May 16, 2012

The Crush It Report – Volume I

Note from the Founders

So what the heck does it mean to “Crush It”?

At HUMAN we talk about “crushing it” all the time.  Most of the time this means creating big time business success in the world of healthy vending with all of our top-notch operator partners.  But it’s not just about business success.  That’s only part of it…a very important part, but still only a piece of the entire puzzle.

 

At HUMAN “crushing it” begins with our vision of a better, healthier world.  Check out this HUMAN revolution in the video above.

“Crushing it” is also about mastering, or working towards mastering, every area of your life that’s important to you.  Creating optimal health & happiness, excelling as a socially-responsible entrepreneur, making sure you’re having a whole lot of fun, being a great friend & family member, and a whole lot more.

At the end of the day “crushing it” is the same as excelling.  It’s just a lot more fun to say!

HUMAN Team Pic

The gang's all here!

To be happy is to crush it. To provide tons of value to your customers & business partners is to crush it.  To be an awesome mom or dad that has time to attend your kids sporting events & school activities is to crush it.  To wake-up every single day prepared to dominate your day and conquer any obstacles that come your way is to crush it.  To not let little things get you down is to crush it.  And certainly, to fight childhood obesity head-on by providing a very malnourished world with healthy vending machines is to crush it!

Maybe “crushing it” seems silly to you.  But that’s ok.  We simply know that we at HUMAN like to “crush it” and it’s a part of our everyday lives and our everyday culture.  It makes us better, makes us have more fun, and makes us motivated to do our very best.

junk food machines are horrible

Members of HUMAN Team "crushing" old-school, nasty, junk-food machines. This is definitely "crushing it."

So from here on out we’re going to be sending off weekly Crush It Reports to spread our energy & hopefully help you in one or more of the many things you want to achieve.  This will involve vending advice (obviously), entrepreneurial tips, and even personal development motivation.  Because all of it matters….ALL of it.

We’ll even be including free giveaways, special offers, and other fun stuff.  So don’t skip ‘em!

Alright?  Let’s get on with “crushing it”!  Like it, love it, live it.  Go on & “crush” your day.

Sean & Andy
Founders, HUMAN Healthy Vending

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Crushing It Quote Of the Week

“Don’t be afraid to give your best to what seemingly are small jobs.  Every time you conquer one it makes you that much stronger.  If you do the little jobs well, the big ones will tend to take care of themselves.”

~Dale Carnegie

Why is this Quote Important?

Dale Carnegie understood success as well as just about anyone.  He studied it, and the people who achieved it, for decades.  Being successful, especially in the vending business, is more about an accumulation of many minor successes than it is about one huge victory.  Treat everything you do in life like it matters and you’ll end-up one of the “lucky” ones.  Because at the end of the day the luckiest people in the world are simply the people who give themselves the most chances.

To buy Dale Carnegie’s best book CLICK Above:

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Silly Motivation

At HUMAN we fervently believe that passionate, socially-responsible entrepreneurs are what the world needs more than anything else.  Entrepreneurs SOLVE problems while others create them.  Entrepreneurs CREATE jobs while poor government decisions destroy them.  Entrepreneurs BUILD hope while stagnant complainers suck all of the hope away.

As a result of our strong beliefs regarding the importance of entrepreneurship, we like to motivate people to be value-providing entrepreneurs in any way that we can.  Sometimes this means watching silly videos.  And that’s ok, because any motivation to do something great is great motivation.

Be an entrepreneur and motivate the people around you while having a direct positive effect on the world.

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Entrepreneurial Tip: Design Your Ultimate Life

This is amazing stuff – check it out!

What is your perfect life?

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Vending Tip Of The Week:

How to Turn a “Dud” Vending Location into a “Stud” Vending Location

Watch the video and then use it to turn your vending machines into absolute crushers. Check out this video, and stay tuned for Part 2 next week!

Thanks for reading, now go out and crush it today!

If any of this has inspired you to take the next step in your life as an entrepreneur, click here to find out how to become your own boss.

We are sending out this “crush it report” for you guys, so in order to make sure it is useful we need to hear from you! Either post a comment, or send an email to austinb@healthyvending.com with your ideas/suggestions/questions for the next report. We will be selecting the best suggestions for reprint in our next crush it report, and each commenter will be entered to win prizes in upcoming drawings!

New And Improved Baby Carrots Hitting Vending Machines Soon!

These are not your mother’s baby carrots….

Bolthouse Farms has partnered with “A Bunch of Carrot Farmers” (50 actually) to boost sales of their already popular baby carrots.  The partners have laid down an initial investment of $25 million to change to the image of baby carrots. For their new marketing campaign, the carrot farmers have tapped ideas from their junk food rivals that include, among other things; sex, action sports, and special effects.  Baby carrots will be sold in new “junk food packaging” and the web is flooded with Youtube videos of crazy, carrot inspired stunts.  They have even launched an iPhone game called Xrtreme Xrunch Kart where players perform carrot related tricks while riding around on a shopping card. Players are encouraged to, “Crunch into actual baby carrots near your mic to unleash unholy speed bursts and perform XTREME aerial tricks. Wicked!” Sounds like fun.

The new packaging is currently in a testing state, and it is too early to tell if the marketing campaign will be successful.  We hope it blows away the competition and convinces everyone to “indulge the most tasteful of your taste buds” with baby carrots, instead of junk food.

Help Pass the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act!

Now is your chance to make a difference for America’s children! Write a letter, call, email, instant message, tweet, or poke your local congressman. Instead of taking a stand for the health of young students, our politicians are dragging their feet.  The US House of Representatives has decided to delay the vote on the Child Nutrition Reauthorization bill.  Now it is more important than ever to voice your approval for this bill!

Here is the most recent press release from the School Nutrition Association:

House Delays Child Nutrition Reauthorization

SNA calls for swift passage during lame-duck session

National Harbor, MD (September 30, 2010) – Last night, the US House of Representatives adjourned without passing Child Nutrition Reauthorization legislation.  The School Nutrition Association, a non-profit organization representing school foodservice professionals, expressed disappointment, but called on Congress to use the days before the elections to improve on the legislation.

“School nutrition professionals across this country are working miracles every day, stretching limited funds to assemble nutritious meals that fuel our children’s school days, but in the face of rising food costs and evolving nutrition standards, school nutrition programs need additional support,” said SNA President Nancy Rice, M.Ed., RD, LD, SNS, State Director of the Georgia Department of Education, School Nutrition Division   “We can no longer afford to voice our concerns about rising rates of childhood obesity and the need to promote healthier lifestyles at school without investing in the programs that reach children in their school cafeterias each day.  It is imperative that Congress and the Administration work together to pass a strong, improved Child Nutrition Reauthorization bill.”

As Congress delays passage of Child Nutrition Reauthorization legislation, the US Department of Agriculture continues to develop updated nutrition standards for school meals.  Those revised standards are expected to require larger servings of fruits, vegetables and whole grains.  The Institute of Medicine’s recommendations for these standards acknowledges the need to increase funding for school meal programs to help meet the nutrition targets.

“America has reached a tipping point,” stated Rice.  “Many members of Congress, the Administration, the First Lady, parents and advocates nationwide have to all come together in support of expanding children’s access to healthy school meals and ensuring that all food sold at school meets nutrition standards.  We cannot let our children down.  Congress must pass an improved Child Nutrition Reauthorization bill this year.”

SNA, (http://www.schoolnutrition.org ) the School Nutrition Association, is a national, non-profit professional organization representing more than 53,000 members who provide high-quality, low-cost meals to students across the country. Founded in 1946, the Association and its members are dedicated to feeding children safe and nutritious meals.

This bill is crucial for the healthy vending industry as it essentially outlaws the sale of junk food in schools.

Why Americans Are Dying Sooner!

A couple of days ago I turned on the TV and started flipping from channel to channel, perusing all my usual suspects; ESPN, Discovery, Food Network, NFL Network, etc. I ended up watching EXTREME Pig Outs on the Travel Channel, and I couldn’t turn away.  If you haven’t seen the show, it is pretty straightforward. They travel the country looking for the biggest, greasiest, most heart-stopping meals they can find, and then they entice customers to eat them on camera.  My personal favorite was a “John Elway” 7 pound breakfast burrito that is being marketed to patrons as “larger than a newborn baby“.  I don’t know if this a play to entice those customers harboring baby eating fetishes, but whatever it is, judging by the restaurant’s business it seems to be working.  I  was consistently shocked by three things; the size of the portions, the creativity of the chefs, and the variety of the foods on the show.    The only thing that seemed to remain constant was that if you could consume the perverse amount of food fast enough, without purging, you got it for free.

I forgot about the show until today, when John received an email from one of our operators located up in Canada. The email was so visually shocking that I felt it must be reproduced on the blog.  With no further ado……Why We Are Fat.

Let’s keep working hard to get out the word about healthy vending machines!  If we have these deadly options out there, we need access to more healthy options to combat them.

Eating Healthy is Easier and More Affordable Than Ever!

Remember that old excuse we used to have about eating poorly? You know, the one where we claim it’s “too expensive” to buy the healthy stuff? Well, that excuse is going out the window because the price of healthy snacks & beverages are finally starting to compete with their junk food counterparts. This means it should be easier for us to make smarter snacking decisions, without money being a deal-breaker.

In general, healthier foods still cost a little more, but keep in mind that you’re paying for a higher quality product with REAL ingredients and nutritional substance. As more and more people are hopping aboard the healthy movement, we are starting to see a positive transition in both company and consumer priorities. Many companies are working to deliver healthier products to consumers and, in turn, we are willing to spend more on foods that we know are better for us.  That being said, affordability is becoming a non-issue and our accessibility to healthy food options is growing. Hooray!

Just look around at the grocery store — Take a stroll down the snack aisle. There are so many more delicious and healthy products now and, best of all, it won’t break the bank for us to bring them home. A lot of companies have even improved their existing products to have better ingredients, without affecting the price.

Still, there is way too much junk food out there and many of us are in the habit of turning to these products out of impulse and familiarity. We need to work on that. There are so many healthy alternatives out there to satisfy every craving, flavor, and texture that your tummy could desire. You just have to make the right choices, break your old habits, and commit to snacking smarter. It will benefit everyone, especially yourself.

Here’s a quick scenario:

You’ve got a buck in your hand, and a nagging hunger pang. You walk over to the nearest food source, a typical traditional vending machine. Hmm, what to choose? Well, there are greasy potato chips, fried corn chips with additives, snack crackers with chemical preservatives, candy bars full of high fructose corn syrup and refined sugars, fruit snacks with artificial flavors and dyes… you get the idea. Is this really what you want to spend your hard-earned money on? It may only be $0.75, but it’s still a poor investment. Don’t give this vending machine your money! Your health will be paying a lot more down the road if you choose to consistently eat from here.

Do this instead:

Take your money to 100% healthy vending machines (these guys are popping up everywhere!). Their products might be priced a little higher, but you’ll get premium, equally tasty (if not tastier) natural snack options like baked pita chips, gourmet rice puffs, fruit & granola bars, etc. that you can feel good about eating. H.U.M.A.N. Healthy Vending is even launching a $1 machine, stocked completely with 100% healthy items that will only run you a buck! Now that’s making your dollar count.

Times, they are a changing! Upgrade your eating habits, and get it out of your head that “healthy” is synonymous with “expensive.” You don’t have to settle for junk food anymore, and you don’t have to spend a lot to get a lot. Healthy eating is not a privilege, it is your right!

Healthy Vending Machines & Deconstructing the Oxymoron

What do these words have in common: United Nations, healthy tan, death benefits, tight slacks, and easy payments have in common?  They’re all oxymorons!  Well when most people hear the phrase “healthy vending machines“, it gets the same reaction: “HUH?!?”

Well I’m here to wipe the silly look of confusion off of everyone’s face, because healthy vending machines DO exist.  But I can definitely see why the phrase would seem contradictory, after all: vending machines are traditionally unhealthy in more ways than one…

Let’s step back in time to the first vending machines that dispensed food products: In 1888 the Thomas Adams Gum Company introduced machines that dispensed gum balls for coins on New York City subway platforms.  A revolutionary concept: create miniature automatic retailers that required no supervision and that conveniently placed products that people wanted where they happen to be walking by! Brilliant!

The vending machine evolved through the late 1800s and early 1900s to offer everything from cigars to stamps.  Did you know that there was even a completely coin operated restaurant called Horn and Hadart in Philadelphia from 1902 to 1962??? Customers would come in and place coins in slots below windows that displayed cold food, then they’d turn a chrome knob and the food would be revealed through technological magic (ok, not that magic, a slot opened up).

By the 1920s vending machines evolved into just soda and candy dispensers.  This is where I think the industry flat-lined in terms of its product offering. Sure, the machines themselves advanced along with the breakthroughs in related technology (lights, compressors, etc.), but the food and drink type basically stayed the same….why?

I think its because vending machine operators bought into a model that worked. And like my pappy used to say “if it ain’t broke, then get a beer from the fridge and hide in the garage from your mother so that she thinks you’re busy fixing it when you’re actually trying to get out of helping make dinner!”  Or something like that. Anyway, what I’m trying to say is that people were provided with what they thought they wanted when they’re on the go and don’t have time to sit down and eat: sugary foods that “give them energy”.

So since 1920 the vending machine industry has been about as innovative as my brother, who just the other day decided to start wearing pants in public. Doesn’t that baffle you? Not about my brother’s daily indecent exposure, but that for 90 years vending machines have almost exclusively offered candy, soda, and cigarettes? Through all the health revolutions and nutrition awareness campaigns….these big brown boxes sat there displaying “tasty” crap for all the world to eat?

Well, thankfully its 2010 and there are healthy vending machines that dispense ONLY 100% healthy food and beverages.  No, they don’t dispense healthy cigarettes. There’s no such thing.

Do you know any funny oxymorons? I’d love to hear about them!

Get Educated: “Organic Food” Part 2

I’m sure you BARELY slept last night because of all the anticipation about waiting for Part 2 of my Organic Food post.   What little sleep you did have was probably dominated by dreams about fields full of clean, ripe, and juicy organic vegetables.  I know, I’m psychic.

Today, I am going to give you some TIPS for buying organic food.  Its important to go to the store or healthy vending machine armed with information before any food purchase. After all, its affecting two things that dominate our lives: the wallet and the body.

1.  Look for farmer’s markets.   When I think of farmer’s markets I think of two words: cheap and fresh.  I live in Southern California and went to one the other day where I bought a cucumber the size of  a loaf of bread for $0.75! And remember: its a market. This means you can easily barter for bulk discounts. So don’t be scared and get yourself a killer deal on some killer tomatoes, dudes and dudettes!

2.  Bulk up when they’re IN SEASON.  One way to alleviate cost while at the same time getting the freshest possible fruits and vegetables is to become knowledgeable about when the seasons are for your favorite crops.  Here is a handy tool for seeing what is in season in your area for any month!

3.  Buy preserved when they’re NOT in season.  There’s nothing wrong with buying canned, dried, or frozen organic fruits and vegetables when they’re not in season.  In the winter, switch it up to canned organic tomatoes and eat frozen berries (side note: mix frozen berries with bananas and orange juice in a blender first thing when you wake up. It will ROCK YOUR WORLD.)

4. Shop online. That’s right, for organic food! The shipping costs won’t necessarily kill you when you do a little digging and get a good deal.  Check out the Organic Consumer Association’s  Green People Directory.

5. Grow your own. Whenever you grow or make something yourself, doesn’t it taste better just based on that knowledge? I brew my own beer and other people smile politely while secretly wishing they’d have chugged some straight-up vinegar instead, but to me it tastes golden because I remember how long it took to get that batch ready.  Check out Seeds of Change to order seeds, and read this guide on how to start a basic garden.

6.  Transition into buying organic slowly.  Start by replacing one or two of the foods you buy regularly with its organic equivalent.  Shop around and see if you can find prices that aren’t way higher than what you were paying for your non-organic foods.  As you start to replace the foods in your pantry and refrigerator with organic versions, keep track of how it is affecting your monthly food budget.  Don’t sell the farm converting everything to organic, but keep in mind the long term benefits of eating organic: both on your family’s health care costs and on your environmental impact.

So now you know more about organic food and how to be an expert at shopping for it.  Don’t just buy organic willy-nilly. Educate yourself! Make smart food choices for you and your family, and you’ll reap the benefits in the long run.  One last point I must make is that just because its organic, doesn’t necessarily mean its healthier than other food.  Eating a pound of bread grown from organic wheat versus eating a pound of conventionally grown broccoli isn’t going to be healthier.  Keep it all in perspective and arm yourself with knowledge. Remember, small changes today can equal HUGE changes in the future.

Get Educated: “Organic Food” Part 1

There are two movements changing the way we live right now: the “green” or eco-friendly movement and the healthy lifestyle movement.   These are both great answers to the one thing we can’t seem to control: our population.  It should be no revelation to you that as the world gets more and more populated the more polluted the planet is and for some reason the more unhealthy we get.   Organic food is a key aspect of changing our impact on the environment and our health.  It is now found in grocery stores, restaurants, and even vending machines nationwide! But there are some misconceptions about what organic food really means, and the word is thrown around willy-nilly a lot. Let me clear this up….

Difference between conventional farming & organic farming:

Organic farming: The growing and processing of agricultural products (meat, vegetables, fruits, grains, and dairy) while encouraging water and soil conservation and pollution reduction.

  1. Natural fertilizer is used, such as manure or compost.
  2. Beneficial insects and birds are used and instead of spraying insecticides, mating disruption techniques and traps are used.
  3. To manage weeds: crops are rotated, weeds are pulled by hand, or mulch is used to manage weeds.
  4. Animals are given organic feed and they have access to the outdoors. To reduce disease: rotational grazing, clean housing and a balanced diet are implemented.

Conventional Farming: The growing and processing of agricultural products (meat, vegetables, fruits, grains, and dairy) using methods that get the maximum output out of land and animals.

  1. Chemical fertilizers are used to promote growth in plants.
  2. Insecticides are sprayed to reduce pests.
  3. Chemical herbicides are used to manage weeds.
  4. Animals are given antibiotics, growth hormones, and medications to prevent disease and spur growth.

CONGRATULATIONS! You now know more than probably 80% of people who buy organic because it’s popular but don’t really know why it’s better.

Because organic is such a booming market, many companies throw around the word “organic” in order to attract customers like Hulk Hogan used to throw his enemies around in the ring: with complete disregard for their health!

Here’s what it takes to get that coveted USDA stamp o’ approval:

  • 100 percent organic. Products that are completely organic or made of all organic ingredients.
  • Organic. Products that are at least 95 percent organic.
  • Made with organic ingredients. These are products that contain at least 70 percent organic ingredients. The organic seal can’t be used on these packages.

So the bottom line is: READ THE LABEL. Don’t you want to know what you are putting in your body? Making the choice to buy organic involves a little digging on your part.

Tomorrow I will reveal BUYING tips for when you are faced with the myriad of organic food choices at your grocery store or vending machine So bookmark this page and check back in to become an organic buying SUPERSTAR!

A Trip to the Vending Machine = Walking the Plank?

“Bill rubbed his eyes from the glow of his monitor.  It was 3:00 p.m. on a Monday and he was TIRED.  Slammed with meetings, reports, and an endless barrage of emails, Bill had barely had time for lunch (a quick trip through the McDonald’s Drive-Thru).  He stood up, stretched, and stepped into the hallway to walk down to the vending machines for some much-needed energy.  As he entered the hallway he was surprised to see his co-workers jeering and yelling at him.  His boss grabbed his hands roughly and pulled them behind his back, tying them together with mailing tape.  He felt the sharp poke of scissors in his back. ‘Forward, wench! You did a poor job swabbing the poop deck, and now you must walk the plank! YARRRR!!!’”

While this may be a slight exaggeration of how the typical walk to the vending machine goes, in reality each step you make towards that can of soda might as well be a walk towards the edge.  Bill learned his soda habit in school, and kept with it his whole life…and he is not alone.

Here’s some soda facts, me maties:

  • Americans drink more soda pop than ever before.
  • Soda accounts for more than a QUARTER of all drinks consumed in the U.S.
  • More than 15 BILLION GALLONS were sold in 2000, and its only increased since then.
  • 15 BILLION GALLONS works out to at least one 12-ounce can per day for every man, woman, and child!
  • Soft drink consumption rates have doubled in the last decade.
  • Soft drinks are the leading source of added sugars in the average American teenager’s diet, equaling 15 to 20 teaspoons of added sugar per day!
  • Adolescents (ages 11-17) get 11% of their calories from soft drinks!
  • Drinking soda replaces nutritious drinks like milk, leading to decreased calcium consumption in girls. (One result: osteoporosis)
  • A Harvard School of Health study determined that in 9th and 10th graders, those who drank soda regularly were THREE times more likely to develop bone fractures.
  • For every soft drink consumed per day, the risk of obesity goes up by 50%

YARRRRRRRR! These kind of facts make really SHIVER ME TIMBERS. I honestly have no clue what that means. But, I think it has to do with the vibrations running down a pirate’s wooden peg leg from angry convulsions.

Anyway, its obvious that soda is horrible.  But kids have few options at school, and when they’re thirsty, THEY’RE THIRSTY! And when they want to snack on junk food, who is going to stop them? The solution? First off, replacing junk food and soda vending machines with healthy snack and drink machines.

A possible objection: Won’t the school will lose money? Answer: FALSE. North Community High School in Minneapolis replaced most of its soda machines with machines stocked with fruit juices and water and their sales INCREASED.  Other schools across the nation (Miami, Washington D.C., North Carolina, etc.) are already replacing their food AND drink machines with premium, high-tech 100% healthy vending machines.

Yar.


The Dark Truth About the Lack of Healthy Food in Schools

Last night I watched Food, Inc.  Ever seen it? It will BLOW YOUR MIND.  It raises serious concerns about the environmental and health impacts of the fast food industry.  It will inspire you to figure out how to get healthy food into schools.

Most people, especially in cities, have no clue about where their food is actually coming from.  Do you ever stop and think: Why is this burger SO CHEAP? Seriously, when you think about it, burgers are cheaper than vegetables! And how much labor goes into harvesting & shipping a vegetables versus raising and slaughtering a cow?  Common sense would tell us that veggies should be cheaper.  But when you see how meat is obtained now via mega-slaughterhouses feeding our distribution channels, it all makes sense. No wonder its hard to eat healthy when you’re broke! But what happens when you force meat through a hyper-efficient system designed for one purpose: low price? You get contamination, son!

In December of 2009, USA Today did a study regarding the quality of food in our nation’s schools.  Do you know what they found out? Hold on, this requires large, bold font:

Meat used in school cafeterias was REJECTED by fast food joints like KFC!

I know, I know. Ridiculous, huh? School’s only get 15-20% of their food from the government but that 15-20% is made up of key commodities like beef, chicken, fruits, and vegetables! (What else is there?)

The USDA stands by its position that schools get high quality food.  But the bottom line is that you get what you pay for and the school’s can’t afford to pay for the good stuff.  And I know what you’re thinking: so what, we’re going to pay out the #@$@! for organic food in school cafeterias now? Healthy eating in schools doesn’t have to be an extreme undertaking.  It starts with simple decisions such as replacing junk food vending machines with healthy vending machines.

The Child Nutrition Act addresses some of these quality concerns, but until its passed our kids are out of luck.  So for now, PACK THAT SACK LUNCH!