NASE in the News

Supplemental Self-Employment

Jessica Postiglione is the Founder & CEO of Bonny, a New York City based fiber supplements brand. Bonny is a deliciously clean and sustainably packaged prebiotic fiber supplements brand that is thoughtfully formulated with only natural and organic ingredients. You can find out more at trybonny.com.

When and why did you join the NASE?
I advise other founders on the power of finding a community that understands what entrepreneurs are going through when they launch a new venture. I discovered NASE online as a comprehensive resource for small business owners and joined after I started Bonny because of the benefits NASE offered as well as its community.

What inspired you to enter the field you are in?
For years, I thought about becoming an entrepreneur, but never did. I kept telling myself, “wait until you have the perfect idea,” but then I realized that very few business ideas begin as the perfect idea. Sometimes you just have to take a leap of faith. To mitigate the risk, I advise those thinking of starting a business to consider starting a business as a side-hustle, and if the venture becomes meaningful, then make it your full-time priority.

When and why did you start your business?
Bonny was born during the pandemic. I became obsessed with nutrition and in turn realized what I was eating was not ideal. I went down a research rabbit hole! I was reading everything I could and talking to every expert I could find. I thought I knew the basics, but (spoiler alert) I didn’t.

I also discovered that like 95% of Americans(!), I didn’t consume enough fiber which is troubling because it has so many health benefits like improving regularity, aiding weight management and boosting immunity. Bonny is on a mission to help millions of Americans get healthier by increasing their daily fiber intake.

How do you market your business?
We are a digital brand and sold exclusively on our website at trybonny.com. We run paid ads across social media, partner with influencers and work with a PR agency as well. Bonny also has a growing organic online presence on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and Pinterest.

What challenges have you faced in your business?
We are focused on sustainability and eliminating plastic from our packaging. After going through the creative process of designing our packaging, we received samples to see how the eco-friendly material looked in real life. It didn’t live up to expectations given the properties of the sustainable materials. We went back to the drawing board. Lesson learned: first start with the materials, especially unfamiliar ones, to fully understand and appreciate their strengths and weaknesses before designing.

Do you have any employees?
Bonny launched in December 2020. I am the sole employee. I work with freelancers and other agencies as needed. I am focused on building the business for the long-term and with scale will look to increase headcount.

What’s your schedule like, what’s a typical day for you?
There really is no typical day. From managing customer service inquiries to tasting new product samples, the business needs are constantly changing, sometimes on an hourly basis. It’s exciting and challenging at the same time.

What’s the best thing about being self-employed?
I love the ability to manage my own schedule and set my own goals and timeline for the business.

What’s the best compliment you’ve ever received from a client?
We love hearing from our customers and reading their five star reviews of our products. It’s wonderful to know that our product is improving the health of Americans every day and educating more people about the amazing benefits of fiber.

What’s the most important piece of advice you would give to someone starting their own business?
Be passionate about what you are building and remember that success takes time. You need to be — or become — comfortable with ambiguity and have a deep reservoir of resilience. Overnight successes are often years in the making.

Which NASE member benefit is most important to you?
NASE is a wealth of information and I love the resources available online. The tax information I’ve found particularly useful. Appreciate having access to all this information in one place.