By: Ayeshah Somani
Ross Nelson remembers the moment the idea sparked. His wife, Tess, was in the kitchen, prepping a smoothie; frozen bananas, stuck together, impossible to separate without frustration. That simple moment led to a big idea. It’s a reflection of the way Ross thinks, works, and leads: relentlessly curious, resourceful to the bone, and deeply human. “I want to create a business where everyone wins,” he says. That philosophy runs through every decision he makes at Smootheeze.
After six years as co-owner of a small marketing agency, managing five employees directly, Ross honed a leadership style that didn’t rely on hierarchy. “My leadership style was very much rooted in mentorship and coaching,” he says. “I don’t have employees now, but I bring the same collaborative spirit to working with partners, vendors, and even interacting with customers.” It’s not about dictating, it’s about inviting other people’s brilliance to the table. “I like communicating a vision of where I want Smootheeze to go and getting others excited about helping us get there.”
Three values ground every move he makes: building relationships, being scrappy, and having fun. “Smootheeze is self-funded, and building this business is definitely a marathon and not a sprint,” he says. That means doing more with less, staying curious, and preserving profit margins wherever possible, even if it means taking the long road. “Being scrappy and nimble is much better than struggling in a business that is not making money.”
But Ross isn’t grinding himself into the ground. “Running a small business has its ups and downs, but I constantly remind myself that I want it to be fun.” Success, he’s learned, doesn’t always show up in the form you expect. “I make business decisions that help me achieve my vision and evaluate if they will make things more stressful or if there are potential unintended consequences.”
Smootheeze didn’t come from a focus group or a market gap analysis, it came from solving Ross’s own problem. “It’s very freeing to have the mindset that obstacles exist to be overcome when creating something new and building a business,” he says. A devoted student of Stoic philosophy, he keeps this quote from Marcus Aurelius close: If something is humanly possible, consider it to be within your reach. It’s a perspective he leans on when the path forward isn’t obvious. “I stay curious and approach obstacles as a chance to learn and get better,” he says. Or, as Tess puts it: “You have to go through it to get to it.”
Ross and Tess are the entire team behind Smootheeze, and their dynamic is as energizing as it is effective. “Starting this business with my wife, Tess, has been fun,” he says. In the early stages, product ideas were born during dog walks around the neighborhood. Now, Ross handles the day-to-day operations while Tess keeps a broader view and contributes to marketing and content. “It’s really shown me that I need to keep an open mind and seek out her perspective.”
Ross’s superpower is relentless follow-through. “I’ve had friends say they’d love to start a business but fear or hesitation is holding them back because they don’t know what to do. I’ve always had an incredible DIY spirit to do a bit of research and just start something.” Tess sees it too. She says he has “laser focus on the details” and describes him as “an inquirer who solves problems efficiently.”
That mindset is essential when you’re scaling a product-based company without outside funding. “The biggest hurdle I’ve faced is cash flow and planning for new inventory,” Ross admits. After a successful Kickstarter campaign to fund their first order, Ross got creative to keep things moving. “We had to be scrappy to have the funds to pay for orders two and three, using a creative combination of new credit card offers, a microloan from a family member, and some financing through Shopify once orders started to come in.”
Still, Ross is playing the long game. “My goal is for Smootheeze to be the number one destination for smoothie drinkers online,” he says. That means not just product expansion, like offering different prep container sizes and launching new smoothie-friendly food products and supplements, but also becoming a go-to resource for recipes and tips. It’s not just about convenience; it’s about community.
Sustainability is non-negotiable. “Single-use plastic is a non-starter for me,” Ross says. Smootheeze containers are made from silicone because “silicone will hold up to regular use for decades.” And through a partnership with TerraCycle, even the packaging and unwanted silicone products are fully recyclable. He’s also exploring the possibility of bringing manufacturing in-house to cut down on the environmental impact of overseas shipping. “Now that I’ve launched Smootheeze and understand more about the manufacturing process, I do see a pathway to harness my DIY spirit to bring production in-house.”
Innovation at Smootheeze is grounded in what Ross calls “blending convenience with consciousness.” He explains, “We all want convenience in our lives, but balancing that convenience with responsible consumption is essential. Some of that is about possibly changing mindsets and habits… the other part is businesses recognizing they need to adopt a people and planet focus in addition to a profit focus.”
For Ross, staying close to customers is just as important as staying close to values. “I try to engage with customers on social media and email as much as possible,” he says. Their VIP Facebook group for early adopters continues to be a source of real-time feedback. “I’m also constantly researching content on social to see what’s trending with smoothies and looking at other companies in the smoothie sphere.”
“Getting that first round of enthusiastic reviews from customers actually using the product was a great moment,” he says. “It was really satisfying to have people validate the concept, spend their hard-earned money on it, and share their excitement for Smootheeze.”
That excitement is mutual. Even with no full-time team, Ross is building a culture rooted in integrity. “Right now, it’s about creating mutually beneficial partnerships,” he says. “I get excited about working with other passionate people who are also running small businesses and seeing how I can give them as much or more than they’re giving me.”
Asked what role Smootheeze plays in the broader sustainability conversation, Ross is clear: “Businesses exist to make money. But I think companies need to make a shift to thinking just as much about people and the planet, even if it costs a little bit more to do business.”
To aspiring founders looking to build something mission-driven, Ross has one piece of advice: “Create a clear vision and mission for the company, and refer back to it often. That mission is a lifeline.”
And for those wondering what shapes an entrepreneur like Ross Nelson, the answer isn’t a single moment, it’s a mindset built over years. A college professor taught him to chase dreams through hard work. A former boss drilled into him the power of sweating the small stuff. And a thousand DIY projects later, he’s still the guy who gutted his kitchen, built the cabinets, tiled the floors, landscaped the yard, and laid the walkways, because that’s just who he is.
Published by Jeremy S.
