Welcome to the Week... The Why

This week we have a market leader summit. At Fitlife Foods , once a quarter we bring together our store leaders for a summit to connect, engage, share ideas, train new processes, collaborate on problems, and help one another other.

We call it a summit because it is a lot cooler than a meeting. They’ll do a culinary center tour, have dinner at one of the rare Florida wineries, do an early morning workout and then have a collaborative meeting.?

I like to ask our leaders of the Summit what they want me to talk about. This time, they said “David, we want you to talk about the why.” They wanted me to share more about why we do what we do, why we train like we do, why we coach and why we strive to produce a product with such high standards.

Since I love to write, I thought I would use this week to share my “why” and maybe it’ll help me articulate it for our summit this week.

In 2016, a simple dinner and meeting changed the trajectory of Fitlife Foods. At the time, we were navigating the complexities of growth, and like many organizations, we were striving to do things better, with a deeper level of quality for our customers and more efficiently, especially at our culinary center. It was during this meeting that our journey with Lean manufacturing principles truly began, thanks to my friend and mentor, Dave.

Dave, our Lean Sensei, has been a friend and thought partner to me for the past eight years. He didn’t do it with complex charts or overwhelming data, but instead ensured we were focusing on the team. His approach was straightforward: empower the team to constantly improve and love problems. The core of his teachings wasn’t just about the "how" of Lean; it was about understanding the "why."

The Power of "Why"

We often get caught up in the "what" and "how." What are we doing? How are we doing it? But it’s the "why" that truly drives purpose and passion. At Fitlife Foods, the "why" of what we do can be traced back to that pivotal moment. It’s rooted in principles and words that were written on a napkin for me, “Care Cash”, a philosophy that shapes every decision we make.

Care Cash: The Heart of Our "Why"

Customer Focus (C):

The first "C" in Care Cash reminds us that every decision we make must lead with the customer in mind. And when we say "customer," we don’t just mean the end user. In any organization, the customer is the next person or group served by your work.?

For example, in our culinary center, the kitchen’s customer is the assembly department. If the product isn’t perfect, it costs time, money, and rework. By focusing on the customer at every stage, we ensure that quality is built into every step of our process.

Respect for Humanity (R)

The second principle is about caring on a deeper level. People are not cogs in a machine; they’re individuals with lives, families, and aspirations. At Fitlife, we strive to create meaningful work that respects and engages our team.?

Eight years ago, we changed how we assemble meals because we realized the existing process was not beneficial for our team. This change wasn’t just about efficiency—it was about respecting humanity and giving our team work that mattered.

I’m reminded of a summer internship I had during college working for a sports marketing company. My job was to call every movie theater in America to ask if they served Coke or Pepsi. It was mundane and uninspiring, and I remember thinking, "This is awful. I’ll never do sports marketing."?

That experience wasn’t a true reflection of the industry, but it highlighted how a lack of respect for humanity can skew perception and kill passion.

Continuous Improvement (C)

The third principle is about always striving to be better—as an organization and as individuals. Continuous improvement is at the heart of Lean. We don’t just do things because they work; we do them because we want to get better every day. This mindset keeps us on a journey of self-improvement, which is essential for growth and innovation.

Shop Floor Focus (Sh)

The final principle focuses on where the value-creating work happens—the shop floor. At Fitlife, our shop floors are our stores and our culinary center. But the shop floor concept extends beyond manufacturing. In accounting, the shop floor is the support provided for other departments.?

For a doctor or lawyer, it’s where one interacts with patients or clients. No matter the industry, the shop floor is where your customer is, and that’s where our focus should always be.

Cash to Care

Lastly, the importance of cash cannot be understated. You need cash to care. Bills need to be paid, vacations are desired, and families have needs. Managing margins and continuously improving aren’t just business strategies—they’re ways to ensure we can continue to serve our customers, fuel a company, support a team, and fulfill a mission.

At Fitlife Foods, we have our core values: Purpose, Ownership, Gratitude, Winning, and Curiosity. Our goal is to feed others’ journeys, but the "why" behind everything we do is rooted and these values are cemented in Care Cash and this is why we do what we do and why we do it.?

Understanding and articulating the "why" is crucial, not just for success, but for meaningful, impactful work. As you go through your week, where do opportunities exist to better articulate the why and how can being reminded of Care Cash make an impact for you?

Go Feed your Journey,

David