She’s the face of a household healthy brand with dozens of nutrient-dense products, 75 employees, and 1.2 million Instagram followers.
So it may surprise you that Karalynne Call was voted the “most shy girl” in junior high. No longer. Now, Karalynne’s favorite part of leading Just Ingredients is speaking, and her only lament is that she can’t say yes to all of the speaking opportunities that come her way.
And that speaks to the passion she feels for the subject matter of nutrition, ingredients and wellness. Karalynne’s entrepreneurial journey began more than 15 years ago when she was battling suicidal depression. She found a way forward by paying close attention to what she was putting in her body. She used Instagram as a way to share her story, and now 1.2 million followers are on a journey with her to increase health and happiness — just by paying attention to ingredients. The brand’s dedication to authentic, transparent ingredients also led to Just Ingredients landing in Whole Foods stores nationwide, and sponsorships with the Utah Jazz and the Utah Hockey Club.
As entrepreneur of the year, Karalynne is proving that wellness is the best way.
NOT JUST FAMILY
Karalynne believes her greatest education and prep for running a business has been motherhood.
“As a mom of six kids, I have to be organized and I find myself solving problems every day — like a book report that is due today that hasn’t been started,” Karalynne says. “People always ask how I’ve grown this business with no debt and no outside investors, and I tell them that I learned to budget as a mom.”
She also credits her relationship with God as guiding her daily decisions.
“I always wonder why my life was saved,” Karalynne says. “I think being a mom was part of it, but I also see God’s hand in guiding this business so that I can educate others and help them live happier lives.”
Raising kids (ages 25 to 11) and a business at the same time has had its challenges, but Karalynne has her routines and priorities. And she isn’t building the Just Ingredients brand alone. Karalynne and her husband, Jeff, balance their family and business life together.
“I tell everybody that he’s been fired three times, but I hire him back every time,” she laughs. “As soon as we figured out what our responsibilities were, it was great. He focuses on retail and operations, and I focus on marketing, product development, content creation.”
Karalynne isn’t worried about Instagram’s algorithm or social media trends — she simply shares what she’s learning and uses her platform to educate others.
“Younger people are going to TikTok for entertainment and news, so if we want to reach our future buyers we have to be where they are on social media,” Karalynne says.
JUST PROBLEM-SOLVING
“Entrepreneurship is about solving problems with a positive mindset and accepting them as fun challenges,” she says.
One of the current problems Karalynn is solving is creating a microgreens drink without the lead that is prominent in other options on the market. Finding reliable suppliers for the quantity needed is no small task. Creating products with “just ingredients” is a complex math equation.
“Using good quality ingredients may not provide the biggest profit margin initially, but it does generate revenue,” Karalynne says. “People are willing to pay more for real food ingredients. As demand increases and we educate people, we sell more product and bring down our pricing with manufacturers and suppliers so that it becomes more profitable. So many companies want to be profitable right out of the gate, but you’ve got to teach people why they need this product — and then the profitability will follow.”
NOT JUST WOMEN
Ninety-five percent of Just Ingredients consumers have traditionally been women, and Karalynne knew that to compete with other big brands she was going to need to crack the code of the male buyer.
“Men weren’t going to start watching me on Instagram, so we chose the sports route to get their attention,” she says.
The Utah Jazz interviewed multiple protein powder companies to be their official protein power — and Just Ingredients was selected.
“Athletes are very aware of what they are putting in and on their bodies because they want a long, healthy career,” she says. “Being part of the Jazz organization has been a great brand awareness tool for us.”
Just Ingredients also just announced a partnership with Major League Baseball phenom Bryce Harper.
JUST KEEP SWIMMING
Karalynne tells would-be entrepreneurs that the path is going to be challenging, but having a passion for the product or problem to solve will carry them through hard days.
“I also tell people to trust themselves,” Karalynne says. “There is so much noise and everybody is going to tell you to do things differently. Believe in yourself and move forward.”