Kayla Kurkowski, Owner of Clever Candid Photography LLC

Andy Hnilo
CEO
Alitura


Kayla Kurkowski, Owner of Clever Candid Photography LLC Certificate

Creativity unfolds talent

Andy Hnilo, CEO of Alitura, woke up in an ICU hospital bed on March 20, 2011, and realized he had been hit by multiple cars while crossing a major roadway and his j aw, ribs, and lung broke. Scarred, he sought to find clean, effective therapies. His body and spirit needed natural, clean ingredients. He examined active compounds to speed up his skin's recuperation. Findings and purpose came quickly. Alitura was built to solve these personal problems, and he's confident that it will change others too. Alitura in Latin means "to feed and to nourish" organic, time-tested ingredients only make healthy, eco-friendly items. Their handcrafted items use Haleiwa ingredients. Pollinated by native bees, their blossoms are unique.

Andy finds it most challenging to make every decision alone, given that he lacks a C-level collaborator. Nonetheless, it is also his greatest passion, and they get to make all the decisions. He says, "I've never made a business plan, so I learned as I went "It's been difficult to discover and hire skilled staff while keeping my own imagination flowing to build new products." I've managed the supply chain, developed creatives, and invented innovative skincare for nine years. Andy works 16–18 hours a day and knows that's not sensible, but it's simply where he is at right now. They've been running Alitura for almost a decade now. Andy is completely dedicated to his work and cannot help but be passionate about it. "This is his life; Alitura is his daughter," he adds. His motivators have been Ben Greenfield, Dave Asprey, Rick Ankiel, and Jeff Bezos.

Andy is a former Division I baseball player who believes that maintaining a healthy body and mind through regular exercise and nutritious eating is crucial. A sauna visit once a week was also part of his regimen for maintaining a healthy body and mind. As an athlete, hard work and repetition, while fine-tuning their strengths and addressing their weaknesses, were installed at a very early age and have seamlessly transitioned into success in business.

Andy is a perfectionist, so that is a work in progress. He would love for people to see the vision for the brand and respect the core values that he demands they share as a team. They show their customers and followers respect, honesty, accountability, hard work, and love. He loves hard workers, or "grinders," as he calls them.

Andy says intuition is the key to success and that we should trust our instincts. Trusting yourself and your decision-making history is key when making a hurried choice, especially when much is at stake. So is being okay with the outcome, even if it's not what you expected. His instincts led him to drop a potential teammate. A "sign from above" led him to act.

Putting the person in a one-on-one setting out of respect for them "That goes both ways with me," says Andy. He is open to it and wants to hear from you. Individual accomplishments are recognized in front of the team after a win or a job well done. Negative feedback can be transformed into constructive improvements that make the whole machine work more smoothly.

We usually have open communication via text, group emails, or Slack. Andy adds, "We also meet once a week for a briefing on plans to execute."

Andy alone has stoicism. He adds that leaders should show confidence and authority to their team and followers. Motivate the group with good feedback. He relies on hearing about exceptional company efforts. "This is life; we're all humans," he says. There should be more love and less negativity.

In March, they set a target to reach $300,000 in their two-day sale. His staff had only been there a month. Some thought it was unreachable, but through motivating, encouraging, and teaching tactics, they knocked the target down.

Andy cannot wait to release six new products! The Angels Mist (facial toner), Blue Tansy Deodorant, Santal Black Deodorant, Eye Gel, and sleek leather travel bag!

They are those associated with the client's immediate and extended family. They are true believers and their enthusiasm and support push Andy to his limits every day in his quest to become the go-to skincare brand for consumers everywhere. Andy needs more time to think up new ideas. As quickly as possible, he hopes to bring on a chief operating officer and expand the company's retail footprint.

Over the next five years, Andy foresees their products being sold in over a hundred different nations across several different continents through exclusive distribution. One of the three huge Alitura stores would be the brand's flagship. It would carry all of the company's products and have estheticians working there all the time to give the Signature Alitura Facial.


Company

Alitura

Management

Andy Hnilo
CEO
Alitura

Description

We make really good products that are good for your body and our planet. Our beautifully hand-crafted products are made from ingredients sourced in Haleiwa, Hawaii. Bees native to the area accelerate the pollination of the flowers which form the base of many of our constituents, making for a truly unique ingredient blend.


Inspiring Leaders Magazine 2022