Xcellent Life uses data analytics to evaluate a comprehensive set of health factors to provide a highly personalized experience for end-users. The goal is to understand the health signatures of the human body; thereby identifying oncoming issues well in advance so they can be avoided.
Victor L. Brown, CEO
Name: Xcellent Life
Location: Lexington, Tennessee (Greater Nashville)
Website: www.xcellentlife.com
Product / Service Offering: Personalized digital health analytics platform and mobile application
Co-founder Interviewed: Victor L. Brown, CEO
Other Key Management Team Members: Dr. Lakiesha Crawford, Chief Medical Officer and Samuel Berestizhevsky, CTO
This article is part of our Business Startup Spotlight series featuring entrepreneurs and their companies. We hope that these founders’ interviews will inspire and motivate you as you undertake your own entrepreneurial journey.
Tell us a little about yourself with a focus on what motivates you.
I describe myself as being:
- driven
- competitive
- curious
- humble
- confident
- ambitious
- passionate
- and purposeful
I tend to set ambitious goals where I can take pleasure in the process of getting there. I believe my purpose is to do my part in making this world a better place. Therefor, I have chosen to focus on health as my purpose for driving positive social impact. My sense of purpose came from my experience with my dad, who has type II diabetes.
When did you establish your company and where did the idea originate?
I established the company in March 2015, after completing a feasibility study. The idea originated from the process of getting more involved with my dad’s health and wellness to help him manage his diabetes. The more I learned, the more frustrated I became.
I had developed expertise with complex software applications for over twenty years in the energy sector. Software applications can protect, manage, and control critical energy assets, some of which are part of our national security. The approach used in the energy space is very proactive, where intelligent software collects data and analyzes it so that we can see the signatures of oncoming issues.
From that experience, I decided to develop a platform that could take the same approach. The goal is to understand the health signatures of the human body; thereby creating the opportunity to identify oncoming issues well in advance so that they could be avoided.
Clarify the Vision – 10 questions to create an effective vision statement
What need or needs does your company seek to fill for its customers?
Our customers desire things:
- lowered healthcare related cost
- better client, patient, and employee engagement
- and macro and micro trends from the data that allow them to make business decisions to increase profitability.
Xcellent Life improves wellness for patients, customers, and employees with greater value to healthcare service providers, insurance companies, and employers. Furthermore, our solution lowers business’ and end-user’s healthcare related cost.
Key to Startup Success: Customer Discovery
Healthcare service providers that desire to lower their readmission rates and provide a better chronic-condition management solution benefit from using Xcellent Life’s solution. Insurance providers that desire to offer a more personalized product to their customer base can use the analytics in our platform to gain insights and engage their customers in a personalized way. Additionally, employers and fitness centers benefit by offering a solution for better engagement that empowers their employees’ and clients’ wellness in a way that lowers their business cost, improves satisfaction levels, and ultimately lowers healthcare cost for end-users.
What is the one thing that sets your company apart from its competitors?
The sophisticated nature of the way Xcellent Life uses data analytics to evaluate a comprehensive set of health factors allows us to provide a highly personalized experience for end-users that drives better results.
What was the biggest challenge you faced while getting your company up and running, and how did you overcome it?
The biggest challenge I have had to overcome to get the company up and running has been getting to this point as a bootstrapped company. It has taken tremendous sacrifice and grit to get past that hurdle along with the ability to get others to connect to our purpose. We are now looking to raise a seed round as we prepare to capture opportunities of larger scale.
6 Items to Prepare for a Pitch to Concept Stage Investors
What resources have you utilized that other founders might find compelling or useful?
In the beginning of developing our business plan, I found the LivePlan application to be very helpful and would recommend it to founders looking to develop their business plans.
What steps have you taken to secure funding for your company and what, if anything, would you do differently if you had to start over?
I have started to reach out to angel groups and have filled out many applications for various programs in an effort to secure funding.
Looking for Angel Investors? Try the Find My Angel Investor Tool!
If I could start over, I would spend more time building relationships with stakeholders. I believe that this is the way to access capital. I have found often that it is hard to get evaluated up close unless a key stakeholder is walking you to the table. If this does not happen, you may not have the opportunity to have your team assessed along with the details of how you plan to reach business success.
I have delivered over twenty products to global markets; therefore, I can say with 100% confidence that it is always the team versus the product or solution. This mindset has made me believe it is imperative for potential investors to get to know the Xcellent Life team, which is best done through building a relationship with the right people.
What questions have you had as an entrepreneur of a fledgling startup that you had a particularly hard time finding the answers to?
One question that was very hard for me was whether to make the company an LLC or an Inc. This was mostly due to the answer depending on the situation, which was not obvious to me at the time. I wish I had more guidance in this area in the very beginning.
What challenges, if any, are you grappling with?
I am dealing with the effects of the extreme sacrifices necessary to operate in a bootstrapped mode. From sleeping on a couch to foregoing many of the things I took for granted when working in the corporate world, I feel these sacrifices every day. I do not believe I could make those sacrifices without passion for purpose, but I feel them for sure.
What is the most helpful tip or “hack” you’ve ever learned, stumbled across, or been given?
The most helpful tip I received was to focus on creating value and revenue versus chasing capital, because the capital you find without clear value and revenue may be a bad deal.
Is there anything else you would like to share about your company?
I would like to invite healthcare service providers, insurance companies, and employers to utilize the Xcellent Life Cloud Platform and Mobile App for free, limited availability, for a pilot program to increase the value of your business and the health of your patient, clients, and employees. Contact Xcellent Life at 1-800-925-8514 or email to get started today.
Are you familiar with other spotlight worthy startups? If so, we would like to hear from you. Tell us about them in the comments below!
Sandra Sloan
Sandra has previous supply chain and business operations experience which she is leveraging as an author with FundingSage focused on spotlighting entrepreneurs and their startup efforts.
