Relentlessly Raising the Standard with Orgain
When I first heard about Orgain, I was intrigued by the fact that the product was developed by a doctor. But it wasn’t just a doctor who attached his name something or just gave his endorsement. It was someone who had a personal stake in developing a good product and deeply cared about it.
I’ve shared the story behind Orgain’s founder Dr. Andrew Abraham and recently, I had a chance to speak with him to learn more about the company, its vision and its plans.
When you think about your story, Orgain and your products, what message do you want to convey?
For us, as a company, we’re always looking to relentlessly raise the standard. That’s what we want to do with our products. We want to change what is perceived to be healthy, and we want people to question what they are putting into their bodies and to have companies think about what they are putting into their products.
Now more than ever, we’re active and we’re looking for convenience. We have a million things going on. We put a lot of trust in manufacturers that what they are making is good for me, especially if it’s labeled healthy. I trusted a company, and I found out that what they were putting in their product was the exact opposite of what I should be putting in my body.
With Orgain, we use the best ingredients possible so that people feel a difference in their health.
What’s your longer-term vision for the company?
When I go grocery shopping, I go into every aisle and look at different products that I’m interested in, things that I use on a daily basis and I think, “How can we make this better?” We’re looking at different categories from protein powder to hydration to non-dairy milk alternatives – any category that offers nutrition and function – and asking ourselves, “Can we make it better? Can we make it cleaner?” We have some new products in the works that we’re really excited about.
What challenges have you faced in building your business?
The fact that our products are organic is a challenge. From a supply chain perspective, we have to source raw ingredients from organic farms and organic dairy farms. We have to make sure that we have enough materials to make our products.
From a cost perspective, it’s much easier and cheaper to make a product with corn syrup than from real ingredients that are certified organic. We can make an organic product and it can cost $10 per unit but that’s not affordable for consumers. We want to bring organic products to the mainstream.
People ask me, “Why is your product more expensive? I can buy a 6-pack of another nutritional shake for $6?” Yes, it is cheaper to buy conventional products today but you will pay for them later with your health. I’ve seen first hand as a doctor when people make the cheaper choice, they pay later with their health.
From a marketing perspective, there’s a challenge of educating consumers about why organic is important. When you go to the supermarket and you buy milk, organic and non-organic milk look identical. The packaging on the non-organic milk may even be more enticing. It’s hard for people to wrap their head around the fact that these are two completely different products. I’ve seen what happens on organic versus conventional dairy farms and what goes into making the products. Most people haven’t. In the store, you only see what’s at the packaging level. You don’t know the whole back story.
Shhh! Enjoying one of my kids’ Orgain shakes after my trail run in California.
Why is organic important?
I try to explain that organic is food as it should be or how it was before we introduced pesticides, hormones and antibiotics. Things that never should have been in our food chain are left out.
What you put in your body is critical. When people adapt and make lifestyle changes, it makes a huge difference in how they feel.
What makes you happiest about Orgain and what you’re doing?
I work seven days a week nonstop and have a family too. On the one hand, it’s extremely exhausting, and I’m always on the go. But what helps a lot are the emails that I receive from customers, from someone who’s lost 45 pounds by incorporating Orgain into their diet to a cancer patient who couldn’t tolerate conventional shakes but is gaining weight and thriving with Orgain. There are over 100 people who, for medical reasons, live on Orgain. It’s their sole source of nutrition, and it’s sustaining them.
Hearing these stories and the positive impact we have on people’s lives keeps me going and drives me to want to do more. I needed a product like this for myself, and it’s fulfilling to see it help so many other people now.
What’s one piece of advice that has stuck with you as you’ve started on this journey to build your company?
The best advice I can give is to always be humble. I went into this thinking, “How hard could it possibly be?” It is hard. But it’s a journey. I learn something new every day and mistakes are inevitable. But it’s about continuing to learn as you go. Have passion and drive and keep yourself humble with both feet on the ground.
Learn how @drinkorgain is relentlessly raising the standard on what’s healthy #HowIOrgain
Click To Tweet
This post is part of a series of posts taking a closer look at the ingredients that make up my wellness story that I’m doing in partnership with Orgain as their Blogger Ambassador. Join in the conversation by following #HowIOrgain on social media. I received compensation and Orgain products as part of this program. All views and opinions expressed are 100% my own.
*************************
More Ways to Follow Love, Life, Surf
Twitter -> @cyu888
Instagram -> cyu888
Facebook -> Love, Life, Surf
Pinterest -> LoveLifeSurf
Email or in Reader -> Subscribe here
Bloglovin’ -> Love, Life, Surf
The post Relentlessly Raising the Standard with Orgain appeared first on Love Life Surf.
