“The doctors told me to put steroids on my 3-year-old daughter. I said no. Instead, I built a natural solution in my kitchen with honey. As well as putting a smile on her face, now we’re changing the lives for thousands of families across America.”

How one man stopped at nothing to put a smile on his little girl’s face

This one is deeply personal for me. I don’t just consider Minesh a friend but a brother - who welcomed me into his family.

We caught up on the David to Goliath podcast and reminisced about the good times. Our tequila meeting in New York, the big Pitch to Walmart and how he saved his daughter’s life.

It’s a story celebrating diversity, a testament to what’s possible with purpose led work and most importantly a reminder that the most important thing in life is family.

But look, like any ‘overnight success’, this certainly wasn’t a straight line.

Building products in their kitchen, lawsuits left, right and centre, hustling for investment when the bank account was draining to zero and much more.

Today, you’ll get an insight into what it truly takes to build something from scratch and why if your mission is strong enough you’ll be able to weather the toughest of storms.

Here’s what to expect:

1. Breaking The Rules

2. Inside The Secret Bohemian Club

3. Saving His Daughter

4. Scaling with FB Ads

5. The Power of Authenticity

6. Tequilas In The Big Apple

7. The Big Pitch (to Walmart)

8. Finding An Investor

9. The Foundation of Family

Breaking The Rules

All entrepreneurs are different but we have one thing in common. We think freely, we take risks, we test, and we break the rules.

Minesh was no different and back in his college days the rebellious spark inside was starting to ignite.

“I was at college in San Luis Obispo – just coasting along. I always wanted to build something business wise. I didn’t know much about brand building, but I wanted to build something that I felt would financially take care of me. It stretches back to that innate need”.

But then he saw an opportunity.

“I picked up audio transcription – we used to type up audio for different sets of professors. There was a website called eLance, back in the day I was building a transcription business while everyone else was working, doing internships”.

After some initial traction, he managed to secure a big contract. Although with only so many hours in the day still at college, he needed help. 

The power of the internet and overseas talent was about to reveal itself.

“I actually signed a big deal for 800 hours of audio that we had to transcribe. I couldn’t do everything myself – there was another website called Guru.com where I hired Filipinos. Turns out they’re amazing transcribers! So I built this little team.”

Seize opportunities, especially in areas where others might overlook them.

Innovation often hides in plain sight.

“We did like 60 or 80k dollars in revenue. Nothing huge, as I said it was an innate need. But it showed me what was possible from the out-the-box thinking”

“I would go on Expedia, book a flight to Manila from LAX on the Thursday, go there for a day and a half and fly back and it would be Monday for college.”

Little did young Minesh know that through his travels and adventure, he was setting the foundation for something much bigger.

Entrepreneurship demands relentless dedication and a willingness to step beyond comfort zones. 

And it’s not always about the magnitude of success but the lessons learned in the journey.

Small wins can pave the way for grand victories.

However, this is where the story takes a strange twist.

Have you ever wondered what goes on in those secret societies?

The ones where the most powerful people in the world get together.

The Bohemian Club. Yep, it’s real.

And Minesh was about to get a front row seat.

Behind The Doors of The Bohemian Club

Getting suited and booted each day for corporate life at Ernst & Young, Minesh expected nothing more than a good salary, an opportunity to gain more experience on the financial side of business, and to collaborate with some high level corporate executives.

Little did he know that the mundane routine of run-of-the-mill projects would soon take an extraordinary turn.

One day, an email landed in his inbox, revealing a new account assignment – "The Bohemian Club."

As Minesh read those words, he couldn't help but recall the whispers of a secret society gathering on an island to worship a statue. 

And indeed, it was precisely that – a club reserved for the upper echelons of society. 

Minesh found himself shaking hands with some of the most powerful individuals on the planet.

I asked him what they said. What goes on behind closed doors?

“They make huge decisions here – it’s like a multi-generational mastermind.

The people I got a chance to meet were way ahead of the times.”

Minesh glimpsed the power of a collective intellect, a force capable of shaping the course of history. 

Embrace the unexpected, for it may open doors to realms beyond your imagination.

This experience helped fuel his ambition to create something beyond the corporate confines.

Although he needed a mission. And boy did he find one.

In the eyes of his little princess.

Saving His Daughter

Now at this point life was pretty good.

Minesh was rubbing shoulders with the big dogs, developing a powerful network and had started a family with his wife.

A young boy and girl.

Although, at the tender age of 3 his little girl was in a lot of pain. She had huge flare ups all over her skin. Eczema had taken hold.

They consulted various doctors and the solution was always the same:

“Put these steroids on and it will clear up in no time”.

But Minesh, a curious soul who questions everything, couldn’t stand for that.

There was no way in hell he was going to start rubbing powerful chemicals onto his little girl. 

He said no. 

His entrepreneurial spirit sparked, leading him to seek an alternative remedy.

This is where his Indian magic erupted like a genie from the bottle.

Minesh and his brother in law Jeetesh were always experimenting in the kitchen. Using various spices and having competitions to see who could make the new dish.

So they started testing to find a solution. Low and behold it was an old Indian favourite their grandma used to help them naturally heal from colds and viruses when they were younger: Honey.

Their kitchen was starting to look like something from Walter White’s lab in Breaking Bad.

Batches upon batches of thick gooey golden liquid oozing from their pots and pans.

But with each new test they got closer and closer.

Using themselves as guinea pigs to see what would moisturize their skin through this natural solution.

The entrepreneurial journey is marked by trial and error.

Relentless testing. Knowing whilst you keep working in the dark you’ll eventually bring greatness into the light.

Finally, they cracked it. It certainly wasn’t fancy but with his daughter still in pain it was time to test.

Almost like magic, it healed her skin in days. The rashes dried up and the little princess smile returned to her face. 

A magical moment indeed. 

But that got Minesh thinking:

“I bet my daughter isn’t the only one suffering from eczema needing a natural solution”.

And he was right. 

Eczema Honey was born and the power of the internet that Minesh had experienced back in the transcription days was about to put this new remedy on steroids (sorry I just had to!).

Empathy fuels innovation.

Now, it was time to spread the word.

Scaling with FB Ads

Look, we all know about supply and demand in economics.

But most of the world had underestimated the sheer potential of FB advertising back in 2017.

Millions upon millions of active daily users on Facebook and Instagram - billions and billions of data points being created - ready to be monetized so Facebook could cash in.

With the giants of industries still using traditional marketing such as TV, Newspaper and radio, this presented a huge opportunity to challenger brands.

Without really knowing what they were doing Minesh set up an ad account and just started testing.

Slapping up images of their product using their iPhones - it was the ultimate start-up environment.

Start lean, test, adapt fast. 

Because of the sheer amount of people using the platform it just clicked.

No fancy funnels, high end creative products or special ‘tactics’ needed. Thousands upon thousands of people were hitting their Shopify site for pennies on the dollar.

The demand was so intense it nearly exploded their business before they could even realize their potential.

Remember: They didn’t have a fancy warehouse or big fulfilment team handling all the orders.

It was literally just Minesh and his brother cooking everything from scratch in their kitchen - with a few Filipinos to help with customer support.

It was getting out of hand.

“We would be throwing away pails and pails of organic honey, sweet almond oil. Our HOA society would send me letters saying I’m gonna get fined. Saying you can’t build a business inside of your house.”

But this wasn’t the time to shy away. They knew they were doing it for the right reasons so they just kept going.

“We moved the operation from my kitchen to his kitchen. Kitchen to kitchen to garage to a legit kitchen owned by the city – a process of legitimising by ourselves. The customers demanded this. They wanted us to keep making our stuff better, so we were constantly modifying formulations. We just kind of moved along – gliding along the ocean with the customers.”

“The sheer volume we were doing – me leaving my job – these decisions we made weren’t second nature. I didn’t even doubt myself 1% - it was 100% conviction.”

“Jeetesh was there every single step of the way – This has always given me a lot of fuel. Knowing people that have that level of commitment gives me the confidence that I can go all in.”

Soon enough the testimonials started flooding in.

Mothers leaving emotional stories about how this product had changed their children's lives.

The journey moved from their house to an official warehouse, and their products found a place on the shelves of well-known retailers like CVS and Target.

The stage was set for bigger things and this is where I became part of this incredible journey.

It all started with one simple post on LinkedIn.

The Power of Authenticity

For 30 years of my life I’ve suffered with Eczema.

I’ve seen all the consultants, all the specialists and just like Minesh with his daughter they all said the same: “Apply these steroids”.

One day as I was searching on Google for a new solution I came across this website Eczema Honey.

The headline hit me like a ton of bricks.

I still remember reading the words: “For eczema sufferers that have tried everything else”.

They absolutely nailed the customer avatar in one line - a testament to the power of what great copywriting can do - it speaks to you. It makes you feel understood.

At the time I was getting some traction on LinkedIn and as CEO of a performance marketing agency I had to share this with my audience.

There was no secret strategy, intent, or expectation behind this - I was literally talking straight from the heart.

What happened next was beyond my wildest imagination.

Minesh reached out to me: “Hey man, thanks for that post. I’m going to send over a ton of free products and also let’s get on a call so I can understand more about what you’re doing at your agency!”.

We never looked back. Minesh has a personality like no other. I still remember the first call we had: He took it from his sauna! What a legend.

The connection was instant and not only did we develop a relationship from that one LinkedIn post, but my past agency took over all his digital marketing efforts at Eczema Honey. 

The power of authenticity, hey?

Although with me still being in the UK and Minesh out in Cali, there was only so much rapport we could build over Zoom.

As fate would have it I was about to move to New York in Q4 of 2022 and it just so happened Minesh was in town for a PR opportunity…

Tequilas In The Big Apple

Now the founder of my last agency Alpha Inbound, Josh, wasn’t a big drinker. In fact he’d never had a drink in his life! We were about to see his other side…

Let’s dive right into the night I’ll never forget (well, never half forget!).

Me and my team walked into this dimly lit bar in the back streets of Manhattan.

Minesh was off in a far corner with a writer from a big New York magazine.

The evening got off to a slow start as we ate some food, waiting for Minesh to be finished.

Then out of nowhere, he appeared with a huge tray of shots: “TEQUILLA!” He shouted - with a massive grin across his face.

Minesh then went on to say: “Josh, I will not drink an ounce until I’ve seen you slam down one of those Tequillas”.

Pier pressure at its finest.

Shot after shot, bar after bar, the night went on twists and turns of which I can’t even remember half of!

But 2 things that I do:

1) Josh’s Personality: It was like Josh was a changed man. Finally, he’d come out of his shell and he was having the time of his life. Amazing to see.

2) Walmart: Minesh had told me about a life-changing opportunity they’d been presented with. A pitch to one of Walmart’s buyers in their headquarters in Arkansas.

He told me to come along. I said I would, although let’s be honest. We all know what we promise when we’re out drinking on the night with friends. Most of it never comes to light when we’re back to our day-to-day.

But I certainly wasn’t messing around.

Minesh was shocked when he opened his phone the next morning to see a text “Hey man, I’ve booked my flight. It’s game on. We’re going to get this deal over the line and make history”.

The opportunity of a lifetime. Arkansas and the billion dollar empire of Walmart beckoned.

Now all we had to do was deliver.

The Big Pitch

I still remember that day as if it were yesterday.

Inside I was nervous although I knew I wasn’t here to just make up the numbers.

I was here to put on a performance.

Usually, it’s only the founders and company members of the brand who speak to the Walmart buyers at the pitch. Bringing in an outside consultant, such as myself, is pretty unheard of.

A testament to the atmosphere Minesh has created from his Indian routes. Making external partners part of the family.

Even though we arrived early for our 30 minute slot, the car park was full.

By the time we found a spot and ran as fast as we could to the entrance we were sweating heavily. Not great for settling the nerves…

Then the next hurdle. The laptop didn’t connect to the T.V. It wasn’t going at all to plan.

I still remember Minesh frantically turning to his brother Jeetesh and saying: “Right as of now you’re officially Eczema Honeys Chief Technical Officer. Your first task is fixing this and getting our presentation on that darn screen.”

Although when the buyer finally walked in we knew fate had our back.

“I would tell you all that the women in my life don’t rule my decisions - but I’d by lying. My wife and mother already use the Eczema Honey products and they love them. They’ve asked if I can take away some extra samples today.”

You couldn’t write it.

Minesh went into the backstory of the company and reviewed the financials, highlighting the company's impressive growth.

Then it was my turn to speak.

Instead of just babbling on about marketing, the part of the company I was responsible for, I opted to talk straight from the heart.

“Look, Jonathan, I didn’t travel all this way to tell you how this product is going to make Walmart more sales. The fact that after only knowing me for a few months Minesh has put his faith in me for the most pivotal moment in the company's history is a testament to what kind of a partner he is. Their diverse nature, willingness to share and mindset of collaboration is everything that Sam Walton stood for when he founded this great company”. 

Jonathan the buyer eyes wide open sat back in his chair with shock:

“Wow, that was powerful” he uttered.

It was a defining moment not only for the company but for me personally.

As someone who got incessantly bullied for his eczema at school, it had all come full circle. A stranger from LinkedIn had invited me to pitch the biggest retailer in the U.S. for a company that’s changing the lives of Eczema suffers with a natural product.

All I can say is sometimes in life God smiles on me. 

This was one of those moments.

It took a few months to get the deal over the line - it’s never straightforward. Finally, they got the green light. Eczema Honey would be rolled out into 3,800 Walmart locations across the U.S.

A life changing moment although with this huge uptake in production in a matter of months, they needed investment.

FAST.

Finding An Investor

It’s hard to put into words the operational impact this kind of deal has on a start-up.

There are no playbooks for this kind of growth - it’s all on you to just take the leap of faith and figure it out.

As the contract was signed and the first purchase orders were agreed upon, Minesh got to work lining up new investors to finance this huge uptake in production.

Call after call. Meeting after meeting. Flight after flight.

He was working himself to the absolute bone. With the cash account starting to drain lower and lower he had to find a way. Otherwise what he and his brother had been building for years and years was all about to go up in flames.

Then finally he found a partner. Literally on the last few hours of the last day before production started he sealed the deal.

I remember getting the text on WhatsApp: “We did it man. It’s time to go big or go home.”

After reaching the $10M revenue milestone, the new Walmart partnership, their Amazon sales going from strength to strength and other retail relationships flourishing, now they have their sights set on the big numbers.

$30 - $50 Million in annual revenue over the next few years.

Even though me and Minesh have had a few trips to Vegas (stories for another time!) personally I’m not a gambling man.

But if I were to put a bet on one person to pull it out the bag this is him.

Time will tell if I’m right.

The Foundation of Family

I wanted to end this with a shout-out to the unsung heroes. The family members, the people who work behind the scenes to give us entrepreneurs the ability to take massive risks knowing we have that foundation of support behind us.

The best example is Jeetesh, Minesh’s brother in law. Not once has he complained, not once has he asked for a spot in the limelight, and not once has he ever said no when faced with insurmountable challenges and pressures.

I asked Minesh what this relationship meant to him:

“It’s everything. I could not have done this without him. The strength he gives me to make those big decisions with no guarantee of the outcome is my foundation. And that goes for my whole family. Obviously my daughter, and my wife, son and everyone else who have kept believing in me when things seemed impossible.”

Entrepreneurship is a lonely sport but having those special people who show up for you in times of need is what allows us to pull through.

So take a moment to say thank you. Buy them a gift. Show them your appreciation.

Because without family none of us would be here today.

“Families are like branches on a tree, we grow in different directions yet our roots remain as one”.

Lastly just like when Minesh was told by the doctors to put steroids on his 3 year old daughter, never just accept the answer.

Question everything, build your own solutions, and dare to think free.

If your backs up against the wall remember: Constraint is the biggest driver of innovation.

The more people we can inspire to do purpose led work and build products that solve the worlds biggest problems, the best chance we have at leaving this earth in a better place than we found it.

Thank you Minesh for bringing me into your family.

Thank you for inspiring me to think bigger.

And thank you for that once in a lifetime opportunity at the Walmart Headquarters.

I appreciate you brother.

Top 5 Takeaways:

1) Get Curious: After writing biographies on Da Vinci, Steve Jobs and Bezos, Walter Isaacson said the trait that was consistent across all was they never lost their child like sense of curiosity. Don’t just accept things as they are. Question everything, listen to your intuition and find innovative ways to solve problems. 

2) Live for the Unexpected: Life is magical because there is no crystal ball. You have the opportunity to write your own story and the biggest surprises come in all shapes and sizes. Put yourself out there and just like Minesh you never know, one day you might get an email in your inbox inviting you to the secret society.

3) Find Purpose: After you’ve figured out shelter, food, and other basic necessities, motivation by money will only get you so far. Entrepreneurship is survival of the fittest so you need deep purpose that drives you in moments of uncertainly. If you haven’t found it yet keep searching and remember the story of Minesh saving his baby girl.

4) Treat Your Partners as Family: Whilst most companies have transactional relationships with their vendors and partners, take a leaf from Minesh’s book. Invite your partners to your events, bring them to your pitches, and watch as you empower them through ownership.

5) Remember Who Made You Great: As momentum builds and people jump on the bandwagon it’s easy to forget those who sacrificed at the start. The ones who showed up when noone else believed. Never forget these people because without them none of this would have been possible.

This is your call to dream like a giant.

But fight and believe in those dreams like a god damn underdog baby!

Yours truly,

-Nigel Thomas

P.S. Ready to escape the life of mediocrity?

Here are 4 resources to get you ahead:

1. The David to Goliath Podcast

2. Daily entrepreneur insights on LinkedIn

3. The incredible backstory of Dude Wipes

4. The $100M Paid Advertising Playbook