Meet Erica Liu Williams | Founder @ gr8nola

We had the good fortune of connecting with Erica Liu Williams and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Erica, how has your work-life balance changed over time?
I think “work life balance” is subjective to every unique individual. I’m a person who likes to stay busy and productive, and if I’m not constantly doing things that make me feel like I’m progressing, I feel dissatisfied and bored. Therefore, I’ve always been a busy person (from high school to college to corporate to entrepreneurial life), but it’s a lifestyle I thrive in, even though others on the outside may look at it is “not balanced” or “obsessive” at times.

However, when it comes to balance there are a few things that are non-negotiable for me: 1) exercise & clean eating – I am always consistent with getting in a good sweat 5-6 days a week and I try to follow the 80/20 rule when it comes to food 2) sleep – I simply can’t function unless I get good shut eye so yes, even as an entrepreneur I strive to get 8-9 hours/night. 3) relationships – I am extroverted and draw energy and ideas from others, so not matter how busy I get I always make sure I carve out time for family, friends and networking.

As long as I’m hitting those three check boxes, I can work around the clock while still feeling balanced! But if there’s a deficit in any of these areas for too long of a period, I will most definitely feel out of wack and things will need to be put back in check for my lifestyle to feel sustainable.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Gr8nola is delicious, low-sugar granola made with unique & functional superfoods. The recipe was born in my kitchen during a “cleanse”, tested & proven at the farmers market, and voted into the pantries of Silicon Valley’s biggest tech companies like Google, Twitter and more. Our line includes 7 superfood flavors that are non-GMO, 5g sugar/serving and free of soy, dairy and refined sugar: The Original, Cacao Crisp, Peanut Butter, Black Coco Chia, Cinnamon Chai, Golden Spice and Matcha Vibes. They are also sold on gr8nola.com, Amazon, and ~100 retailers.

Like many, I’m super passionate about health & fitness, and I love eating delicious food. However, we all know it’s a hard act to balance both: eating for your taste buds and eating for your health. However, I strongly believe we should have access to food we love both because of the way they taste and what’s in (or not) inside of them. That’s why I started gr8nola: to create a delicious snack that could satisfy people’s taste buds while helping them eat and feel their best.

My passion and mission for the company is to make clean, superfood snacks accessible to the masses. This is why I’ve taken a very simple and approachable product — granola — and infused it with nutrient-dense, functional superfoods that are often less commonly consumed (like matcha, turmeric, activated charcoal, etc.) to the mass consumer. As a consumer myself, health and wellness is a huge priority in life; as a business owner, I feel great responsibility to provide products that I would feel great about purchasing for myself and my own family.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Gosh, I’m such a homebody (especially because of COVID) but I would definitely take them to get some goods eats in either Oakland, San Francisco and/or Sausalito!

We’d likely hangout at my house, we’d go for some nice hikes (such as the Lafayette Reservoir), and then maybe we’d venture off to one of my favorite restaurants, Fish, in Sausalito. On another day, we’d head to San Francisco, get some amazing dim sum at a restaurant called Harbor View, and walk around the Embarcadero, the Ferry Building and perhaps all the way up to Fisherman’s Wharf.

I’m a big foodie and I love being active, so this week would definitely be centered around outdoor activities like walking/hiking in beautiful Bay Area weather while getting in delicious eats!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Startup CPG, https://startupcpg.com/

Website: https://www.gr8nola.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gr8nola/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericaliuwilliams/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/eatgr8nola

Facebook: http://facebook.com/gr8nola

Other: https://pinterest.com/gr8nola

Image Credits
Karla Ticas Chad Montano