Jim Ken

Follow your passion earlier in your lifetime is the only resource that we can not get more of – use it wisely.

 

After completing his doctorate in chemistry at the University of Canterbury Jim moved to the University of Alberta in Canada undertaking medical research into heavy metals and their interaction with blood. This started the passion Jim has for nutrition and how additives to our food can impact our bodies.

Jim spent a number of years in technical and marketing positions for “hi tech” companies working across the world in countries as diverse as Paris, Singapore and Australia. However he never forgot his underlying passion for chemicals or additives in our food. One thing that stuck with him as he worked with a wide range of people from different countries and cultures was their interest in food, but they had a distinct lack of knowledge in how the food industry uses chemical or additives.

This passion pushed Jim to start a natural food company that did not use additives and yet retained taste and provide some healthy alternatives for consumers. This company was acquired by a larger group and with no immediate plan Jim decided to follow his passion of natural products and how to inform consumers that they do have real choices.

So a specialized business called daily detox hacks was born. It has taken Jim some time to establish a strong following for his business, but his customers are passionate and help spread the word. Dr Jim Ken feels fulfilled in this ongoing mission to educate consumers in his new career and business of wellness through natural products.
He currently spends his time between Brisbane Australia and Laguna in California.

Where did the idea for Daily Detox Hacks come from?

It came about when I was struggling to make sense of the mixed messages that come from manufacturers of products that you are to consume or use on your body. I wanted to provide ideas on how you can avoid many of the “nasty additives” that are in these products. We started in 2017 and have slowly built up a loyal following for our online venture.

What does your typical day look like and how do you make it productive?

I rise early – usually, around 5 am. I love the quiet hours before most of the world starts – you can just get so much done. Mostly I use this time for strategy and planning. When the rest of the day comes I am already prepared. The rest of the day is spent working with my team of writers and then catching up with my editor. Around 4.30 pm – 5 times a week I walk for 5-6 km

How do you bring ideas to life?

New ideas are the foundation of our business. Research is very important. We try to work on the trends that are growing. I use visualization to bring these ideas to life, and I put my self in the shoes of my customers as a sanity check that these ideas are good.

What’s one trend that excites you?

Organics and diet is a trend that I have been following for a while now – but I get the strong feeling from my research that it is going to come into its own in the next 5 years. Right across a broad spectrum of markets – for example, organic clothes and sleeping products are now gaining traction.

What is one habit of yours that makes you more productive as an entrepreneur?

Starting at 5 am is good – and continual research and learning. It allows me to constantly improve myself and offer new insights to my customers.

What advice would you give your younger self?

Follow your passion earlier in your lifetime is the only resource that we can not get more of – use it wisely.

Tell us something that’s true that almost nobody agrees with you on.

Do not be afraid to fail! – If you understand the risks you can minimize the downside. But you learn so much from your failures.

As an entrepreneur, what is the one thing you do over and over and recommend everyone else do?

Exercise and work on my relationships with my family – you need to work at them so they grow in a healthy way. I repeatedly work on those.

What is one strategy that has helped you grow your business?

As an online business “answer the questions properly”. By that I mean you need to put yourself in your reader’s mindset – try to understand what they are feeling and what information they are seeking. While it is not easy – this is a key discipline I use and I insist my staff also incorporate into their daily tasks.

What is one failure you had as an entrepreneur, and how did you overcome it?

As an entrepreneur, my biggest failure is trying to be able to everything myself and delivering mediocrity. Once I learned this the hard way – I now look for people who can demonstrate competence and leadership and outsource that task or tasks to them.

What is one business idea that you’re willing to give away to our readers?

The no code movement – what this means is anyone with an idea can create a solution – you do not need to know how to write software. This has only just started and is going to be big.

What is the best $100 you recently spent? What and why?

I took myself out of my comfort zone and to a learn to kitesurf I took a $99 lesson – it taught me that although the task seems insurmountable (and scary) at the beginning – with the right teacher(expert) and persistence you can do anything.

What is one piece of software or a web service that helps you be productive?

Google sheets and simple scripts to help automate repetitive tasks

What is the one book that you recommend our community should read and why?

It is an old book – but I love “How to swim with the sharks” by Harvey Mackey. Why I like this book – the author writes from personal experience with real-life examples.

What is your favorite quote?

The master has failed more times than the amateur has even tried – I can not recall who said that – but I love this quote.

Key Learnings:

• Hire Slowly and Fire Quickly
• Trust your instinct and gut
• Only put in or on your body non-toxic products – read the labels and learn what to avoid.