Today we’d like to introduce you to Nicole Pinedo.
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?
Hi!
My name is Nicole Pinedo. I’m the Co/founder and CEO of Hiking Pony Coffee Co. This is my second CPG launch. I feel like I learned so much from my previous company and I am so grateful to have the opportunity to do it again!
I’m a Drugless Practitioner by trade, I work with diet modification and stress management to help get people off unnecessary medications. The companies I launch (and work for outside of my own) are trying to make being healthy easier by meeting people where they are and offering an option to do the same thing you’re already doing without having to rebuild habits, but feel better, have more energy, and less work so people enjoy their day a little more.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Nothing about CPG is smooth! Imagine juggling feral cats with chainsaws. But it is super rewarding. Every challenge and hurdle you get past increases the drive and motivation. It makes every win more profound. There are so many factors you can’t control. The shifting global economy has been really challenging to navigate. We are still very tiny so we don’t have the resources needed to bulk buy or tie up capital in large purchases. For example, our packaging is still hand labeled because getting it custom made would be a minimum order far beyond what we can do at this stage. Cost of ingredients and access to what we need can change over night and that can be challenging as well. Running on a shoestring budget means a lot of extra work without pay and that can be hard on motivation and morale. Finding ways to make it worth it is really the key. Rewarding ourselves in little ways to keep our heads up when we get news we aren’t so excited about. Being each others cheerleaders constantly and focusing on the wins as much as possible, even if it’s only getting through the day, you still earn a gold star in this group.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Hiking Pony?
We do an All-in-one Instant Collagen Coffee. It has 9g of protein from collagen, organic whole coconut oil, organic coconut milk, and freeze dried coffee. We have 3 flavors, Latte, Sweet Cream (also has 4g of organic coconut sugar), and Mocha (also has 5g of organic coconut sugar and raw unrefined cacao).
The idea is to increase protein and beneficial fats without having to work so hard. Our coffee just needs hot water so it only takes about 15-30 seconds to make. We use collagen because we don’t really consume it in our society anymore, but it’s a foundational building block for every cell in our body. Whole organic coconut oil contains not only MCTs for metabolic and cognitive function, but also lauric acid which can support immune function and acts as a natural preservative. The coffee we use is freeze dried, not dehydrated, so there are no drying agents, chemicals, or toxins, just excellent coffee. We chose coconut sugar because its low glycemic and contains trace minerals. We don’t want to hyper stimulate anyone, we offer 3 different forms of energy from protein, beneficial fats. and caffeine.
We came up with the branding from a hiking trip I did. I did a solo 4 day backpacking trip into Havasupi Indian reservation. I chose not to use a mule for my gear and hiked my pack in myself. On the trip I didn’t have coffee because campers coffee is awful and makes me feel jittery. On the way out it was brutal! At one point a train of mules went by with packs from other campers and I thought “I wish I had that energy right now!”. When I told the story to my business parters they decided it needed to be the name and my COO, Ariel Patterson drew up our adorable Pony in hiking boots. It was perfect.
Any big plans?
We have some pretty big plans! New products are in R&D currently and we are actively seeking new accounts. We have met some really amazing people and have high hopes for some big growth in the next year.
Pricing:
- 3.75
- 22.99
- 49.99
Contact Info:
- Website: https://hikingpony.com
- Instagram: hiking.pony
- Facebook: hiking pony
