Before TRUBAR hit the shelves of Whole Foods and Target, before it generated over $50 million in revenue, Erica Groussman was a busy wife and mother of two, searching for a healthy snack option to get her through the day.
“I wanted to create something that made you feel good. A lot of the other bars on the market have inflammatory ingredients that hurt your digestion and make you bloated,” the founder told Refresh Miami.
The Miami-based company hit the market in 2019, offering flavors like “Get in My Belly” and “Saltylicious Almond Love.” But behind the playful names sits a serious formula. The bars are vegan, gluten-free, soy-free, and free of seed oils. Groussman focused on crafting a bar that was both clean and indulgent without compromising on taste. It paid off. Today, TRUBAR is sold in over 18,000 locations globally, including major retailers like Costco, Walmart, and Amazon.
Built from the ground up
However, the company’s success did not happen overnight. In the early days, Groussman did everything herself, from product development to marketing. At the time, being a boot-strapped founder meant she had to be creative with her execution.
“For a long time, there was no money, and I was paying for ads with my credit card,” she explained. She remembers packing boxes by hand and walking into gyms and yoga studios with samples.
Building to last: Groussman’s advice for founders
Now, with years of lessons under her belt, Groussman is quick to offer advice to founders at the beginning of their journey:
Stay lean until you have to scale. “We would not have succeeded if I had hired people to do multiple roles instead of me doing them,” she said. Executing all roles until she was able to grow helped her identify areas where she could save money, ultimately leading to her company’s profitability. Today, she leads a team of 12 employees, but no task is ever beneath her.
Maintain a positive mindset: When it comes to handling challenges, her advice is to continue to push forward. “People think when it gets hard, it means something is not right, but it just means there’s going to be a bigger reward,” she shared. She continued to explain how having a positive and solution-oriented mindset helped her during the COVID-19 pandemic and continues to help her in unprecedented times.
Build a brand that reflects who you are: TRUBAR’S voice is a mirror of Groussman’s own fun and playful personality, but the brand also takes into consideration its customers. Groussman actively engages with her customers, listening and evolving based on their feedback.
What’s next for TRUBAR?
As TRUBAR continues to grow, Groussman is focused on releasing new flavors, expanding her retail footprint, and staying true to the values that have taken her this far. TRUBAR plans to make $100 million in revenue annually by 2026. Her last piece of advice for founders? Be creative with your outreach. “I got us in 30 regional Whole Foods stores through a LinkedIn message,” she said.
Photo above of Erica Groussman, founder of TRUBAR, is by Nick Garcia Photography
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