Q&A features in this Side Hustle Spotlight article Achal Patel and Russell Gong, longtime friends and founders Health Officeoffering over-the-counter medicines and supplements in reusable glass bottles.
Image source: courtesy of the Health Cabinet. Akhal Patel, left; Russell Gong, right.
What was your day job like when you began working on the side?
Patel: I first met Russ when we were working at a large consulting firm and we bonded over a shared vision of making a mission-driven company that combined our experience in healthcare and sustainability. Years later, we got here up with the idea to start the world’s first sustainable health care company, Cabinet Health, while I continued working at a consulting firm and Russ studied combat tactics at infantry officer training school. We each had hectic jobs during the day, but we built the office in our free time at nights and weekends.
When did you begin your side business and where did you discover the inspiration for it?
Gong: We initially began Cabinet Health as a small business on Amazon and grew from there. The originator of this concept was Achal, who found an opportunity to introduce innovation in the healthcare market. Thanks to summers spent as a child in his grandfather’s drug factory, he discovered that we had a scalable advantage in the type of high-quality drug production. When I was in the military, we wondered how we could encourage a recent generation of healthcare that might innovate the traditional packaging and supply chain model to be more sustainable.
What steps did you are taking to transition from a side hustle to a full-time business?
Gong: The first step was to partner with my co-founder and closest friend. Achal and I officially launched our business when we decided to build something greater than just an online store. It was a very conscious decision brought together by shared values, and the best skilled and personal decision I have ever made. We began our cooperation on the strongest possible basis.
From there, we began to further explore the problem we’d ultimately solve and the current market landscape. We traveled around the world to higher understand market opportunities and learn the ins and outs and enormous complexities of the medical supply chain. It was this first-hand experience that made us confident in not using single-use plastics in medicine before building the back-end infrastructure for our sustainable healthcare operations.
Finally, we have invested and developed packaging to bring high-quality over-the-counter medicines to the market. This involved a very long research and development process, including rigorous safety testing, to design truly progressive, sustainable packaging for our medicines. Recognizing what is happening inside the bottle is the most vital; we have sourced high-quality FDA-approved medications and partnered with an independent third-party laboratory to batch-test all Cabinet medications for ultimate peace of mind. This additional layer of batch-level testing goes beyond FDA requirements, but allows us to assure our customers that our medicines are certified freed from gluten, toxins and known carcinogens.
In terms of product development, we initially launched popular over-the-counter medicines and supplements, including products resembling 24/7 allergy relief and pain and fever relief. Every Cabinet medicine comes in a refillable glass bottle with our compostable refill bags, saving you plastic waste and money in the long term. From there, we built our online pharmacy, Cabinet Rx, where we provide highly personalized care and easy transfers for our plastic-free prescriptions. Each recent patient receives a personalized glass prescription bottle with refills, shipped conveniently to your door in medical-safe, compostable, degradable bags. We like to think of Cabinet Rx as a easy, sustainable substitute for traditional amber bottles made from single-use plastic. We currently offer over 500 prescription medications, and we plan to expand this offering to include additional items resembling liquid medications and contraceptives.
In terms of square footage, the Cabinet was introduced to Target stores (over 500) nationwide last December. As first (*1*)Target zero-an approved pharmaceutical brand, the launch was an exciting step for each the brand and the industry, expanding the reach of sustainable, compostable medicines to hundreds of thousands of homes across the United States
On the growth side, Cabinet has served over one million customers to date, with annual sales averaging $20-30 million per year.
What do you enjoy most about running this business?
Gong: Band, band, band. I view our office team in many other ways. First, patients play a key role in our mission and cause, serving not only as customers but also as external team members who help us build and shape our business. In fact, they have inspired some of our product development plans and go-to-market strategies to date. Our patient community is at all times at the heart of every little thing we do, and we are dedicated to meeting their needs.
Second, members of our internal government team work tirelessly to make sustainable healthcare solutions a reality in the hearts and minds of consumers. Finally, our business partners like McKesson, Target and CVS truly consider in the future we are building to lead the next generation of sustainable healthcare. Everyone works together as one team to help solve the problem. It’s an honor to run a company that helps bring together such amazing partners around one cause.
What is your advice for others looking to start a successful side hustle or their very own full-time business?
Patel: Above all, be resilient and committed. If you would like to achieve success, you would like to have each feet in it, so make sure you have great confidence in what you are doing. Don’t be afraid of failure. Building a successful business takes time and effort, and the business landscape is continuously evolving, so do not be discouraged by setbacks and challenges along the way. If you stay persistent, the information you gain will help shape your vision and allow you to step by step scale up as you gain traction and resources.
Gong: Start small, but get began. Don’t wait for the perfect moment or conditions to start. Either way, there are many belongings you have no control over. Start with what you have and take small, achievable steps towards your goals. The key is to build momentum, and progress, regardless of how small, is progress. Let passion and purpose be your guide and allow you to discover what truly motivates and excites you. This, combined with a customer-centric approach, will give what you are promoting real relevance and appeal to consumers.