Shane Emmett believes the most successful brands embrace the power of narrative. So it’s only fitting that the idea for his company, Health Warrior, came from two books.
“The Omnivore’s Dilemma,” by Michael Pollan, outlined a problem: America’s broken food system and the way its processed output makes us all sick.
In “Born to Run” by Christopher McDougall – a rollicking tale of an ultrarunning tribe, the Tarahumara, in the Copper Canyons of Mexico – Shane literally saw the seeds of a solution.
Once a dominant superfood in South America, chia seeds had nearly been wiped out by the Spanish conquistadores. But their nutrient profile – rich in omega-3 fatty acids, protein and fiber – and their shelf-stable nature made them a perfect key ingredient for a whole new type of packaged product.
Shane and his college friends Nick Morris and Daniel Gluck called a friend with industry experience and said: “We think we found the healthiest food in the world, but no one knows about it. It’s awesome, and we want to make bars out of it.”
Four and a half years, a few recipe tweaks and a prominent Wall Street Journal article later, Health Warrior sells its superfood bars online and at Whole Foods, Target and other stores across the nation. The team’s goals continue to encompass more than financial success; they’ve also embarked on a project, Operation Farm and Run, to help the Tarahumara revitalize drought-ravaged farms.
I met Shane, an attorney who used to work in government and politics, during a run with Tarahumara ultramarathon champion Miguel Lara that Health Warrior orchestrated in Boston this spring (story about that here). I knew instantly we’d want him to tell his tale again for #WeGotGoals.
Hear how Shane sets “goals about goals” to manage his crazy entrepreneur’s schedule, why he agrees with Dawn Jackson Blatner’s non-goal approach to setting targets in the first place and when he recommends side-hustling or working for a start-up instead of going all-in on your own new thing.
Oh, and the other two books you might want to add to your reading list after this ep: “Sapiens” by Yuval Noah Harar and “I Know How She Does It” by Laura Vanderkam.
Listen to Shane’s episode and if you like what you hear, be sure to rate and review #WeGotGoals on iTunes.
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