Today we’d like to introduce you to Lewis Hamer.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I was a bit of a wild child in my younger years. There was a period after I dropped out of college where I was moving all around the country, trying to find my calling. During this time, I met a lot of inspiring people who taught me a lot about business and entrepreneurship.
It wasn’t until I moved to Austin that I really honed in on my entrepreneurial drive and desire to help people. These elements truly came into fruition with the start of Hometown Hero.
Lukas Gilkey, the co-founder of Hometown Hero and a United States Coast Guard veteran, would take me to the shooting range with other veterans, and I got to hear their stories first-hand. So when we started Hometown Hero, I knew that helping veterans had to be a part of everything we do.
Alright, 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?
Elon Musk has one of my favorite quotes on this, “Starting a company is like eating glass and staring into the abyss.”
I don’t think I could sum it up better. It’s hard getting a business off the ground. There are many sleepless nights, long hours, and time away from family and friends to make everything work. It was a lot more than I expected getting into it.
Two significant factors make it all doable, though. The first is my amazing and supportive wife, Crista. She was always encouraging and understood the time and effort required to get to where we are today.
The second is the fantastic people that we surround ourselves with at Hometown Hero. From the staff to our partners, to the outside business consultants we work with, being in good company makes the process much easier.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Hometown Hero?
It took a leap of faith to start Hometown Hero. Back in 2015, Lukas had just come from a venture that went under and I was driving for a rideshare company. So we put together the last few dollars we had, started the business, and have been committed to helping veterans from the very beginning.
Hometown Hero’s products can be found in stores across the country and customers can order them from our online store and have them shipped directly to their doorstep. We have products ranging from our High Times Hemp Cup award-winning Delta 8 THC gummies and more innovative products like our Select Spectrum with a one-to-ratio of CBD and hemp-derived Delta-9 THC balanced for optimal effect.
The most amazing thing about selling hemp products is the feedback we hear from our customers and how much it has changed their lives. Unfortunately, I can’t be specific due to FDA regulations, but there’s been a wide range of people who have found relief while enjoying our products. This spans from older to younger adults (21 and over), veterans and non-veterans, just about everyone. Many of them say they’ve gained a refreshing “spark” in their life since enjoying our products.
We have been featured in the New York Times, Forbes, Vice, Bloomberg, Newsweek, and many more. We have over 40 employees and acquired our third facility due to expansion just recently. In addition, we’ve donated over one hundred thousand dollars to veterans’ charities, including the Disabled American Veterans, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Soldiers’ Angels, and Operation Finally Home. It is our mission to donate more money every year.
Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
I would recommend getting some outside perspectives. A friend or a family member who runs their own business is such a great resource to have in this regard.
Time is the most important asset you have. That asset can be diminished if you’re too caught up in every single little issue that you come across. Getting a fresh set of eyes on the challenges you face will save you a lot of time and your sanity.
I spend a lot of time speaking with other entrepreneurs, and we hire specialized consultants to help us think through problems. Unfortunately, you can get trapped in your own way of thinking and doing business. Getting an outsider (especially someone not in your industry) will do a lot to work those problems out and minimize costly mistakes.
Lastly, don’t get caught up in the minutiae. Going into business for yourself can be overwhelming, and your time is the most important thing. Making sure everything is structured perfectly will make you feel better, but it won’t get you to your goal faster.
Focus on offering value to your customers, whether it’s making a quality product or finely tuning your service, and get your first sales. It doesn’t matter if you have a perfectly structured LLC if you don’t have enough money to keep the business going. Looking back on it, I wasted too much headspace on these issues that ended up being completely inconsequential.
Contact Info:
- Email: store@hometownhero.com
- Website: www.hometownherocbd.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/hometownherocbd
- Facebook: facebook.com/HometownHeroCBD
- Twitter: twitter.com/HometownHeroCBD
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCawW0xkPRY8eIcDT6Vj-2ug
Image Credits:
Photos courtesy of Hometown Hero
