Heaven-sent Sin: Halo Top finds success by making ice cream guilt-free

Necessity precedes invention, that is why most of the best startup ideas that evolve into
successful companies are born from solutions that answer simple everyday needs.

That’s why when Justin Woolverton decided to create the kind of ice cream he can enjoy
despite his hypoglycemic diet restrictions, he smelled not only the aroma of the cold confection
he has made, but also the potential for success.

Think about it.

Jack Ma’s Alibaba made it possible for small-to-medium businesses to reach a wider market
through e-commerce, Garret Camp’s Uber reduced the cost of private direct transportation by
creating a ridesharing network, and a group of broke yuppies came up with AirBnB after they
needed to rent out an airbed on their floor to earn quick cash.

So when Woolverton sensed that he was not the only one who has cravings for the pints of
frozen and succulent treat, he came up with Halo Top, a startup that aimed to allow people
suffering from diet restrictions to enjoy their cold indulgences to the fullest.

What started as a way for Justin to eat a cup of guilt-free ice cream has now evolved into one of
the best startups in 2018, according to the list released by LinkedIn, which compiles a list of
startups with less than seven years of existence and ranks them on their performance and
ability to attract and retain employees. In a list dominated by highly-funded tech companies,
Halo Top placed second-best, behind only the ride-sharing app Lyft.

COOK UP SOLUTIONS, NOT BUSINESS IDEAS

Like Camp, Woolverton wasn’t thinking of starting a billion-dollar ice cream empire when he
came up with his low calorie, sugar-free recipe. He was just a 30-something lawyer who wanted
to enjoy ice cream while avoiding the deadly effects of hypoglycemia.

In an interview with the BBC, Woolverton said he tried his mixture on a $20 ice cream maker
and was delighted by what he made.

"It was delicious. So from there, it was like: 'Holy cow, if I like this why wouldn't other people like
it?'," said Woolverton.

NOT EASY

When Justin finally decided to make a business out of his guilt-free ice cream, he teamed up
with his friend Doug Bouton (another former lawyer) and “secured” investments by borrowing
money from friends, family, and credit companies.
It wasn’t easy. Justin had to make sure the taste and consistency of his ice cream will last
against travel and time. He even went to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo’s Dairy Innovation Institute
to study and refine his mixture for mass production.

"It honestly took a year of complete failure at the beginning," said Woolverton.

But he and Bouton launched the company in 2012 and saw that selling their guilt-free ice cream
was harder than they initially thought.

Even with an estimated 90 million diabetic Americans, and millions of people who like to count
calories and sugar intake for fitness and health, it was hard for Woolverton and Bouton to reach
those people.

Giving coupons to social media influencers who produce content about low-cal and sugar free
food helped spread awareness, but it wasn’t enough.

Three years after the launch, most Halo Top pints remained untouched in US supermarket
freezers and Justin had to beg those sellers to keep stocking his ice cream on those shops.

"We were hanging on by the skin of our teeth," said Justin to the BBC. "We'd tell them 'leave us
up there, things are going to turn around'."

PERSEVERANCE PAYS OFF

Woolverton’s social media push finally bore fruit when it caught the attention of a writer from a
reputable lifestyle magazine.

Shane Show, a fitness buff who writes reviews for different blog sites, heard from a buddy that it
is possible to eat one pint of ice cream every night and stay healthy, you just have to eat the
right ice cream for it. Show decided to eat nothing except Halo Top ice cream in the next 10
days and document everything.

According to the journal Show wrote for GQ, it was magic. The ice cream was not only low on
calories and had no sugar, it also has good fat, fiber, and protein. It had no sugar and has little
milk, so he expected it to taste bland and feel like stale yogurt in his mouth, but to him Halo Top
was the real deal.

He felt lean, clean, strong, and he said he even lost body fat after devouring 50 pints of ice
cream in the last 10 days.

“I think my new “stay fit” routine will probably involve legumes and vegetables and whole grains
during the day and some Halo Top once in a while before bed,” Show said in the article.
And with those words, Show helped turn things around for Woolverton and his struggling ice
cream brand.

Soon, Woolverton was shipping millions of ice cream tubs throughout the country. In 2016,
reports said that it earned around $130 million in revenues and beat famous names like Ben &
Jerry’s and Haagen Dazs as the best selling pint of ice cream in the US.

“It was a really fun article,” said Justin about the GQ feature. “It made the brand catch fire”.

In a 180-degree turn, the US supermarkets are the ones pleading Woolverton to put more of the
ice cream in their freezers.

"For the first time people were buying three, four or five pints at a time. It had become the first
lifestyle ice cream that people could eat daily."

As much as Justin enjoys the fact that he was right about his business idea, he does not think it
is a good idea to live off the guiltless delight he has invented. “That [Halo Top diet] is not
something we recommend, to be clear,” said Woolverton.

In less than seven years, his kitchen startup that began with only himself and a $20 ice cream
maker has become a $2-billion business with 50 employees and is currently shipping its
products into 10 countries.

Woolverton also has opened three “Scoop Shop” destinations, establishments that offer his
“healthy” sweet treat in different flavors and toppings.