Is Startup Technology Making Us Fat?

There’s no denying it—sitting at a computer whilst mindlessly snacking on office snacks leads to a pudgy waistline.  The same goes for sitting around at home and discovering apps on our smartphones...or blowing through 12 episodes of Mad Men in one day thanks to our DVR machines...

Is it true?  Is one of my biggest passions, startup technologies, actually making America fat?  

Thanks to the folks at the economic think tank known was The Milken Institute, there is now data to backup we’ve been trying to ignore. According to its extensive study, a country the size of America will add 4.2 million obese people for every 10% of growth in Information and Communication Technology. As summed in the report, “The main culprit is a knowledge-based society. More processed foods, a greater amount of screen time; decreased energy expenditure and a higher consumption of high calorie/high fat snack foods have all played a role.”

Don’t feel bad, America. We’re not the only ones who have let our waistlines expand right under (and past) our noses. All over the world, obesity rates have increased. China’s obesity rate has more than doubled from 2.5 to 5.7, in the past 6 years. India’s has almost tripled in a decade, 0.7 to 1.9. But in true American fashion, we are the undisputed champions, with 33.8% of our population being obese.

% of Obese Among Adults 

Source: OECD Health Data 2011

The toll on the economy and human life are out of this world. 2.8 million adults die a year from obesity and its related diseases. Obesity has accounted for $147 billion in medical costs.  To put that into perspective, that’s 10% of total spending.

The impact of advancing technology, on the other hand, is an average effect. The slim citizens of France are only mildly affected due to the fact they eat much smaller portions (albeit the amount of fats they consume is proportionally greater).

In the last decade and a half, calorie consumption has increased by 150-250 calories a day. As a control, Milken scientists have tested for calories, exercise and type of consumption (alcohol, fat content, fruits and veggies).  Milken approximates a 1.4% increase in obesity for every 10% increase in the amount invested in Information and Communication Technology.

But, as you all know, this isn’t the end of the world!!  Exercise as easy as walking can make a big difference in reducing obesity. This data shouldn’t be something to damn us to continue on with unhealthy lifestyles. If anything, this should be an eye opener. If you’re an entrepreneur like myself, this data should motivate you to be even more active. Encourage yourself and your team to take breaks from the office and go for a walk or run. Use exercise as a brainstorming activity. Bring in a exercise professional to teach yoga to your startup (that’s a great mind cleanser!). Use a service I’ve talked about before like peerFIT or HitchFit—it doesn’t matter what you do, just be active!

What I’ve stated above is just data—not a law or rule. These obesity statistics, facts and data can be changed...it just takes a lot of time and a lot of effort.  But guess what?  You’re a startup entrepreneur!  If you have the confidence, ability and courage to start your own business, you sure as heck have the capacity to start making people’s lives healthier.  Let’s start today! 

A Startup Energy Bar!

You all know how much I love entrepreneurship.  And after this blog, I hope you also understand how much I love and value fitness.  Well, I've found the perfect energy bar that combines both aspects!!  It's Element Bars and the startup is from Chicago, Illinois (even better--it's a Midwest company too!). 

Learn all about Element Bars below:

By now, we are all aware of the evils of high fructose corn syrup and artificial flavoring. These ingredients plague virtually everything in our diet, contributing to widespread health issues such as obesity, cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

But you wouldn’t expect these unhealthy ingredients to be in nutrition bars—but shockingly, they often are.  The number of big-name energy and nutrition bars brimming with complex sugars, saturated fat and unnecessary calories is higher than you might think. 

Luckily for us bar-eaters, the founders of Element Bars couldn’t stand it anymore. After experiencing disheartening bouts with mid-morning energy crashes and not-so-natural flavors, Chicago natives Jonathan, Jonathan and Marie decided to take matters into their own hands. Say hello to new Chicago startup Element Bars. 

Bye-bye Frustration:

The three creators of Element Bars began a business that not only ensures natural food products, but also caters to each and every particular human body it serves. Understanding that nutrition is deeply personal and dependant upon individual bodily needs, the brains behind Element Bars give their clients the tools they need to devise nutrition bars that best meet their own tastes and requirements.

By visiting elementbars.com, clients are able to discover what sorts of nutrients their bodies need, creating bars that contain these ingredients.  Then, customers can order them to be delivered right to their doorsteps.

The website gives its visitors a wide range of options and provides them with a set of tools that help produce the perfect bar. Through a variety of questionnaires, clients are able to discover what sort of nutrition bar they need for how they want to look or what type of exercise they want to pursue.

There’s a bar for everyone—whether you want a little sustenance to last you until your lunch break or you need nutrients to get you through a marathon. The website guides you through a step-by-step process that lists ingredient options and informs you on what components would be best for whatever your purpose may be.

Behaving Naturally:

What makes Element Bars so great is the company’s wide variety of tasty and healthy ingredient options. Clients have plenty of selections to create their ideal bar and every one of these options is completely natural.

The excellent ingredient choices make for a delicious bar and there’s no need to worry about hidden calories or strange additives you can’t even pronounce. As you create your bar, the website informs you about the nutritional content of each and every component you add. It even goes so far as to inform you when your bar is taking a turn in a less healthy direction.

As you would imagine, complex sugars are not part of the equation with Element Bars. If you do choose to add something sweet to your bar, you have nothing to fear. Element Bars offers sweeteners such as honey, agave syrup, and brown rice syrup, which are not only healthier for you but are also crash-proof. The options you have to choose from ensure that your body absorbs the sugar at a slower rate, giving you more energy for a longer period of time.

If you feel like adding a little further punch to your recipe, there are also extra all-natural supplements to choose from that give you anything from an energy boost to large dose of protein. With ingredients such as egg white and chicory root, you can add protein and fiber to your bar in a purely natural and simple way.

Element Bars seem like such a great idea that you might wonder how no one had come up with the concept before this Chicago team did. Your body deserves all-natural excellence and with new startup Element Bars making waves in Chicago and beyond, you can finally have it.   

peerFit Puts Mobile Entrepreneurs in the Gym

I recently had the chance to meet Ed Buckley and Rex Tullius, two entrepreneurs from Florida who are creating a new app called peerFit.  Ed and Rex have been traveling across the country to gain advice from seasoned entrepreneurs and to spread the word about their new app geared toward fitness.  Take a look at a blog we recently posted on thinkbigkansascity.blogspot.com about Ed, Rex and their peerFit startup:

This is it—your year to get fit.  You purchased your new tennis shoes, you joined the local gym and you even gave in to buying those outrageously priced $22 dri-fit socks that the salesman at the Nike outlet somehow suckered you into.  Now, it’s finally time to take a look at the gym’s fitness class schedule and pick your poison.

And then you reach a state of pure panic.  Your eyes skim the gym’s online class calendar with confusion. Zumba...what the heck is that?  Instructor Michael McThrowdown...is he going to kill me?  Yogalates?...I can’t even pronounce that!

After questions such as these, you might give up on the fitness classes all together and opt for the monotonous 45 minutes on the elliptical.  Bummer.

Ed Buckley, President of peerFit.

Ed Buckley, Ph.D. student in the department of Health Education and Behavior at the University of Florida experienced this same problem...only he decided to fix it.  As a group fitness instructor in Gainesville, Buckley knew he taught a great fitness class, yet no one seemed to show up.  To draw people in, Ed decided to start writing exercises on the whiteboard in the classroom so gym passerbys could take note of what to expect during classes.

This small, seemingly insignificant change drew in more people than Buckley was prepared for.  Suddenly, people in the Gainesville gym wanted to be social while working out.  Ed Buckley immediately saw a need...and that need became known aspeerFit. 

peerFit is a free online and mobile app designed to allow users to quickly search and filter through workout options to find a class that best suits their individual needs.  The peerFit program has been developed in order to give users a more interactive platform for discovering and researching new workout classes within a particular area.  The app alone has not only helped gyms go social, but has inched users closer toward their fitness goals.

“Thirty percent of people are more likely to keep working out if they get into the right class,” says Buckley.  “We want to help people find the right class and then allow them to share the classes that they like with others.  People like to share their workout experiences—and prove that they went to classes!  It empowers them and it’s one of the greatest parts of the health realm.” 

In other words, peerFit helps perpetuate the fitness “circle of life” that makes most apps (not to mention fitness regimens) so successful.

There’s more to peerFit than meets the eye.  The app and mobile site incorporate an interactive calendar, workout uploads, instructor reviews, class reviews and overall class recommendations too.  Currently, the app is in Beta launch with a full peerFit marketing campaign to launch September 1, 2012.  The campaign will take place in Tampa, Atlanta and Jacksonville, however, any gym in any city is able to download and give peerFit a try today.

The founders of peerFit.
Source: Gainesville.com

As part of its mission, peerFit has helped to make gyms more social and connect people to one another through fitness.  So it comes to no surprise that Buckley immediately brought on three business partners (which also happen to be his good friends) to help launch and grow the app.  The peerFit team is currently made up of four partners including Buckley, Rex Tullius, Matt Redinger and Scott Peeples as well as public relations specialist, Anastasia Revzina.

The team has been working tireless hours (on top of fulltime jobs, grueling swim practices and never-ending graduate school lectures) in order to see that peerFit is the best app it can be. 

“I think the coolest thing about this process is that it has been beyond a fulltime job for us, but we are still able to run it as students and professional athletes,” says Buckley.  “We love to be busy, we love going 100 miles per hour and we love meeting people.”

Ed Buckley and Rex Tullius came all the way from Florida to visit
 Think Big Partners and to learn more about Kansas City's startup resources.

During the app’s build phase, the peerFit team somehow found enough time to survey over 10,000 potential users about the impact that the app could have.  According to results, 77% of surveyors believed they would be more motivated to try a new class if they could read about the workout ahead of time.

“It’s important for us to take a step back and look at peerFit from an outsider’s perspective,” says Rex Tullius. “We are all about picking people’s brains.  Those potential users know how to make the product better.” 

What can we expect from peerFit in the coming months?  Other than its mega marketing campaign hitting in the southeast in September, we can also expect a rollout of the full mobile app and website at the beginning of September.

“I am proud of the process we have built,” says Buckley.  “We love meeting with different gyms and getting to know people.  That’s what makes us unique.  But the truth of the matter is great athletes, great musicians and great entrepreneurs just aren't ‘normal’.  We are obsessive.  Running a startup is difficult, but we love it.  We may get criticisms 10, 20, 30 times over, but we always come back with more passion to move forward.” 

Keep an eye out for peerFit, the fitness app that’s making major waves, this fall.  To learn more or to get your gym involved with the app, visit www.peerfit.com. 

Read the full article at: http://www.thinkbigkansascity.blogspot.com/2012/08/if-app-fits-download-it-introducing.html

The Ultimate Fitness App Wello Says “No Excuses, Just Results”

As I have stated time and time again, the life of an entrepreneur is a hectic one. Days are often long and nights are even longer. The startup lifestyle can quickly become an unhealthy one.  Fast food and sugar-heavy caffeine drinks become the norm (especially around our office!  Town Topic is right down the street for cryin' out loud!). Unless you have the metabolism of a 13-year-old, your waistline may expand without you even noticing. Many entrepreneurs fall victim to this and know that they need to live better.  But we all tend to hide behind excuses like we don’t have the time, energy or money to do anything about it.  But the truth of the matter is...we do!

If this sounds like you or someone you might know, there is now a solution to the problem (as with most problems in life, oftentimes they can be solved with the development of a new product or service!!).  It’s time to stop making excuses. New startup fitness provider Wello, which uses video chat to allow anyone to get personalized training sessions online, may be the answer to any entrepreneur’s fitness prayers!  

Much like Hitch Fit, the service I use here in Kansas City, Wello has launched a marketplace that connects personal trainers with potential clients by using two-way video chat.  This feature enables anyone to get training sessions at their convenience. A user just needs a laptop, web connection and webcam, and they can begin scheduling and taking personal fitness classes. People can work out at home or the office without having to step outside. And since there’s another person on the other line, there’s no chance quitting early!!

Wello has a wide range of exercise disciplines to choose from including yoga, Pilates, martial arts and strength training. Once users determine what type of exercise they want to take part in, Wello can connect them with trainers who fit their personal schedule and exercise style.  As we all know, some prefer a laid-back coach while others need the drill sergeant-type motivation.  Users can also choose between 25-, 40- and 55-minute sessions, depending on how much time they have. Once booked, users will receive a link to log in to their one-on-one training session.

For personal trainers, Wello provides a new revenue stream that does away with the hassles that come from booking sessions through gyms. Trainers can schedule sessions in their spare time and since local gyms aren’t taking a cut, they’re likely making a lot more per session than they would have otherwise. Personal trainers are also open to a potentially wider customer base.  In fact, Wello has recruited trainers from major cities, but also from less-populated areas where the potential customer base might be limited.

So far, Wello has signed up more than 150 trainers and has a backlog of others to evaluate. The startup evaluates each fitness professional for certifications, then puts them through a training session and has them provide a session for a Wello employee, who evaluates them before adding them to the system.
Wello was founded by Ann Scott Plante and Leslie Silverglide, who met at Stanford Business School and bonded over their mutual love of fitness.

Not only is Wello an awesome app to download for your fitness regimen, but it also has grounds for a very successful startup business.  We are excited to watch Wello grow over time and become a valuable tool for entrepreneurs who are driven to lead a healthy life.  Why not give it a try?

Americans: Too Fat For Duty?

Nine million Americans ages 17-24 would be too heavy to fight in the military…and 21% of recruits are rejected because of obesity according to Mission: Readiness.  And when recruits have to be discharged because of weight, it costs the American public about $60 million to train new military members to replace them.  Yikes!! 

As an entrepreneur, you’re probably not interested in joining the military (when would you have the time?).  But as an ex-military pilot, I will tell you that being in the military taught me more about discipline, leadership and courage than any other entrepreneurial or startup book out there.  And it has helped shape me into the entrepreneur that I am today. 

These scary stats don’t just affect the US’s national security – it’s a terrifying trend the whole world is taking on.   So how can you avoid becoming a “not-so-lean” entrepreneur...even with your busy lifestyle?

Start first with this simple tip:  remain as active as possible.  Try Hitch Fit’s tips on working out in the office, which provide some great exercises you can do from anywhere with extremely limited equipment.  If you find yourself sitting at your desk for hours on end, try standing up and walking around your office while you’re on the phone.

No excuses – always take the stairs (unless you’re on the first floor, then I guess that would be an excuse)! This is the easiest choice you can make throughout the day (unless you wear heels to work…I’ve heard from my wife and some of my female business partners that stairs and heels don’t quite mix...).

Don’t be afraid to burn some quality calories on your lunch break by hitting the gym, walking to a restaurant or even getting some awesome personal trainers like mine—Hitch Fit’s Diana and Micah LaCerte (there’s nothing like being held accountable for your workout - they’ll make sure you stick with a healthy routine!).  Trust me…midday workouts will change your life! You’ll not only feel refreshed but you’ll look better for it.

The facts are sobering...scary...and almost unbelievable.  What else can we do to improve young American’s health (and allow them to fulfill their dreams)?  

What Can the Olympics Teach Us About Startups?

In a recent blog post by Allison Way on the Think Big Kansas City blog, she lays out exactly what startups and the Olympics have in common.  With the Games just days away, I found it fit to republish that article here for your reading enjoyment!  Check out exactly what the Olympics and startups have in common:

Sports and startups have more in common than just their first letters.  There's pressure.  Expectations.  Belief.  Failure.  Success.  Ups and downs, highs and lows.  In fact, sports and startups have more in common than we may think.

So today, I ask you to put yourself back on that Little League Baseball team, on the starting block during Country Club Swim Championships, shooting from the free-throw line on your highschool basketball team or jumping for that final spike in your last college volleyball tournament.  Take yourself back to the highest highs you received from athletics...as well as the lowest lows.  Sports can teach us more about startups than we realize...and now is the perfect time to take a look.

With the upcoming 2012 Olympics Games (which I am counting down that days for!), we deemed it fit to post about how the Olympics and startups go hand-in-hand with one another.  So let's lace up our tennis shoes, board the plane to London and experience the Olympics in a different light...not as fans, but as entrepreneurs.

1. Expect the unexpected (and control the controllable)  

When Kerri Strung arrived in Atlanta for the 1996 Olympics, she probably didn't expect to impact the world with the most memorable Olympic moment of all time.  After a brutal ankle injury during her first vault, Kerri still performed a second vault...and landed on one ankle in pure agony.

No, Kerri did not plan on being injured during the Olympics.  Nor could she ever have imagined landing a vault on a sprained ankle.  But she did, and she helped the US team beat out the Russians for the gold.

In business, Kerri has taught us to expect the unexpected and to control the controllable.  Kerri could not control how the Russians or even her own team would perform during the 1996 Olympics.  But she could control her own performance...even under unbelievable pain.  Startups, beware: the unexpected will happen.  Your gut reaction may be to panic or even stop the business all together. Instead, control your emotions, control your thoughts and control what's controllable--you could come out on top with the gold.  

2. It takes more than just hard work 

As entrepreneurs, we often hear that if we work hard enough, good things will happen.  But this isn't true.  It takes more than just hard work and determination to make it to the top.  And Olympians everywhere will tell you the same when it comes to sports.

Hard work  +  Dedication  +  Support  +  Belief  +  Preparation +  Luck 

These values can be applied to sports and startups:

Hard work: Yes, it takes many 80-hour weeks, sleepless nights and missed vacations.

Dedication:  You have to be in 110%.  No excuses, just results.

Support:  You must have a team behind you every step of the way.

Belief:  If you don't believe in yourself and in your idea, you won't get anywhere.

Preparation: It's all about goals, visualization and preparing for anything.

Luck: The stars have to align a little bit too!

3. You need a team

And not just any team...a team made up of the right people.  The 1980 Winter Olympics Hockey Team (the team that is portrayed in the hit movie Miracle) didn't beat the Soviets for the win because the team was made up of the best people.  The team won because it was made up of players that worked well together.

The same goes for your startup.  Don't hire A+ students when you can find a C student who is more dedicated, driven and passionate.  Create the team that believes in the idea as much as you do--not the one who follows all the rules, avoids making mistakes and is perfect 99% of the time.  Startups make mistakes and learn from them...and the people involved in the startup have to be able to handle that.

4.  Failure is the biggest teacher of all

In 1988, Dan Jansen, Olympic speed skater, had a difficult Games.  The odds were not in his favor when he learned that his sister had died during the Games.  After two catastrophic falls during the Olympics in Canada, it didn't seem like Dan would ever recover, not only from the tragedy, but also from his Olympic failure.

But then, Dan came back to the Olympics in 1992 to win his final race.  Failure wasn't an option for Dan...and he was determined to come out on top to finish up his speed skating career.

Dan may have failed (twice!), but he didn't let that stop him from coming back stronger than ever.  It's important for entrepreneurs to remember this same idea: failure is the biggest teacher of all.  Learn from your mistakes.  Those real-life experiences are invaluable.  Just ask Dan Jansen.

5.  Pressure is a positive 

There are two ways that athletes handle pressure:  thriving and choking.  It's those successful athletes that take pressure-filled moments and turn them into positives.  

Every great Olympic moment was met with pressure.  But my favorite story of all is that of Michael Phelps and his epic touch-out at the Beijing Olympics against Serbia's Milorad Cavic in the 100 meter butterfly (and not just because I'm a former college swimmer!).

In 2008, the pressure was on for Phelps.  He already claimed 7 gold medals at the Beijing Olympic Games...and he was just one race away from 8.  In one of the most incredible finishes in Olympic history, Phelps went from a for-sure silver medal to 8-time gold medalist by touching out Cavic by .01 of a second.

Greg Searle, director of performance development at Lane4 and Olympic gold medalist says it best when referring to pressure and business: 

In a business environment there are high pressure situations to be dealt with every day, but often that pressure can help you become focused, sharp and at your best. The key is to recognize the symptoms and embrace them. You have to reframe the situation so it ceases to be a threat and becomes an opportunity.

6.  Visualization and goals are important

Ask any Olympic athlete what the most important preparation tool is in athletics and more often than not, they will not say a proper warm-up, stretching or lucky rituals.  They will most likely respond with visualization.

Athletes must decide on a goal and visualize the achievement of that goal months (even years!) before competition day.  Visualization enhances confidence, boosts motivation and allows for maximum performance.  All Olympics teams believe so much in visualization and goals that they bring dynamite teams of sports psychologists on the road with them.

Visualization is important for entrepreneurs to attempt as well.  In a survey by Stephen Covey of 23,000 employees, only 37% understood clearly what their company was trying to achieve.  Only 1 in 5 were enthusiastic about the company's goal and only 15% felt the company was enabled to execute the overarching goal.

Make your startup better.  Start implementing goals.  Then, visualize them.

What will we learn from the 2012 Olympic Games?  I cannot wait to find out.  Until then, you can find me chanting "USA! USA! USA!" from the comfort of my desk at Think Big...no rest for the entrepreneurial!

Kansas City: Share a Bike, Shed a Pound

Something very exciting happened last week in Kansas City—the launch of the KC Bike Share program, KC B-cycle! Picture 90 bikers riding all over downtown KC and along the Missouri River. What a sight for health conscious individuals!

About Bike Share: KC B-cycle

KC B-cycle is a convenient way to get in your workout. With 12 B-cycle stations throughout downtown KC, you can virtually bike from anywhere! You simply check out a bike, ride it around and return it to any B-cycle station. And the first 30 minutes is free! Sounds easy, right? Well, check out www.kansascity.bcycle.com and get cycling!

Why Bike?

Going to lunch with co-workers? Try biking there! Need a break during your hectic workday? Take a bike break! Biking is an excellent workout and it’s eco-friendly, too! The US Environmental Protection Agency says that for every 1 mile pedaled rather than driven, nearly 1 pound of CO² is saved! And in 2010, The Outdoor Foundation found that biking is the second most popular outdoor activity in the US; so why not give it a try?

Biking is healthy, fun and a great way to blow off some steam. And KC B-cycle makes biking around town simple, so why not give it a shot?  Check out a bike and pedal on over to 1800 Baltimore and cowork with us for the day at bizperc!