Two downsides: perception and a personal toll. People think Sourmilk is "a lot further along than we are" and ask where they can buy it, when most brands aren't in grocery stores for at least their first 12 months. And there's "a very real toll to putting yourself out there every single day" — Kiki had to shift her mindset so missed views and follows stopped feeling personal.
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Kiki names two sides. First, perception: "people think we're a lot further along than we are," asking "where can I buy it" and whether they're at Whole Foods, when in reality "most brands for the first, at least 12 months are not in a grocery store" — they're building supply chain and demand. That creates "unrealistic expectations" because they're so upfront. Second, the personal toll: "there's a very real toll to putting yourself out there every single day." She had to reframe Instagram from personal to "a channel... to reach more customers" — "until I made that switch in my head" every view, like and follow she didn't get felt personal. Now it's "a demand gen thing": "okay, something's not working... how do I make sure that this marketing is better."