Today we’d like to introduce you to Anna Sullivan.
Hi Anna, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
In 2017, I started making protein bars as meal replacements for busy days at work. They started off as a breakfast replacement for morning shakes that I’d consume on my commute in to work. I didn’t like that shakes often left an unpleasant sludge on the bottom and I preferred to eat than gulp nutrients. I initially started off by creating a bar to address my own nutritional deficiencies as I have an autoimmune condition but then shared them with friends who agreed that there was a gap in the market for high-quality food bars that are vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free and filled with balanced macronutrients from real food.
I formed the business at the urging of my husband and co-founder who loved the idea of starting a business together we could grow and one day quit our day jobs. After two years of product development, we launched Real Food Bars here in Austin, TX. We bootstrapped our business to retail stores by pouring our savings into it and not taking a salary to-date. We got our big break with Whole Foods when a local forager approached us. I was over the moon excited when they liked the product. We initially launched into seven local stores and are now in 46 stores across Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana.
When I go to sleep at night, a million things run through my head related to where we want to take the brand, but I am reminded of what kind of company we want to be. I think often of nutritional deficiencies in adolescents and how important it is to set a solid foundation for nutrition early. For me, our product isn’t a replacement for fresh fruits and veggies, but it’s a really great shelf stable snack that’s no cutting corners with fillers, unnatural flavors, sweeteners or allergens that are more common from big food companies.
Being an entrepreneur is an incredibly tough job that I wouldn’t recommend to most people. It takes an enormous amount of faith in what you are doing, grit, determination and prudence. There are a ton of other amazing brands out there, all vying for consumer’s attention. When I go to bed at night, I am glad that I can get joy out of knowing that I created something that genuinely helps people in a business that is ethical, puts quality first and most importantly leads with integrity.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
The road has been anything but smooth. 2020 was a particularly challenging year to be in business. It was a weird time to launch a business – retailers stopped accepting new products. Supply chain issues have trickled down to our business and costs have increased. On top of all of this, our food system is completely out of whack with a mismatch of supply and demand. Just before COVID hit, I had heard of other brands that are working to fix our food system challenges by upcycling ingredients. As the pandemic hit, the issue of food waste became glaringly alarming to me as news stories showed dairy farmers forced to dump milk by the truckload. On top of this, I witnessed firsthand from retailers how food that is just past the best by date is thrown out.
While COVID hit, we went back to the drawing board to update our recipes and our mission statement. We established partnerships with direct growing cooperatives to upcycle imperfect veggies that would otherwise go to waste. On top of that, we’re looking for more opportunities to repurpose other ingredients into shelf stable snacks. This issue really hit home with me since I grew up in a family of farmers and money was often tight in a family of seven. Being a good steward of our land and resources is something that we all have a vested interest in.
As you know, we’re big fans of Real Food Bar. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Real Food Bar makes plant-based snacks to fuel your busy days or wild adventures. While being gluten-free, vegan and Non-GMO Project Verified, each bar also contains protein, vegetables, fruit, and nuts. They have macronutrients that are easy to digest and in the right proportions to keep you fueled and full longer. Our core mission is to help people enjoy natural, nutritious snacks on the go from real food. Our purpose is to make it easier to eat real food while also doing good from foods that are better for the environment and better for you.
Product Offerings:
Real Food Bars come in three delicious flavors: Chocolate Sea Salt, Cherry Cashew, Espresso Chip and Peanut Butter. Each The bars have an ideal macronutrient profile formulated for energy with low glycemic foods that digest slowly to keep you full, longer. Unlike other bars, the ideal macronutrient profile at 15g protein, 11g prebiotic fiber and 10g or less of sugar means that they can be consumed as a meal replacement while also not ruining a diet.
What do you like and dislike about the city?
I love Austin! I feel very fortunate to live in a place like Austin – from the people to the abundance of things to do, it’s just a great place to live! What I like least is how prices are on the rise and the city infrastructure is struggling to keep up with the influx of people moving in.
Pricing:
- Real Food Bars are $2.90 on our website or grab a bundle for 15% off!
Contact Info:
- Email: anna@realfoodbar.com
- Website: www.realfoodbar.com
- Instagram: @realfoodbar
- Facebook: @realfoodbar
- Twitter: @real_foodbar
- Other: tiktok.com/realfoodbar
Image Credits:
Image credits: Heather Barnes
