2012 - The initial idea

2013 - Perspective and clarity

2014 - Laying the groundwork

2015 - The start of fitppl

fitppl was founded in 2015 without celebrity backing, influencer hype, or outside investors. It started as a small, deliberate effort to make products thoughtfully from the ground up.

There was no launch playbook. Just steady work, careful decisions, and a focus on making something that would last.

The fitppl

story

One guy, with one clear standard: To build a brand that holds up over time.

2016 - 2017: Cleanups

By 2016, it was clear that making products came with tradeoffs beyond the products themselves. Waste and where packaging ultimately ended up became harder to ignore.

In 2017, fitppl held its first community cleanup, putting into practice an idea that had stayed with Patrick since seeing plastic pollution in Thailand in 2014.

That first cleanup established an approach we still follow today: take responsibility and stay involved.

Product first, always

From the beginning, Patrick focused on getting the product right before anything else. That meant paying close attention to ingredients, sourcing, formulation, and the decisions behind each one.

There was no interest in chasing trends or rushing to market. The priority was making products that could hold up on their own.

An experience that shaped perspective

In 2013, while working as a freelance cinematographer, Patrick traveled to Thailand between projects. Seeing plastic pollution firsthand changed how he thought about waste and where products ultimately end up.

That experience later influenced how fitppl approached packaging, materials, and responsibility.

Responsibility followed

Responsibility became a natural extension of that same thinking.

Experiences outside the product world, including time spent abroad, sharpened Patrick’s awareness of waste and its consequences. That awareness didn’t turn into slogans or campaigns. It turned into specific choices around materials, packaging, and where the brand was willing to take responsibility.

The work continues through decisions that are practical, imperfect, and ongoing.

A note from Patrick

I’ve held fitppl to the same standards since 2015. It’s been a long and difficult road, but nothing compares to losing my mom in 2023 to bile duct cancer.

At that point, I was eight years into the business and honestly pretty worn down. When she was diagnosed, it became all hands on deck.

Her doctors kept emphasizing that she needed to get as much protein as possible. But what the hospital was providing looked a lot like the same kinds of products that originally pushed me to start this company back in 2012.

So I brought her mine instead. From that point on, that’s what she asked for until we left the hospital for hospice.

Losing her was devastating. But one thing it reinforced for me was the work that still needs to be done. And she would want me to keep pushing.

So in her memory, I keep going.