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Derailed by Coronavirus, Food Industry Questions the Future of Its Biggest Event
Forbes discusses the major impact this latest health scare is having on national events for food & beverage brands.
We may be biased, but at LIFEAID, we really do have some of the best people on our team and Tamar is no exception. If you saw us at Wodapalooza in Miami earlier this year, she was the fearless leader behind that activation. While her role has (temporarily) shifted due to events being cancelled in 2020, she's ready to bring you memorable LIFEAID experiences in 2021 and beyond.
What brought you to LIFEAID and describe your role with the team.
I first heard of LIFEAID through a friend of mine who was a yoga instructor at the time and also worked in the marketing world. She was hooked on a drink called FITAID, that she swore helped her achy muscles, so I gave it a try and was hooked.
I first heard of LIFEAID through a friend of mine who was a yoga instructor at the time and also worked in the marketing world. She was hooked on a drink called FITAID, that she swore helped her achy muscles, so I gave it a try and was hooked.
I had graduated college with a double major in Political Science and Communications and had worked for an attorney, took my LSATS and realized that that wasn't the route I wanted to take. Everything happens for a reason because as I made the big decision not to attend law school that same week that very friend that hooked me onto FITAID saw a job posting looking for a part time brand ambassador... and the rest was history.
I graduated from part time brand ambassador to running all the National Events for LIFEAID.
What has been the biggest thing you’ve learned from your time on the team so far?
I may or may not get in trouble for this one.. but how does the saying go "It's better to beg for forgiveness than to ask for permission." Obviously everything within reason, but if I have a good idea I've learned to trust my gut and go for it because it ends up being a good one.
If you can only choose one, what would you say your favorite event/memory has been so far?
This one is tough, there are SO many fond memories with the LIFEAID team. The retreats may be some of the best memories I'll ever have, there's just something about being in a secluded area with all of your colleagues that will really just stay with you. "The first rule of LIFEAID retreats: you don't talk about the retreats" lol
Another great memory I had was executing my first national event, which happened to be in Miami. I'd never been to the event, nor Miami so I had no clue what to expect. The event itself was a great memory, but working with the team behind the scenes was by far the best. Everyone offered their advice, the do's and don'ts, their expertise and if it hadn't been for everyone who helped me plan, it truly wouldn't have been as successful as it was.
How has your role shifted in 2020 and what is one skill you learned that you’re grateful for?
2020 was quite a strange year, to say the least. My role shifted drastically, in the sense that all the events that we had planned and were excited for got cancelled but this is the beauty of marketing; things are never set in stone, and you just have to roll with the punches. Because of 2020 I was able to learn a little about almost every position within the company, and with that my ability to adapt very quickly.
What is your favorite LIFEAID product and why?
FOCUSAID is by far my favorite product. I am a huge yerba mate fan and would drink the tea all the time so finding out that I could drink Yerba Mate AND get vitamins at the same time was a huge win.
Outside of work, you play in a Mariachi band. How long have you been doing that and what is your motivation?
My mom enrolled me in my first mariachi class when I was 9 years old, and since then I haven't looked back. Playing the violin at such a young age, you don't realize what you really learn (besides the music). I've learned patience, camaraderie, discipline, strength, but most of all being passionate about something.
What do you love most about music?
I love that you can express every and any feeling through music, whether im playing some og rap to heavy metal there is something in the music that eases whatever feeling i'm feeling. When it comes to playing mariachi it's the same. It's an outlet to express things that can't be said.
The people want to know about your adorable cats. Tell us about them.
I have the best fur-babies in the world. I have 2 black cats; oldest is named Ledo (pronounced LEE-DO) and the youngest is Nicolas Cage. They have the polar opposite personalities, the older being the chubby, sweet gentle cuddler and the youngest being the biggest trouble maker digging up my plants, chewing on all his toys, and eating anything he can find. I adopted them on accident, but realized no one ever comes into your life by accident.
Credit: Malaka Gharib/NPR
Reposted from NPR's Instagram post on Feb. 29, 2020:
Kids and parents: You may have heard the word "coronavirus" online or on TV. You probably have a lot of questions. Read our comic to get some answers.
—NPR
STAY WELL OUT THERE, EVERYONE!
Stock up on IMMUNITYAID Wellness Blend to help boost your immune system with vitamins you'll actually enjoy drinking.
—Your LIFEAID family
How to Get Into Flow State
Steven Kotler, author of Mindvalley's 'The Habit of Ferocity' talks at A-Fest Jamaica about flow and how it can create peak performers. (37:41)
"Flow is a state of being when we are completely focused, and fully immersed in what we are doing. In flow our work seems effortless, creativity goes into overdrive, we feel inspired, and motivation springs forth from within."
—Dragos Bratasanu
Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience
Psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi teaches us how, by ordering the information that enters our consciousness, we can discover true happiness and greatly improve the quality of our lives.
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HindeSight | No. 31
Each year, BevNET’s annual Best Of awards honors companies, brands, individuals, products, ideas and trends from across the dynamic and ever-changing beverage landscape.
As in years past, 2019 witnessed the emergence of disruptive newcomers developing alongside established players seeking out new frontiers. In ways both big and small, this year confirmed that there isn’t a singular route to success. In bottled water, we saw Essentia reap the benefits of a dedicated long-term growth strategy, fueled by strong execution, and at the same time we saw Liquid Death capture the imagination of consumers with a wholly unconventional (and unmistakable) marketing voice. We saw young companies in categories like energy and coffee help bring a new generation of functional beverages to mainstream audiences, while also watching as legacy brands extended their reach with new innovations. Some well-worn rules were confirmed, and others were torn up in style. There was truly a bit of everything.
With such a wide breadth of worthy nominees, the process of selecting our Best Of 2019 award winners was hardly simple. These honorees represent a vibrant and dynamic group of brands that we feel best encompass the ideas, personalities and products pushing the beverage industry in exciting new directions at the dawn of a new decade— and we can’t wait to see where they will take us next. Congratulations to all our winners!
LIFEAID Beverage Company:
BevNET 2019 RISING STAR Award
"The entire team at LIFEAID Beverage Company, LLC is beyond honored and thrilled to have been chosen as the recipient of a BEVNET Best of 2019 RISING STAR award! Thank you for this acknowledgment. Here's to rising to even greater heights in 2020," LIFEAID posted on their LinkedIn profile following the announcement at the BevNET LIVE event on Monday, December 9, 2019.
When functional beverage brand LIFEAID first made a name for its workout-based FITAID line through its partnership with CrossFit©, it seemed the company had settled into a strategy of cornering niche target demographics through a focus on hyper-specific use occasions such as partying, travelling and golfing. But after several years of incremental gains, 2019 finally saw LIFEAID and its entire product portfolio break into the mainstream. This past year the company’s risky take on functional beverages saw a vast expansion as it tripled its retail footprint, established a robust DSD network in the West, and made nationwide expansions in major outlets like Walmart and CVS. Co-founders Orion Melehan and Aaron Hinde said that LIFEAID’s mainstream breakout was always the long-term plan, even as it spent years with an emphasis on narrow channels -- part of an “incubation” strategy that through close customer relationships and ROI driven marketing is finally seeing validation in the broader market. Earlier this year, LIFEAID raised $7.7 million in April to fuel this growth and now with Fitness, Focus, Immunity, Partying, and Golfing all covered, the company has introduced sugar-free varieties with FITAID ZERO and FITAID RX ZERO. And the innovation isn’t done yet: the brand has announced LIFEAID HEMP as the latest addition to its beverage portfolio -- making it one of just a handful of established brands to date to jump into the hemp space.
—BevNET
> > > Live well.
Things got a little buttery last night...
CrossFit's sweetheart Rory (Ro) McKernan joined The Buttery Brothers & well-known media team duo—Heber (Heebs) Cannon & Marston (Mars) Sawyers—Thursday evening for the Open Workout 19.2 LIVE Announcement. The trio anxiously huddled around the TV in the FITAID box, located at the office of LIFEAID Beverage Co. in the old Wrigley building on the west side of Santa Cruz, California.
Everyone was eager to hear what the workout would entail as they tried to mentally prepare for the good old-fashioned head-to-head throwdown that lay ahead of them. Despite a slightly disjointed announcement broadcast from Australia, the group finally pieced together the details of the workout:
OPEN Workout 19.2 (Men's RX)
25 toes-to-bar
50 double-unders
15 squat cleans (135 lb.)
25 toes-to-bar
50 double-unders
13 squat cleans (185 lb.)If you complete all of the above movements under 8 minutes, add 4 minutes to clock and proceed to next round.
25 toes-to-bar
50 double-unders
11 squat cleans (225 lb.)If you complete the above round under 4 minutes, add an additional 4 minutes to clock and proceed to next round.
25 toes-to-bar
50 double-unders
9 squat cleans (275 lb.)If you complete the above round under 4 minutes, add an additional 4 minutes to clock and proceed to final round.
25 toes-to-bar
50 double-unders
7 squat cleans (315 lb.)Time cap: 20 minutes
Now armed with all the workout details, the athletes scattered like ants and started talking strategy as they warmed up in the FITAID box. They each methodically got their equipment all set up, carefully preparing for battle as they passed around a few light-hearted taunts. Trust us, this crew is accustomed to hyping each other up to compete.
The last time this trio competed was during the LIVE Announcement of Open Workout 18.5 in Iceland (in 2018), where Heber walked away with the win. Since then, plans for redemption have been spoken of in hushed tones by both Rory and Mars ...
"Daddy, let's go kick some butt," Rory's daughter said with an aggressive high-five for her dad just before the workout began.
3, 2, 1...Go!
True to form, Mars came out "hot" and was in the lead after Round 1. But a determined Rory and Heber weren't too far behind as they all started Round 2 ...
Amidst repeated shouts of "Go, Daddy, go!" from Heber's two little boys—Finley (2) and Maverick (4)—who cheered madly from the corner, Cannon managed to stand up his 11th squat clean at 185 lb., finishing just 2 reps shy of completing Round 2 within the 8-minute time cap.
As Heber sat and attempted to make a buttery recovery, Rory and Mars were forced to forge ahead into Round 3 without the company of their lusciously long-locked companion.
Mars hopped back onto the pull-up bar first, while Rory strolled slowly over in an attempt to catch his breath. Quickly it became apparent just how winded both of the remaining athletes were after having sprinted to complete those final squat cleans in the previous round.
With every rep, the athletes took extended hunched-over breaks, often turning their toes-to-bar into painful singles.
Ro & Mars continued chipping away at their remaining 25 toes-to-bar in Round 3. Mars finished his first and advanced to the 50 double-unders. Meanwhile, Rory remained on the pull-up bar.
As the third round's 4-minute time cap approached, Mars managed to get to the barbell and power through 5 squat cleans at 275 lb., taking the overall win and bragging rights for 19.2! Rory advanced to the jump rope and completed a total of 12 double-unders in that third round, securing his second-place finish. With only 11 of the required 13 squat cleans under his weight belt prior to the 8-minute time cap of Round 2, a humbled Heber found himself in an unfamiliar last place compared to his previous first-place finish in their Icelandic battle for 18.5.
Great job, boys! It's been a long time since Rory found himself in the middle of a sandwich this buttery:
OPEN 19.2 RESULTS
1. Marston Sawyers (258.pts.)
2. Rory McKernan (215.pts.)
3. Heber Cannon (176.pts.)
Even though none of these three buttery beasts completed the work requirement within the third round's 12-minute time cap (necessary to advance them into the final two rounds), all three of them are winners in our book. Just don't think for a second that they're gonna let Heber forget this one any time soon ...
Redemption was sweet for both Mars and Rory!
In case you missed the LIVE action, do not fear—you can still watch it over on the @FITAID Instagram page! (Just click on the Story, then select "Watch Live Video")
"When was the last time you had pancakes for dinner?"
—The Buttery Bros.
Watch The Buttery Bros. vlog of 19.2 RO vs BROS on their YouTube channel here:
The team at FITAID wishes to sincerely THANK Rory McKernan, The Buttery Bros. (Heber Cannon & Marston Sawyers), their crew and the entire CrossFit community for showing up and making this event possible.
It's the sound of our friends, family members and fellow athletes cheering us on, paired with our ongoing inner desire to dig deep and do our best—that's what makes CrossFit great. —LIFEAID staff
> > > Live well.