A simple idea in 2012.An eye opening experience in 2013.Naive ambition in 2014.Lead to an impactful business in 2015.
We started with nothing.
In 2015, the natural food space was blowing up (and still is). Everyone wanted in. Companies backed by celebrities, venture capitalists, and a slew of consultants started popping up. We didn't have any of that. fitppl was an (overly) ambitious project started by Patrick to shake up the status quo.
In 2015, the natural food space was blowing up (and still is). Everyone wanted in. Companies backed by celebrities, venture capitalists, and a slew of consultants started popping up. We didn't have any of that. fitppl was an (overly) ambitious project started by Patrick to shake up the status quo.
It began withgreat products.
We cut zero corners from the beginning. Our products are just held to a higher standard. Does this mean less money to our bottom line? Yes. But the status quo was never good enough. Take our plant proteins for example. We were the first to leave out stevia, which is super cheap and super processed. Now the big guys are beginning to follow suit. But imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, so we're ok with it.
We cut zero corners from the beginning. Our products are just held to a higher standard. Does this mean less money to our bottom line? Yes. But the status quo was never good enough. Take our plant proteins for example. We were the first to leave out stevia, which is super cheap and super processed. Now the big guys are beginning to follow suit. But imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, so we're ok with it.
and continues witha better mission.
Making great products is awesome. Doing good in the community is even awesomer (not a word, but we're using it.) Our ditch the plastic mission didn't appear out of thin air. It's a personal crusade by Patrick and he's really passionate about it. Seriously, just ask him. He wasn't a tree huggin' hippy either, an eye opening experience in Thailand laid the foundation of the fitppl mission.
Making great products is awesome. Doing good in the community is even awesomer (not a word, but we're using it.) Our ditch the plastic mission didn't appear out of thin air. It's a personal crusade by Patrick and he's really passionate about it. Seriously, just ask him. He wasn't a tree huggin' hippy either, an eye opening experience in Thailand laid the foundation of the fitppl mission.
The trip that created the fitppl mission.
In late 2013, Patrick was a newly minted (admittedly struggling) freelance cinematographer. The fitppl brand was still just an idea at this point. During some down time from filming, he took a trip to Thailand to meet a friend. This trip changed the trajectory of his life and was the catalyst to begin the fitppl journey. With all the beauty Thailand had to offer, one thing stuck in his mind. The plastic pollution he witnessed in the near Hong Island. This video created by Patrick back in 2013, captures the beauty of the country during his 40 day trip, and why it's more important than ever to do whatever possible to preserve our oceans.
Read Patrick's story below
2011: Foundation
"I moved to Costa Rica during 2011 to "find myself" (didn't happen), but I was eating a diet of wholesome, local foods, and really embraced this simplified lifestyle. This time would plant a critical seed that would develop into the fitppl brand."
2012: Idea
"After returning from Costa Rica, I had to get a job, because rent isn't free. I sat at a computer all day bored. A byproduct of that boredom was eating the junk food in the company kitchen, which made maintaining a healthy lifestyle less than optimal. So I asked the office manager to bring in a protein powder to make smoothies. They bought a generic, dairy-based protein with flashy graphics and a list of ingredients just as bad as the junk food. Reading that terrible ingredient list, an idea came to me to bring the honest simplicity of Costa Rica to my current lifestyle, and the busy lifestyle of others. I wanted to help people, stay fit people. An idea was born I named fitppl."
2013: Mission
"I eventually to quit that job because it sucked. Luckily I taught myself video from personal interest and started booking freelance gigs. This schedule allowed me to spend time traveling, so I linked up with a friend in Thailand. This unknowingly created the catalyst for launching fitppl which was still just an idea. While swimming near Koh Hong Island, I witnessed firsthand the severe impact of plastic pollution in the ocean. It was floating everywhere. The more research I did, the more alarming the situation became. The catastrophic plastic waste in the oceans was hands down one of the biggest problems facing our planet. The origins of the ditch the plastic initiative was born from the experience."
2014: Action
"With a fresh focus to launch a company with an authentic purpose, I got to work. No investors or real business plan, I just started creating what I felt was needed. I always relied on the convenience of protein blends through my 20's, but grew unsatisfied with the gimmicks and claims. I was determined to create truly clean blends. Food and supplement companies were also one of the largest contributors to the plastic pollution issue, those large plastic tubs and scoops were so wasteful. Plus, animal farming methods were causing as much havoc as plastic on the environment. So I stuck with plant-based. I began sourcing ingredients and creating the first fitppl blends every night in my kitchen."
2015 - 2016: Launch
"By early 2015, I was juggling a busy freelance film schedule while carving out time to continue creating fitppl. I spent nights meticulously testing, tweaking, and tasting the final blends. One big challenge was finding co-packers that would work with me (you can't make stuff in your home kitchen.) I was incredibly stubborn about not using plastic or pre-made blends. I did not cut any corners and wouldn't budge about how I wanted things done. Finally in late 2015, after years of blind ambition, passion, and hard work, fitppl was launched with a mission to craft products that are better for people and better for the planet."
2017: Cleanups
"By 2017 I realized I had no clue what I was got myself into. I was truly a David, in a Goliath industry. But I kept pushing. We hosted our first active cleanup in June of 2017. This cemented my personal mission to raise awareness and get people involved in the initiative to preserve our oceans. A small idea back in 2012 turned into such a meaningful movement. We became the first environmentally proactive company in the food and supplement removing the trash and plastic created by our industry."
Future
"Even though fitppl started as a small idea, it's turning into a big movement. There were no paid celebrity endorsements, investors, marketing gurus, or gimmicks. I just did it the way I felt was was right. I'm proud of what we create on the product front, and more proud of what we're doing in our communities. As the company grows, so does the overall mission. It was a lot of work to get where we are, and there's a lot more work to be done."
"To be frank, we're constantly sold bullsh*t. Buzzwords and catchy tag lines mask what's really in products, and what really happens after. No brand in the food and supplement space is taking action or responsibility for the amount of waste created. We've been raising hell about this since before banning straws was trendy. Greenwashing exacerbates the problem. There are very complex issue with green initiatives sold by companies. Most of the products we use end up in our oceans, not recycled. The only line of defense is to clean it up. My goal is to influence a large collective of individuals to actively do this throughout their everyday lives. If enough people are inspired through our mission, we can create the measurable impact needed to slow the irreversible damage being done to our oceans. Hopefully the fitppl platform inspires people to be mindful and cut through the bullsh*t"- Patrick
"To be frank, we're constantly sold bullsh*t. Buzzwords and catchy tag lines mask what's really in products, and what really happens after. No brand in the food and supplement space is taking action or responsibility for the amount of waste created. We've been raising hell about this since before banning straws was trendy. Greenwashing exacerbates the problem. There are very complex issue with green initiatives sold by companies. Most of the products we use end up in our oceans, not recycled. The only line of defense is to clean it up. My goal is to influence a large collective of individuals to actively do this throughout their everyday lives. If enough people are inspired through our mission, we can create the measurable impact needed to slow the irreversible damage being done to our oceans. Hopefully the fitppl platform inspires people to be mindful and cut through the bullsh*t"- Patrick
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