. I mean, we already know what they’re going to be because we’ve done the studies already, we just wanted a larger statistical number of women.

Lara Schmoisman 15:31
But the truth is that it’s hard to talk about sex. And it’s harder to talk about sexual life and improving your sexual life in this stage of our life when you are a mature woman. And it’s something that culturally we are not educated that it’s okay to talk about.

Lana Kerr 15:49
Yeah, it’s so true. I think, I think this is definitely changing because more conversation is being had about it. But I can see certainly say that even when I was in my 30s, I would have loved to have somewhere to go to for resource because after children, I remember how things changed for me, and it actually affected my relationship with my husband, because you’re just, you don’t want things in this in, it’s just you’re tired, you’re busy, you don’t see the you don’t feel the same way. And if someone was to educate me and said, Lana, you know, when you have children, things changed on there, too, and gave me a solution. It would have definitely minimize the complication that I had in my own relationship. So I think, no, we’re having these conversations more, and people aren’t women are being more free to talk about it. But I still there’s so much more room for growth.

Lara Schmoisman 16:38
Absolutely. Now, let’s go back to the business part because you launch these as a professional treatment first, correct? Correct. All if anything goes in the professional route and not DTC?

Lana Kerr 16:51
Yes, great question. Well, because we wanted the validity, and we wanted more of the endorsement of physicians because again, this is a medical treatment that can be done at home. So we when we in our first year, we had made the decision to only go for core professionals. So they had it and they could only do it in the office. So it was a very expensive treatment at that time to even get it done. You know, the average position was charging around three to three 300 to 350 to get it done in their office. But we just thought that that was the route to go. And when we launched it. In fact, it was more of just skin health. We didn’t even do a lot of pre and post procedure, because that came with after doing trials and a lot of doctors really helped us. You know, I can mention doctors like Dr. Wendy Roberts, a very well respected dermatologist in Palm Desert, or Dr. Brian Wiseman in Oculoplastic surgeon in Tennessee. Basically what they did is just or or Dr Tess Mauricio in San Diego, basically, they just played with the product. And that helped us because when they tried it for eczema, it worked when they tried it for psoriasis, it worked or rosacea, when they tried it for putting on prepping the skin. It they saw a better outcome. So these things helped us to now go back and do clinical studies and see how this will respond versus what was the standard of care. And we saw it was just an exceptional wake. So once we did that launched in the doctor’s offices, the next year in 2017, what made us really decide even quicker because we weren’t going to do a direct to consumer in 2017. That wasn’t original plan. We were going to wait for three years before we’re in direct to consumer because we thought we needed to wait that time to get that type of buy in from the physicians. But what we had one of our doctors in Tennessee actually had a very well influential patient who was getting married. And you know, she was she was said to him, you know, what can I do before my wedding to really give me that wow. And he said, Well, CO2LIFT, of course, is what you need to do. So that was her first introduction to CO2LIFT, she tried it on her face. And she was so impressed. She started telling all her followers about it. And I remember growing in our followers from about 200 to 6000 followers in one month, just from because of her talking about it. So we reached out to her, of course, she was on our honeymoon. And then I met her when she came back and we talked about it and she was very excited about this product. Everyone needs to know about it. So we’ve kind of changed the game, we went back to our factory and we kind of just a little different formulation that we wanted to launch direct to consumer, which we did that year in Black Friday of 2017. It was a very successful launch. And from there we just continued in going in that direction.

Lara Schmoisman 19:41
That’s amazing. Can you, how was for you to start because it’s very different than model. First of all, let’s talk about how, because you need to have a sales team to work with doctors is a completely different infrastructure. So how is different for you to work? How was the model of working with medical facilities and doctors and housing infrastructure that it is for DTC? Because you need to maintain both.

Lana Kerr 20:08
Yeah, so yes, we have our to go to market strategies as first, as you mentioned, as we talked about going directly to providers. You know, at first, when we started out, it was so interesting, because it was just Terry and I, we had a couple other people that were with us. And I remember even just even the customer support starting off, you know, I would, I was customer support, you know, because we spent most of our money was in clinicals. And that sort of thing. So in our in terms of our support, I said, I and I am a big believer, Lara in doing everything in my company before I start getting on because I want to know what they’re going to go through.

Lara Schmoisman 20:45
Oh, I’m the same I’m the same. I did everything in my company. So I can know that my team is doing the right thing. Otherwise, how would you know?

Lana Kerr 20:55
Exactly. So as customer support, I was answering phone calls, and I was Alicia. That was my customer support name, because that’s when and when they had a problem needed to talk to Lana, I would just bring my alter ego, Lana on the phone. It was all I mean, I had some funny stories, I remember one, one challenge we had, and I had to bring my son just to have another voice and like, pretend you’re my boss, just talk with I mean, just to have a different voice. So I was so customer support, I will fill that role. And then we we before we even had a Salesforce, most of our doctors came from doing meetings with, you know, professionals like dermatology meetings, plastic surgery meetings. And so I was I would work these boots, and I would hire some temp. And oftentimes people, I’d never introduced myself as a CEO, you know, I would just be another worker, you know,

Lara Schmoisman 21:49
That’s a point that when you’re working I’m, for example, I always am the CEO of the company. But when I’m working, I’m a project manager, or I’m the designer, I’m the art director, I have so many different hats, and depends on what I’m doing at the moment.

Lana Kerr 22:04
So I was wearing many hats at that time. So I was just working and I would have a temp, I would train the temp, and we would do it. And then I would follow up with the calls. And then we had eventually I got someone in customer support, they would help follow up on the calls. And then I would fly out to the doctors myself and do the training until we started growing. And then I would just then I would get another worker on somebody else. And then so now, we have about 56 people who are independent on that side. And then we have someone who is in charge of them a VP of marketing and sales that deals with all our providers. So we’ve grown in the in the space of the seven years. So that was out on the D to C side. You know, when we started, we did influencers. I mean, we it’s the influencer market is very different now as you know

Lara Schmoisman 22:50
But it changed a lot in that time until now. And you know this well. So yeah, I’d love to hear how it changed for you. Because nowadays I always say that influencer marketing is great for brand awareness, but it doesn’t bring you the return of investment many times.

Lana Kerr 23:05
Right? Well, at first, it was very impactful. I mean, you’re talking about just from Mallory, who made that announcement, we did a great Thanksgiving or Black Friday sales when we started. We’ve had other influencers that have been just as impactful in terms of bringing in the dollars like actually bringing in the business. And then of course, so many influencers reached out to us and we’ve worked with them. I feel like maybe you know, they’ve helped obviously, in terms of getting the word out. But in terms of actually changing the dial. That has not been the case, you know, it’s very difficult to find someone who is like these individuals, and I tried to always understand what is what was magic. What was magic. I think when I look through, I think it’s their authenticity. You know, I think that they are just not on the jump on the bandwagon

Lara Schmoisman 23:58
I think also was timing. Yes. Yes. True. True back then, Influencer Marketing were something new, and they were perceived as more authentic than nowadays.

Lana Kerr 24:10
Yes, for sure. For sure. Because even some of the ones who used to work there just diluted now it’s so many things that are

Lara Schmoisman 24:16
Well, also also the platform’s now they forced them to put sponsor content and all those things. So it’s not a perceived as organic content, as it was before.

Lana Kerr 24:24
Yeah, I’d be all those changes have really affected, affected us and so we didn’t even get to start working with like more in terms of paid marketing. We didn’t really start that until 2018 and the latter part of 2018 and that was just that was new to me. So I had to kind of learn the ropes of even working with a company. And then you know, and then we found each other because, again, that learning you know, you kind of find out that not everyone is created equal not all, you know agencies can produce in the same way. And I think when you grow the same agency that took you from one, you know, a certain growth, they can’t, they’re not able to scale in the same way. So then you have to find another team that can help you with that.

Lara Schmoisman 25:14
I think that depends of agency on the involvement with the brand. And a lot of people just get lazy and even happens in people that they work with you for a long time. And to me, I’m a go-getter. And I always have this motivation. And I’m always trying to learn about it. And even I had people that work for me that after a while, they feel comfortable, and they don’t have that interest in growing with me or with agency. And I think that that happens to a lot of people and even to agencies that they get comfortable.

Lana Kerr 25:45
I totally agree, Lara, and I, and I know that definitely working with you. I’ve seen your drive. And I see the thing with it is that I’ve seen your interest even in working with your team. So it’s not abou,t it’s about the team. So you if you’re monitoring your your clients, and you can see that things aren’t going well, you can you as the business owner, can change it to make sure that they’re still accomplishing your goals. And I think that my experience has been that that hasn’t been the case with everyone. The even the business owner gets comfortable their team. Now, they don’t make changes.

Lara Schmoisman 26:18
I think that’s in that case, we’re both very similar because we’re both always there it’s besides that if we have a team coming or not, we want to know what’s going on. We just don’t rely in other people to tell us what’s happening.

Lana Kerr 26:33
I mean, you have to as a leader, to me as a leader in your organization, you really have to have your your your thumb on what’s going on in every area, even though you know you’re going to give some level of autonomy, you need to check in and make sure that everything is going in the in the direction that you need for you to continue to grow and be successful in any organization.

Lara Schmoisman 26:54
I mean, being a business owner is not, not a nine-to-five.

Lana Kerr 26:58
Oh, definitely not. It’s not it’s you’re always it’s. It’s challenging going on vacation. It’s just you’re always it’s always

Lara Schmoisman 27:05
Well, what’s vacation?

Lana Kerr 27:06
I know, right? Well, fortunately, I mean, I’m I’m a little at the point that I can and I and you know, because we’re coming from my wellness background, I think that that has served me in the sense of regardless of my schedule, in really any business, I always see the importance of, of taking care of myself, you know, I’ve always told this to my clients when I was working, you know, in weight loss and in coaching, you know, you have to put the, you know, you put the mask on yourself. So that is actually something scheduled in my time my workouts and you know, a little bit of vacation. I’ve just been a little longer and I don’t have to be, but I still am in touch. The point is

Lara Schmoisman 27:42
Well, of course that’s what I’m saying.

Lara Schmoisman 27:45
I’m in touch, you cannot disconnect

Lana Kerr 27:50
You can’t you how can you do that? You know, so

Lara Schmoisman 27:53
In many cases is even about self-preservation, because I don’t want to come back and I’m gonna see things falling through the cracks

Lana Kerr 28:02
Come back to your business. I know, no, definitely, you have to always keep a dial on what’s going on. And then I think putting things for me making putting things in place that you can by by looking at certain key areas, you can make sure that everything is happening. Because if you put those things in place, then you don’t need to spend as much time checking on. And I feel like that has worked for us. As you continue to grow and you put certain measurements in place, you can actually see, you know, I have a dashboard that certain things that I look for, and I can when I log in, I can see it, see it when

Lara Schmoisman 28:39
I think also experience give you that. Because if you’d told me 20 years ago to do the same thing that now I do in a second, and I can see it and make a change, it will take me a long time of see it, like even saying my team many times, and I make a change, and they say how I didn’t see it. And for me, it’s the first thing that clap because I know what I’m looking for.

Lana Kerr 29:02
Yeah, experience, definitely. It counts. I mean, you know, I’ve been I’ve been for me being a I mean, I started my first business when I was 14. I mean, I think that and you know, I’m growing up in Jamaica, most of us grew up very entrepreneurial. And my father has always taught me that, as I mentioned before to find a need and fill it. So I’ve started I look for something an opportunity, I do it and even at that young age of 14, you kind of start thinking, you know, people-oriented, then you think profitability and you start having that and then that’s why I kind of went into that educational background and doing more accounting and finance because I knew that I would always have a business. And I wanted to be able to have that mindset because it’s you always have to measure your numbers. They’re all numbers are going to always kind of bring you back to the different areas of your business and seeing if it’s profitable.

Lara Schmoisman 29:49
That’s so interesting you mentioned that because I’ve been meeting with a lot of people that they want to start their own businesses and they think that is all about an idea. And I always say that running a business is to be a risk management.

Lana Kerr 30:03
Oh, definitely, it’s a lot of risk you’re taking. It definitely starts with an idea. But it’s the execution of that. And then you have to think through. So you have to kind of vision, the end, you know, who is going to benefit from this? How are you going what, what is your unique selling proposition, you have to think so many

Lara Schmoisman 30:21
Or they think that for having a product it will sell. And things don’t happened like that you need marketing, you need sales, you need so many things, you have to have a strong foundation. Even I always talk about the deck for me the deck is it’s so important, because it’s going to be all the information of your brand that you pass it around, whoever it’s going to be working your brand needs to have that clear.

Lana Kerr 30:46
Yeah, no, you’re absolutely right. I think just even looking at one of the things, I feel that maybe I could change, you know, if I went back, sometimes, you know, you find what I noticed with people, you can have people who are thinkers and people who are doers. I think I’m definitely more of a doer. And because of that, maybe I didn’t think through necessarily everything like in other words, you mentioned having a deck and having everything formal, I kind of jumped or ran before I had everything in place. I think you’ve heard him saying?

Lara Schmoisman 31:19
There’s not enough information on how you have to do it, you don’t learn that in school, there is no classes that they tell you how to prepare for your business, too. And when I say risk management is I produce so much product, I spend so much much in marketing. If I hire this person, can I do this? That’s why I always say that I’m management and I say what can I do what I cannot? And that’s for me running the business I needed it, it’s an investment, having a team

Lana Kerr 31:51
Yes, it is. It is definitely and I mean, I think and then of course the the better qualified they are. You know, I think one of the things that I’ve always done when I’ve because I’ve always looked for great talent. And I think we’ve always attracted people that believe in the same vision. And so you have to compensate them based on you know, you have to give them a stake in it, you have to make them feel like this is something that they’re a part of. And, and I feel by doing that, you can, you know, you can prevent having to do everything upfront because you get the buy-in, they’re going to they’re, they’re invested. And they see that they’re going to profit when this is going in the direction that we expect to go. But I think definitely as you said, it’s getting, attracting great people to you is something that I think is truly important because you cannot grow a business on your own. You need a great team. And I’ve really always been grateful and feel blessed that I’ve always attracted people who are buying in bringing you on our team, Lara, I think you it’s something that is you fit what we’re looking for. Do you understand what I’m saying in other words, I’ve always had the ability to attract people like yourself, have smart, who are wanting to help and who want to move forward and take my vision in the direction that I want to go. And I think that’s some

Lara Schmoisman 33:04
Well, you have a wonderful brand and you make us feel involved. Everyone that works with you, and you’re a great leader that listens to the team.

Lana Kerr 33:13
Thank you

Lara Schmoisman 33:14
And that I think it’s wonderful. I mean, I think this is one of the longest podcasts I’ve ever had because it feels just

Lana Kerr 33:22
I’m telling you I feel like we’re just having a chat. And I could talk continue forever with you. Seriously

Lara Schmoisman 33:31
I do too, Lana, thank you so much for being today here in Coffee Number Five. And to you guys, I will see you with more Coffee Number Five next week. Find everything you need at Laraschmoisman.com Or in the Episode Notes right below. Don’t forget to subscribe. It was so good to have you here today. See you next time! Catch you on the flip side. Ciao ciao.