With 2022 officially underway, Hinsdale’s Leslie Danford can hardly believe how much can change in a year. For her, it included a new home, a new baby, and a new business.

Before the world had shutdown, Danford had accepted a new job with SoftBank-backed OYO Hotels. At the time, she had three young boys and was living in Chicago. Like many working moms, balancing home and work demands was a challenge.

Still, when she was hired for that job, it was an exhilarating opportunity to build a team and business. Then COVID-19 hit. The pandemic wreaked havoc for the hospitality industry, and within a year, Danford’s dream job ended.

“I had never been let go from a job before,” Danford says. “It was a complete shock to me.”

Danford lost her childcare around the same time and found herself like many moms during the pandemic—juggling housework and online schooling for her kids, who were 3, 4, and 6 years old. There were many moments when she felt completely overwhelmed and wondered what had become of her former life.

“It was during this really tough time that I had this idea for a children’s supplement,” she says. “I found that my kids’ food and drink options were loaded with sugar and generally lacked any nutritional value. With my background in beverage and consumer products, I thought I could develop something for this space.”

With her skillset, as well as being University of Chicago and Harvard MBA-educated, Danford knew she was up for the challenge of solving this wellness puzzle. Her goal was to create an easy-to-serve, fun-to-drink food and beverage brand that also played a functional, positive role in kids’ health and development.

In just a few months time (nine to be exact), Danford brought Vitaminis (pronounced “VIE-TUH-MIN-EES”) to market. As a 2.5-ounce liquid shot, Vitaminis Immune Support boosts immune systems with a kid-approved orange-pineapple taste. With a focus on whole food nutrition, Vitaminis delivers immune supportive minerals and nutrients without resorting to gummies, pills, or powders. The product is high in Vitamin C, Zinc, and Magnesium.

“I feel like we finally have an alternative to the sugar-filled, low-quality products that were already on our store shelves,” says Danford. “Vitaminis Immune Support is also flexible for how you want to use it—at breakfast, in a lunch box, or as an after-school snack.”

Danford wasn’t surprised to see Vitaminis take off with kids because of the praise she received from moms and families who served as part of her focus groups.

“Last year, we moved up to Hinsdale and our neighborhood community have been so supportive of our launch, always making their children available for taste tests when I needed them,” she says. “But what I didn’t expect was the number of adults who were working Vitaminis into their own healthy routines. We received a number of product reviews where parents said they were taking Vitaminis to boost their own immune systems, too.”

Having worked in corporate America for many years, no one was too surprised to see Danford dip her toes into entrepreneurial waters.

“I had always thought about launching my own company,” she says. “My mom said she knew that I had starting a business in me, reminding me that when I was 7—I sold my artwork on the street corner.”

Danford doesn’t want anyone to think that founding a business was all smooth sailing. In fact, in the midst of moving to the suburbs and starting Vitaminis, she found out she was pregnant with her fourth baby—a little girl! But her long career in the beverage and consumer packages industry did provide her with a network of able experts.

“Most people would think a pandemic would be a terrible time to launch a brand, but the upside was that there were a lot of really talented people with some time on their hands who were more than willing to weigh in on things when I asked,” she explains. “Even though I’m mostly a one-woman show with Vitaminis, there have definitely been areas where I’ve needed the help of someone who does this for a living. But I’m still a little amazed at how quickly this all came together.”

Today, Vitaminis Immune Support Shots are available on the company’s website as well as Amazon. Part of Danford’s plans for the near future include getting Vitaminis on store shelves across the country. The opportunities for a brand like Vitaminis—in a culture that craves wellness—seem to be endless.

“I’m currently working on a second beverage that targets gut health. I’m always on the lookout for minor health concerns or opportunities that can be addressed with a fortified food or beverage from Vitaminis,” Danford says. “I could never have predicted what 2021 would have in store for my family and me, so I’m really excited to see how things unfold in the new year.”

To learn more about Vitaminis or to purchase some for your family, visit vitaminisbrand.com or follow them on social @vitaminisbrand.