Today we’d like to introduce you to Travis Jones.
Travis, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
My journey started as a little boy growing up watching my parents and grandparents cook some of the most delicious southern food around. I’d sit in the kitchen and watch, as they used different types of herbs and spices to make everything taste wonderful. As I grew older, I started cooking as well. However, I could never make the food taste as good as my elders could. I’d asked for a recipe, but like most southern families there were none, only an inherent ability to season a meal until it ‘felt right.”
My failure at making intuitively tasty meals was tolerable until my career shifted. My new job required me to travel. Oftentimes, 30 – 40 weeks a year would be spent going back and forth across the U.S. During my travels, I was limited to restaurants and fast food all loaded with sodium, which I hated. This sparked the idea of making my own personal low sodium seasoning to take on the road and possibly cook at the hotels. The goal was to find a way to make food on the road a suitable substitute for home cooking. However, spice racks weren’t very portable. My first attempt included a trip to the local DeKalb International Farmers Market to purchase small amounts of herbs and spices. There was a long trial and error period where I would mix up a blend and it would taste good on meat, but not vegetables; then I would create a mix that was amazing on vegetables, but not meat. I tested the mixes for quite some time trying to perfect a blend that was low sodium and could be used on everything. Once the blend was right I started inviting friends and family over for dinner and barbecues to test it out. Everyone enjoyed the flavor and would ask what I used, but I wanted to keep it a secret. They told me that they could actually taste the true flavors of the vegetables and meat that I prepared. And thus, my special mixture of herbs & spices was born.
Life hit, and I went through a transitional period and accepted a job taking me overseas to Iraq and Afghanistan to work with Force Protection Surveillance Equipment as a contractor providing support for the Military. After my 2 year tour as a contractor, I made my way back home to resume making more seasonings and inviting friends and family over for dinner. After a dinner party one evening, my wife and friends were pressuring me to reveal the secrets of the delicious meal I had just prepared. For years, everyone who tasted my food begged me to either give up the recipe or sell the secret blend. Finally, I told everyone that it wasn’t any recipe that made the food so great, it was the custom seasoning that enticed their taste buds. That night, I started selling my seasoning which is now the ‘Homemade Blend’, but not for profit. I was so excited that my friends and family could use a low-sodium seasoning that tasted great and not affect their health that I didn’t care about turning it into a business. Since then, I started Herbal SOL Inc. which is now in three stores and sold online.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It’s been interesting at times starting Herbal SOL Inc. Like a lot of people out there, I had never owned or thought of starting a business. Starting a company from scratch was very scary because I didn’t have a blue print or direction of where I wanted the company to go. I’ve had plenty of interruptions and challenges during this process of turning nothing into something. For example, when I took the overseas job to Iraq and Afghanistan for two years my newly discovered dream laid dormant. In the beginning, I had to educate and motivate myself daily to get a better grasp and understanding of the seasoning world. I struggled with believing my passion could actually be my business. In fact, Herbal SOL Inc. probably never would exist if it wasn’t for my wife’s encouragement to turn it into a business. However, what I learned is that starting a business is easy. Committing to the business every day and balancing work and family can be difficult at times. I wake up at 4am to devote an hour to my business every day before getting my day started. It’s difficult at times but I have a vision of where I want the company to be, so I understand the time and effort that’s needed now to eventually get to where I want the company to grow into.
On the other hand, I love cooking and I get a ton of joy when I do events because it gives me the opportunity to talk about two of my favorite things; food and health. It is also an opportunity to put a smile on someone’s face every time they taste my seasonings on their favorite meals. So, the struggles have made it all worthwhile.
Herbal SOL – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Herbal SOL Inc. creates herb and spice blends that are zero calories, low in sodium and guaranteed to add more flavor to your meals without all the salt. Our seasonings have no sugar, additives, preservatives or msg. All seasonings are made in the USA and are Vegan, Vegetarian, Paleo, and Keto friendly. Herbal SOL has expanded into a zesty Dry Rub blend for those barbecue grill masters, and a Hot & Spicy blend, for those cooks who like a little bit of heat in their cuisine. Now, whether you are the everyday cook or a top chef, you can shine flavor on your delights with Herbal SOL.
The owner and founder Travis is a skillful home chef, who made his first batch of the secret seasoning in his home kitchen. This came after years of traveling for work. He would often miss having his home-cooked meals. He wanted to bring tasty food on the road with him and decided that any meal could come to life with the right spices. He started with the ‘Homemade blend’, which condenses the spice rack of the everyday chef into an easy “how to” seasoning for the family meal. And thus, Herbal SOL was born.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
I’ve learned that when starting a business you have to know your “why.” It is the one thing that will keep you going through tough times. Why did you start this and why is it important? The reason I started was to provide a healthy product that can be used on all cuisine that would not have any adverse effects on your health. It is important because I care deeply about wellness for myself and everyone around me.
Starting Herbal SOL has been my proudest moment because it allows me to extend health and flavor from my house to yours.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.tasteherbalsol.com
- Email: loveherbalsol@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tasteherbalsol/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Herbalsol/
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