‘We’re not selling sneakers’: How purpose drives success
Elke Pascoe launched children’s nutrition company LittleOak as a solo mum in 2016, with a mission to offer parents a truly natural alternative to breast milk.
With 25 years of experience in the pharmaceutical, nutrition and FMCG sectors, and eight years running a business, Pascoe shares her lessons on letting authenticity drive success.
The mother at the end of the phone was crying. It was the height of the pandemic, and she was desperately seeking baby formula for her child. During that time of crisis, we, like many other companies, were grappling with supply chain issues; ingredients from our usual suppliers were unavailable, our factories were short of staff, and as a result, we experienced stockouts that left mums and dads panicked.
With a can of LittleOak of my own at home, I hopped in an Uber to hand-deliver our formula to the mother at the end of the line. Why? Well, because I know first-hand that there is nothing more stressful than not being able to feed your child.
I often say to my team, “we’re not selling sneakers.” We’re not selling a “nice-to-have,” a convenience or a luxury – we’re providing a vital necessity many parents depend solely on to nourish their children.
And at that particular moment, going over and beyond to help our mum-in-need – and many others like her during the pandemic – was the right thing to do.
What a great company LittleOak is. My six month old baby boy has been on LittleOak for the last three months after getting extensive skin rash when using two other mainstream brands. He has thrived on LittleOak since the first time he tried the Stage One formula.
The Founder and CEO reached out to me personally after sharing my experience with the lovely customer support team. What a great brand.