INTERVIEW | Make Money by Betting on Yourself (and a Handful of Seeds) with Doug Evans
Doug Evans is the founder and CEO of The Sprouting Company, an early pioneer in the natural foods industry, former paratrooper in the 82nd Airborne Division, and author of the national bestseller The Sprout Book.
From building a multimillion-dollar graphic design firm in his early 20s to exiting Organic Avenue in an eight-figure deal, to raising $120M for Juicero—and losing it all publicly—Doug’s entrepreneurial journey has been anything but linear. Now, he’s on a mission to revolutionize home food production by teaching people how to grow ultra-nutritious sprouts right on their kitchen counter.
On this episode we talk about:
Why being willing to do what nobody else wants to do creates opportunity
Charging what you’re actually worth—and how one $25K invoice changed everything
The hard lessons of raising venture capital and losing control of your company
Turning public failure (Juicero) into personal reinvention
Why sprouts may be the most underrated business (and health) opportunity of the decade
The discipline required to override laziness, addiction, and self-sabotage
Top 3 Takeaways
Value your time—and price accordingly. Doug went from charging $200/hour to confidently asking for $25,000 for a single engagement. That shift in self-perception changed his earning ceiling overnight.
VC money comes with strings. Raising $120M for Juicero created scale—but also invited control shifts that ultimately pushed Doug out of his own company.
Solve your own problem first. The Sprouting Company was born from Doug asking, “What will I eat in the desert?” The best businesses often start as deeply personal solutions.
Notable Quotes
“If you’re willing to do what nobody else wants to do, you’ll get the opportunity.”
“You can have anything you want—if you’re willing to do the work and be patient.”
“Something as small as a seed can grow into a multibillion-dollar company.”
“Money is there to be made—but you have to create value first.”
Doug’s Entrepreneurial Timeline (The Good, The Bad, The Ugly)
Built a multimillion-dollar graphic design company in his early 20s
Walked away from a bad partnership to protect his freedom
Scaled Organic Avenue to 10 NYC stores and achieved an eight-figure exit
Founded Juicero, raised $120M+ from top-tier investors—and experienced a high-profile shutdown
Reinvented himself in Wonder Valley and launched The Sprouting Company, now generating millions in revenue
Connect with Doug Evans:
Instagram: @dougevans
LinkedIn: Doug Evans
Company: The Sprouting Company
Book: The Sprout Book
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