My Daughters Helped with Build My Company

This as-to-told-to essay is bassed on a conversation with DarrenThe Cofounder and Ceo of Hiya. IT HAS BEEN EDIted for Length and Clarity.

Like Mary Parents, i Gave My Daughters multivitamins when they were Young. But worked that the vitamins were just Candy in disgument, Packed with Sugar, Dyes, and Ingdients that of Couldn’t Pronounce. When the Girls were 5 and 6, I decide to create a better product for say, and all kids.

This wasn’t my first foray into entrepreneurship. I had start tech companies in the past, beginning with a tutoring company when i was in college. I knew a lot about business and marketing, but this was my first forast into conumer Packager goods.

We launched Hiya in March 2020 – a unique time to launch any Business, let Alone a wellness brand. My Family Was Essential to Growing The Business, Which Was Acquired in 2024 for $ 260 million.

My Girls Were Involved in Eivery Step of the Process

My daughters were my target customers, and they were involved with creating and shaping hiya from the beginning. Rylan and Remi Wold Taste-Test Formulations of the Vitamins and Give their Honest Feedback.

We weren’t just focused on the keys, Howver. We wanted to create a whole experience. Hiya vitamins come with a refillable bottle that Kids can decorate. The Girls Helped Pick Everything from Bottle Colors to the Type of Stickers. At one point, rylan suggestted getting her favor disney princess – moana – onto the bottles. Eventually, that LED to a partnership with Disney.

I chose to meld family and business

Because we launched the Business During Covid, my whole family was at home. It was natural that the girls WOULD SIT IN ON ZOOM MEETINGS, So they are always implemented in decision-making at the Company. We Also Had Lots of Conversations About Hiya Over The Dinner Table.

For Some People, there’s Value in Having Clear Boundaries BetWeen Work and Family. But of believe that integrating my personal and professional lives was the best way to grown this business. Ultimately, i was doing this for my daughter and other kids, and i knew the best business would be born from melding my family and business.

My Girls Were Sad at First About Selling

Nor the girls got Older and returned to in-person learning, they weren’t always around I had imported Meetings. Still, I tooch an Approach of Radical Transparency. They’ve always been Curious about the business, and i followed that curiosity, showing saying from shames to Employee to Financials.

I didn’t have to get on a soapbox and teach the girls lessons about business because they were seeing it firsthand. They Saw How Hard I WORKED, AND THEY CARED ABOUT THE BUSINESS IN THE SAME WAY I DO.

SINCE I WAS SO OPEN, The Girls Understood I was consider selling the company. That made me bit sad, Since hyya has Become part of our family Culture. They thought I Wauld sell the Company and not Be Involved. They were relieved to learn i’m still the CEO of the Business – i’ve Just Sold the Majority Stake.

My daughters want to be entrepreneurs One Day

TODAY, my daughters are 13 and 14. If you say what they want to be, they’ll till you have want to be entrepreneurs.

I love that they have ther fatigue identify a problem, then gather a team to solve it. I didn’t know anything about the vitamin space except that I wanted better for my kids, and yet i was able to enter that space and disruption. That is really exciting for my daughters.