The Founder Who Sold Her House for 34 Tons of Salt
How do you scale a global brand without losing your purpose?
In this episode of The Founder Files, we sit down with Samantha Skyring, founder and CEO of Oryx Desert Salt, the South African brand turning a natural Kalahari resource into an international success story. From selling her home and starting in a Wendy house to landing on shelves in Whole Foods USA, Samantha shares the deeply human story behind building a purpose-driven brand that refuses to compromise on integrity or sustainability.
She opens up about surviving cash-flow crises, manifesting opportunities through intention, and why she believes gratitude and clarity are her ultimate business tools. This conversation is a blueprint for founders who want to grow globally while staying grounded in their values.
We dive into:
• Turning 34 tons of salt into a global business
• Surviving early crises and finding the right investors
• The power of intention and long-term vision in entrepreneurship
• How Oryx got into Whole Foods and scaled to 23 countries
• Building a sustainable brand: “Refill, not landfill”
• Why meditation, gratitude, and mindset are the real growth strategy
This episode is packed with lessons on building with belief, leading with heart, and proving that purpose and profit can grow together.
Too Long; Didn't Listen? Here's what to look for:
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
10:20 The real story behind salt
17:00 From NGO to selling her house for 34 tons of salt
23:00 Finding partners, crises & networking to survive
27:00 Scaling to 23 countries & Whole Foods
30:00 Building a sustainable brand: “Refill not Landfill”
38:00 The COVID shock & the power of intentional focus
46:00 Running a low-margin, high-volume business59:30 Vision, focus & meditation as a founder tool
1:17:00 The power of long-term intention
1:23:00 Gratitude as a founder superpower
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