The Final Stretch

Last week we completed our final plant trial before first production. Thankfully, all went smoothly in Wisconsin! 

The purpose of the trial was two-fold. First, we wanted our new VP, Brian, to meet the plant team with whom he will be working closely.  Second, we needed to produce more product for our "pre-sell". Now that we have secured our key distributor, our mission over the next several weeks is to secure key end-retailers in the Chicago/Midwest Region!  Additionally, we plan to provide samples to as many potential customers in the next few weeks before launch as possible! 

Help us count down to our big day!

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Woman's World Cover

Being on the cover of Woman's World Magazine this week has truly been a thrill! I have received so many motivating comments of support for whey protein and our Better Whey of Life™ yogurts. Since the publication has hit the stands, a few questions have consistently been sent my way, so I wanted to post the answers to these questions for all of your benefit!

Firstly, our Better Whey of Life™ yogurt will be available in the Chicago/Midwest this September. By late August, we will have an updated store locator on our website to ensure you know which Chicago/Midwest stores are carrying our products. Please continue to check back for updates as our products gain distribution. We plan to expand beyond the midwest in early 2009! If you have signed-up, you will receive a coupon

once they are in your area.

Secondly, our Better Whey of Life™ yogurt is enhanced with whey protein (for a total of 15g protein per 6oz serving). This is 3X the protein of standard yogurt and it has 1/3 less sugar (all while tasting delicious)! We are the first company to bring whey protein in convenient forms to everyday foods, like yogurt (and still taste great).

Finally, in the meantime, if you would like to purchase whey protein powder, you can and it works well. Stores like GNC, Vitamin Shoppe, and Whole Foods sell whey protein powder. I, personally, like low-fat/low-sugar vanilla flavored powders that are sweetened with stevia (an all-natural, no-calorie sweetener). I like to add this to unsweetened milk, soy milk, or oatmeal. This adds protein and sweetness without adding fats or sugars! It's definitely not as convenient and can be a lot more chalky than our products, but it can do in a pinch,

Thanks to all for your support and interest in our Better Whey products! I truly believe it is a better way to a leaner you and hope you will agree!

First National Distributor!

Over the past few weeks, after a significant amount of preparation, we experienced a significant win for our company. Our team secured our first distributor...and it's a big one! Brian and I diligently worked in lock-step with The Joel Warady Group ,our right hand marketing and business consulting firm, to ready ourselves for the meeting. The product, packaging, sell story, pricing, and promotional strategy all had to be perfect and ready to go for our big sell-in meeting in Iowa City!

Brian, Joel, and I attended the meeting in Iowa City. During the drive, I went over and over in my mind what I wanted to say (while ensuring our yogurt stayed cold in the cooler next to me)! By the time of the meeting, I felt prepared but I have to admit that I was very nervous. It is not often that new companies secure their primary distributor before having a product in the marketplace. While the meeting went well, there were no guarantees from the distributor that they would list our product in their warehouse.

Two days later, we learned that our hard work had paid off! We had been accepted to the largest all-natural/organic distributor. What a win! While we were thrilled, we were already wrapped-up with the next steps. It was at that point that I received a very special Friday night email from Joel, who had several of his own companies before starting his consultancy. The email helped put the week into proper perspective...

You and your young company have just had an unbelievable week. Your dream, the company that started in your brain, and then made it to paper, has now become reality. You have just received confirmation that your product, the product that did not exist 6 months ago, has now been accepted into the largest Natural Foods distributor in the US. Some entrepreneurs dream that this day will come sometime in the future; you had it happen before you ever filled your first cup of production quality yogurt. Enjoy the moment!!!!

I know that we all have a lot of work ahead of us, and this accomplishment is just the start. But please never gloss over your successes, and this was a very good week for your very young company.

Congratulations! Enter this week into your journal. Trust me, it will be a very meaningful part of your story a few years from now.

And so, here I am, I'm entering this milestone into my very public journal for us all to enjoy together. I'm thrilled by this success and can't thank my team enough for helping us get there!

And now we move on to the next challenge.

Big Welcome to our New VP!

I am thrilled to announce that Brian Sambor has joined the Tula Foods management team, and our adventure with a Better Whey of Life™! Brian brings a richness of skills in many areas, including expertise in product development, operations, and production. He earned a Food Science degree from the University of Illinois , a MS in Dairy Products Technology from

California Polytechnic and brings over 10 years of professional experience through multiple positions within Kraft Foods, Research and Development.

In addition to Brian’s extensive knowledge of wholesome nutrition and impressive educational background in Food Science, Brian epitomizes the Tula Foods mission to lead a healthy and active lifestyle!

While my focus remains on leading the sales and marketing charge, Brian is ensuring that the Better Whey of Life™ products are developed, created and held to the highest quality standards possible. Furthermore, he will ensure that distribution to our stores and to our customers is smooth and efficient!

I know how critical it is to find someone with skills that are complimentary to this company and this mission, and it is even more challenging to find someone with whom working is a genuine pleasure. I am honored to welcome Brian into this position, and he brings all these integral attributes to the table. He is a vital addition to this ever-growing team!