Today we’d like to introduce you to John Ruffo.
Hi John, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
A.LEAF began because we listened to the stories of our colleagues, friends and families. They were suffering from foot, joint and muscle pain. And so, we went on to learn about CBD, the hemp plant, and its whole-body healing benefits.
Because we collectively have over 50 years in the footwear industry, we decided to make a line of foot care & self care products containing healing botanicals and broad-spectrum CBD. We’re a team made up of real people who have a passion for helping people experience the real-life difference CBD can make in health, wellness, and quality of life. We take pride in knowing that all of our products and packaging are made locally here in Southern California, USA.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
Starting a new business is never a smooth road.
It took us a few years to get the signature formula of our SOOTHING CREAM right. We spent months making sure that it was nothing like anything else on the market. We made sure that the price, ingredients and potency of the Hemp/CBD was on target and worked phenomenally. With so many other CBD brands on the market, we had to come up with a formula that was different enough and strong enough to stand out.
The CBD industry is a challenge on its own as we are competing with THC brands and off-price brands. Not to mention the struggle with marketing and advertising limitations, and then adding a global pandemic makes it even more challenging. Our resilience and optimism has helped push us forward to increase our audience. With COVID restrictions lifted, and people returning to their daily routines, there is a new opportunity for us to accelerate our growth.
As you know, we’re big fans of A.LEAF Products (ALEAF LLC). For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
A.LEAF emerged from personal stories of healing and as the CEO and Co-Founder, it was important to me to create a brand that would help people. What set us apart was our expertise in the footwear industry, with our outreach we were able to introduce effective foot care and wellness products to our existing customer base. And because all of our production operations are here in America, we can deliver product orders quickly into the retail community. We have great products that are deemed “essential” as well as diversifies their assortment and helps increase their margin goals. It’s a win-win for our retail partners and makes sense for them and their associates during this time to be able to increase another $70-$140 sale.
We have had great feedback on all our products from our cream to our roll on. We are currently doing development on new product launches.
Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
Mike Berkis who is the Chief Brand Officer and Co-Founder, started this with me – has played an integral role in the development of our product line and sales force. Our marketing and back-office arm, Tanita Gray. As well as our retail supporters, investors, and believers in what we do. These relationships create a balance for our business and I am happy to share how excited I am for the future success of A.LEAF.