1
Healthy
Education
Community

Archives

Growth, Greatness, and Falling Flat On Your Face

It’s sometimes in our moments of greatest weakness that we find out who we truly are, and what we’re made of.

I run the day-to-day of brüks bars, which I co-own with my fiancé. Three years ago, I wouldn’t have guessed in my wildest dreams that my life would look like this. I spend my days like an orchestral conductor, managing many moving parts, like all leaders in small businesses. Holding our growing business together at every seam, and continuing to learn and develop as a business owner, woman, and leader is a balancing act I practice daily. Some days I conquer the world; or at least the world I live in. Other days, I stumble.

A week ago today, I stumbled. I’m not talking about the type of stumble where you hit your toe on a bump in the sidewalk, catch yourself, and walk it off like nothing happened. I’m talking a skinned knee face plant.

I spoke to a room full of people I respect and admire, while performing a mock investor pitch, and completely unraveled. Unlike other moments when I’ve cruised confidently onto stage, worked the room and left feeling proud, this was a disaster. Mentally, I’d been a mess for the previous two days, as I tried to fit in time to even write the words that I’ve spoken hundreds of times before. The night before, I couldn’t sleep, filled with anxiety. And moments before, my heart raced, head started pounding, and to my horror my voice cracked. I was frozen in fear.

This isn’t normal for me, at all. I’m confident, competent and probably at my best in front of people. But that day was not my day.

Skinned knee and all, it was my ego that got bruised the worst. Of the friends and colleagues that sat in the audience that day, my reviews were tender and understanding. Something like, ‘Go get ‘em next time, champ!’ I’m lucky to have such graciousness from the people around me. But my expectations are higher for myself, as they’ve been all my life.

I believe that every great leader has likely had past moments of weakness that have carved out their drive to succeed just a little bit deeper. (Or, at least, that’s what I’m hoping!) There are people who might succumb to moments of weakness or regret with fear that stifles, or freezes them. This is not, I imagine, the path of leadership. It’s those who choose to pick out the gravel, wipe themselves clean and learn from the sting of a bruised ego, that will themselves go on to become great.

I want greatness. I want to grow into a leader I’m proud to be, the kind my mentors are to me.

It’s easy to start a business. The hard work starts afterwards. We may have woken up technically as businesses owners a couple years ago, but we’re still 20-something-year-olds, trying our best to become our best selves, and build the best company we can. Each and every day we inch toward the business we envisioned when we started. A business that’s strength is reflected both in our values as a company, but in the people who choose to join us on this journey. Not every day can be a perfect day, but every day we learn something new and choose how to use this knowledge to propel ourselves, and our business forward.

The people who are part of our tribe and who show up and cheer no matter what kind of morning we have, because they have seen the fire inside of us, and would follow us anywhere. That’s the kind of company we’re building. That’s the kind of tribe we want.

So thank you, to every single one of you who cheer us on each and every day. No one ever said running a business would be easy, and it’s all of you who keep us moving forward. There isn’t one day we would change our fate, and we are truly lucky to be able to do something we love, for people we care about every single day.

I hope that one day I’m honored to earn that role of CEO of our company. Until then, I’m being kind to myself, and taking it one very conscious step at a time.

Don’t ever give up on your dreams, no matter how far away they seem. Look at the steps in front of you, not the top of the mountain, and soon you’ll be halfway to the top without realizing it.

Until next time,

Brooke

Getting to know #teambruks: 6 Questions with Suellen LaBerdia

Now that the summer will soon be upon us, and farmer’s market season is kicking into high gear, we thought this would be a great time to introduce our newest addition to team brüks and true lean, mean, baking machine, Suellen. This woman is sweet as vegan pie and since she’s started baking in the brüks kitchen we don’t know how we ever survived without her. She will be the third friendly face under the brüks bars tent at Davidson Farmer’s Market, as we kick off our first full summer of markets, so please swing by and say ‘hi’ to our small but mighty crew. Check out our full farmers market schedule below Suellen’s interview.

What was your first experience like with brüks bars? How did you come across them and what were your thoughts?

I had just taught a yoga class at On Track Yoga and needed a snack when I noticed that we had started selling a new product at the studio, bruks bars. I tried the original flavor and was freaking out when I read the ingredients AND it was the tastiest bar ever....not to mention I'm a total "bar junkie.”

 

How does being a mother of two kids impact your views of nutrition, health, and wellness?

I began to see the importance of living a healthy lifestyle in my early 20's while moving around the country, expanding my love for yoga, snowboarding, mountain biking, and hiking. It was becoming a mom that gave me that ultimate boost into learning more about health and wellness. Now, at 43 with two teens I see that balance is the key and living as a positive role model makes a big impact for my family.

We noticed you've got some pretty awesome tattoos, what was your first/most meaningful?

I have a deep love for self expression through art, tattoos being just one of those mediums. I got my 1st tattoo when I was 18, it was a small daisy on my ankle but I had it covered up years later. My sleeve is a story of my family. It represents my kids as well as a memorial for my mom and my brother. Every time I look at it or add on to it I'm overcome with a sense of love and healing.

Outside of working with Brooke and Sean, how do you spend your free time?

When I'm not busy with bruks bars, I feed my spirit through being with family and friends, sharing my love of yoga, belly dancing, designing and sewing costumes as well as herbal healing pillows (which will be available under the brüks bars tent during farmer’s market this year!), and getting creative in my kitchen.

      

As a long time Charlottean what is your favorite place in the city that us transplants don’t know about yet, and why?

I moved to Charlotte with my family when I was 16 so I've had a chance to see how it's grown in the last couple of decades. There are quite a few spots around town that newcomers might not know about, like the greenway. It's a great way to bike from one part of town to another without getting into traffic. The U.S. National Whitewater Center is another wonderful spot that's just outside of the city. You can be surrounded by nature and catch live music, which are two of my favorite things to do. Or, if you need a snack, you can even grab a brüks bar!

What excites you most about the future of brüks bars?

There are so many reasons I feel excited about the future of brüks bars. The fact that I get to actively be a part of a team that is fantastic in countless ways is only the beginning. Brooke and Sean are building their dream and this is the message that I hope to instill in our future generations....dream big and believe it's possible, as long as you're willing to work hard! I'm truly inspired by these two and their vision.

To meet the team this summer, come out and grab a sample and visit us at one of the following dates that we’ll be at Market below. Also, keep up-to-date with more local brüks bars events, sign up for our monthly newsletter at bruksbars.com.

2015 Season brüks bars Davidson Farmer’s Market Dates:

May

  • 5/9
  • 5/30

June

  • 6/20

July

  • 7/11
  • 7/25

August

  • 8/8
  • 8/29

September

  • 9/12
  • 9/19

We’ll see y’all at the Market!

Much love,

Suellen, Sean & Brooke

Team brüks






Bake Me A Cake (Gluten-Free Of Course), As Fast As You Can

Gluten-free baking can be tough. Literally. If you mess up, your lovely sponge cake turns into something more closely resembling a paper weight. I’ve always loved to bake, but when I met my better half, who is intolerant to all things glutinous, it was the gluten-free pie way, or the highway.

When I first started playing around with substituting flours (brown rice, millet, sorghum, etc.) I thought it would be easy to get the same effect. I mean, they’re all in flour-y form, how different could it be, right? Wrong. The amount of homemade pancakes in near brick form that poor Sean has consumed is just proof of his true love for me.  

Once I realized I wasn’t alone in this quest to make delicious gluten-free treats, life got easier (for us both). I realized I didn’t need to reinvent the wheel, and that there were pioneers before me. The website run by the Gluten Free Goddess was my first inspiration. Soon Sean and I jumped on the baking bandwagon together and tried our hand at Erin McKenna’s recipes (formerly Babycakes NYC).

Here are a few important things to keep in mind when baking gluten-free:

  1. Picking the right flour is critical. Depending on what you’re baking, choose your flour wisely. A great go-to that usually works for the basics is All-Purpose Gluten-free Flour. There are many to choose from now, but our favorite is still Bob’s Red Mill.  This is only partially because he actually looks like his own caricature in real life

2. Gluten-free goodies can turn out a little dense if you’re not careful. A couple great tasting ways to add some gooeyness to your goodies is to add unsweetened applesauce, a combo of ground flaxseed and water, or smash ripe bananas into the mix.

3. We always prefer using coconut oil to non-dairy butters. This helps keep the treats super moist, and gives them a subtle sweetness. Our favorite it Carrington Farms Extra Virgin Organic.

4. Learn from the pro’s. There are a ton of wonderful resources online today with expert advice for gluten-free baking. Try using a tried and true recipe first, and follow it to a T.

Good luck with your gluten-free goodies!

Much love,


Brooke

Image source: Bob's Red Mill and Carrington Farms

 

Our 3 Favorite Healthy Breakfast Recipes

Breakfast has always been my favorite meal of the day. After meeting Sean, I started taking more and more gluten and dairy out of my diet, I thought my early morning routine of enjoying a hearty breakfast were numbered. Boy, was I wrong. I grew up eating cereal and milk everyday and always loved it despite feeling a bit sluggish afterward. But today, I start my day with delicious, energizing foods, and don’t feel weighed down at all. Something I didn’t even realize was happening after a breakfast full of gluten and dairy, until I removed it from my diet and tried it again. I was immediately sleepy and wanted to crawl right back under the covers.

 

Now, we have a few favorite breakfast recipes that are simple, filling, and most importantly full of great fuel to start the day.

 

Here are 3 of my favorite healthy breakfast recipes:

Green Smoothies

Everyone has their own tastes, and there are dozens of wonderful green smoothie recipes out there. The key here, as I learned from my dear friend Lisa Roberts and Haynes Paschall, is: a little green can go a long way. Spinach is my green of choice because you can’t even taste it and it blends the best of all greens. This is one of my favorite smoothie recipes and here’s a link to dozens more: http://simplegreensmoothies.com/.

    

  • A handful of spinach
  • Chia seeds, or flax seed (both if you’re feeling crazy)
  • 1 banana, frozen or fresh
  • 1 cup of frozen strawberries
  • ½ an orange
  • 1 ½ c. Coconut milk

Overnight Oats

Do a little prep the night before and these bad boys will pay off in the morning. I love these on a warm morning because they’re a cool, nutrient packed version of hot oats:

  • ½ c. Gluten free oats
  • 1 c. Non-Dairy Milk (I prefer coconut but almond or cashew work great)
  • ½. Tbsp. Cinnamon
  • Dollop of honey
  • 1 Tbsp. chia seeds
  • Handful of fresh blueberries or strawberries

Add all ingredients to a mason jar. Close the lid tight! Shake. Leave in the fridge overnight. Viola!

 

Yogurt + Crunch Mix

Creamy and dreamy with a little crunch is my idea of a perfect cup-o-breakfast. The key is getting an unsweetened non-dairy yogurt (coconut is my favorite) and adding your own natural sweetness. Here’s my favorite morning or snack time treat:
 

  • 1 cup of plain yogurt
  • 1 Tbls. Chia seeds (optional)
  • 1 Tbls. Honey
  • Handful of fresh or flash frozen berries
  • ½ c. of your favorite gluten free granola (or I love ½ an Apple Pecan brüks bar crumbled on top!)

My food journey

In June 2014, Brooke and I went to New York City for the Fancy Foods Show.

It was a particularly special trip for us becausethat is where our journey together began, and it was our first time going back to New York together since moving to Miami, FL and then Charlotte, NC. After a truly remarkable trip (see our Instagram for full recap), I was telling my co-workers about how much I miss New York, especially the food. For a week we basically scheduled our days around where and what we were going to eat. For me, it was the perfect New York vacation! It wasn’t until my co-worker, Ozzy, called me a “food guy” after describing our trip that I realized it was true. I’m a food guy! Food has been the center of my world since as far back as I can remember, whether I realized it at the time, or not. This is the story about my lifelong journey with food.

Growing up I was about as picky of an eater as there ever has been. Grilled cheese, hot dogs, butter pasta, and plain McDonald’s cheeseburgers were my food groups. That’s it. If it wasn’t one of those things, I wasn’t interested, and believe me I made that part known. I was that kid in restaurants who cried loudly if his French fries were touching the lettuce, tomato, onion, and pickle on the side of the plate. How my family put up with me and actually still loves me is a mystery I’ll never understand. Despite my “diet” I had energy for days. I was constantly running around, playing sports, and competing with my older siblings (which still happens today thanks to our famous Muldoon Olympics). When I was about 12 and going through puberty I grew like a weed. In fact, I got Osgood-Schlatter disease from going through such a big growth spurt. My dad and I have this great memory of the doctor sharing the results after my yearly physical. The verdict? Perfect health. I was in the top percentile for height, weight, blood pressure, cholesterol, etc. The kicker was, the doctor turned to us and says in all seriousness, “Wow Sean you’re in such great health. You must be eating all of your vegetables!” At which our immediate response was hysterical laughter. One point for Sean, zero points for my parents, science, and logic!

 

My First Taste of Sports Nutrition

Heading into my senior year of high school, 2004, I was already a two-time Illinois All-State and All-Conference selection in track and field. I had been training for three years to earn a Division I scholarship and I will stop at nothing to accomplish my goals. So my dad had me work with one of his best friends and a man that would ultimately change the trajectory of my life, Dr. Tom O’Bryan, who specializes in nutrition and food allergies. Dr. Tom was the first person who really taught me about sports performance and what all it entails. We did bi-weekly deep tissue massages on my legs. We talked about pre and post workout nutrition, inflammation-causing foods that would slow down my recovery, and food allergies and my likely sensitivities. He did some blood tests and found I have sensitivities to gluten, dairy, eggs and soy. Once I learned which foods could affect my performance, giving them up wasn’t hard for me. I’m a very logical person with incredible discipline. Tom helped me create my ideal athletic diet excluding those foods. No biggie. If eating or not eating certain foods would give me a competitive edge and help me earn my scholarship, I was all for it.

One challenge to sticking to this diet was, this was 2004 and gluten-free wasn’t a buzzword yet. Allergen-friendly foods weren’t readily available in stores, but luckily, I had a secret weapon… my mom! Tom gave me the information but my mom made it real and practical. She did all the grocery shopping, cooked every meal for me, and helped me with my weekly planning. We did true meal preps well before it was a trendy hashtag. I was shocked at how many “unrelated” symptoms cleared up once I changed my diet. I felt like a fog had just been lifted from my head. I could think more sharply and was filled with more energy. No more dandruff, dry skin, excessive cuticles (although I do love a good manicure), or pimples. I found myself smiling more and was generally less irritable. My daily stomach roller coaster was gone, along with my ever-present running nose and bright red cheeks.


However, I was still a growing young man and training at an alarming rate, so I was always hungry. I could literally eat everything in sight and still wasn’t ever full. Not to mention, I had to bring my lunch with me to school everyday (which came packed by my mom in a brown paper bag with a little inspirational note written on it), I couldn’t eat if I went out dinner with my friends, and basically was one step removed during all social settings. I can be a bit of an introvert so that wasn’t a huge deal—just annoying.


After an incredibly physically and mentally draining year, I got great news. I had earned my scholarship to the University of Illinois, a top-25 nationally ranked track school. I was happy and had worked so hard to get there, but for the first time, I was all on my own, without my performance team, a.k.a., Tom and my mom.

 

Giving Up Clean Eating

Without them, and throughout college I gave up on eating based around my food sensitivities. It was difficult to shop, expensive, and required a ton of time and effort, so I reverted back to “regular” life. No surprise I was repeatedly injured during college. I ended up quitting the team after my junior year because I couldn’t handle the constant disappointment of the mounting injuries and subsequent lack of performance. In the 3 years I competed, I never ran one healthy outdoor 400m race. My body couldn’t last long enough to make it through an indoor season injury free.


Knowing what I know now, I strongly believe that my food choices played a part in that. I don’t think they were the sole cause but definitely a piece of the puzzle. So, my athletic career didn’t turn out the way I would have liked, but that’s a post for another day. I graduated with my Bachelor’s of Science degree in Kinesiology and then moved to Washington D.C. to work at a non-profit.


While living in D.C. I continued ignoring my food sensitivities and ate like a “regular person.” After years of high-level training I was pretty burnt out on exercising too. I lost about 15 pounds and was the lightest I’d been since high school, and not in a good way. I was skinny, pale, and had no life in my eyes—a walking skeleton. No surprise that my time in D.C. was some of the unhappiest in my life. I basically gave up taking care of myself and was stuck in a rut and didn’t know how it get out. After talking things over with my family, I decided to do something that had been on my mind for a while but I wasn’t yet desperate enough to do. I quit my job and moved to Cuba. My mom and grandparents immigrated from Cuba during the revolution so I still have some immediate family there. I decided to go to Cuba for as long as I was allowed, and figure myself and my life out. Oh, one thing I forget to mention, I don’t really speak Spanish. I was about at the level of a cute toddler just learning to talk. I knew a lot of words but had no idea about grammar, or how to structure a sentence. Whatever—minor details.

Falling In Love with My Food Intolerances

I ended up living in Cuba (totally legally) for two months. It was during this time that I was re-born and became myself again. I exercised every day and ate like a mad man. My exercise routine was all body weight stuff, which included doing 500+ push ups per day. I would workout on my rooftop, shirtless and let the morning sun feed me its light and power. My body craved the Vitamin D the sun wanted to give me. If you ask a Cuban living in Cuba what their biggest problems/stresses are it will uniformly be: breakfast, lunch, and dinner. So when a guest is over the ultimate sign of respect is to feed them. Nothing material, nothing expensive, nothing fancy. But what they can offer is something life giving. Even though most Cubans struggle to find their meals for the day when I was invited over they found a way to make a Thanksgiving feast in my honor, just because I was a guest from America. The selfless spirit and generosity of the Cuban people literally brought me back to life at the time when I needed it most. To this day, nothing quite makes me smile like the sight, or better yet, smell of arroz con pollo and maduros. The funny thing about most Cuban food: it happens to be gluten, dairy, egg, and soy free. What a coincidence… Or maybe, it’s just the universe’s way of subtlety kicking my butt back into the orbit I belong in!

After my stay in Cuba I moved to Brooklyn, NY and found a place with my brother and his wife. I worked as a personal trainer at an exclusive private training gym in Manhattan called Definitions. I was in a happy but grueling routine of training up to 12 clients a day, working out, practicing yoga, and eating everything imaginable—as long as it fit my diet. After a year of this, my life changed again... I met her. If you’re reading this blog then you know who I’m talking about. My best friend, my partner in crime, my business partner, and my soon to be wife (in 127 days to be exact).  Brooke. While she and I share a lot of common interests and passions I believe it was food that fostered our deep love for one another. There is nothing more gratifying than providing life for another human being. Feeding each other does just that. Brooke had never met “someone like me,” with all of my food issues, but she was still determined to take care of me. So she went on Gluten-Free Goddess’s website (whom we both love and highly recommend) to search for recipes for me. She didn’t let the inconvenience of my food intolerances get in her way. 

She would make me treats; some of which were delicious and some that were, ummm not so bad… We made frequent trips around the city to find restaurants and bakeries that catered to people like me. NYC is unparalleled when it comes to food. It literally has everything. One day, we found a total game changer: Erin McKenna’s Bakery (formally Babycakes NYC). They showed us that allergen-friendly foods can not only be edible, they can be INCREDIBLE!!! Babycakes brought us both so much happiness. I had finally found treats I could eat guilt-free and Brooke found joy in watching me smile with every bite.

The deeply intimate act of journeying around the city to feed each other brought us closer than anything else could. After a few months we moved in together and then eventually moved so that I could get my Master’s Degree in Exercise Physiology from the University of Miami, and to take the next step in my fitness career. I don’t know if you’ve heard but Miami has quite a few Cubans so it’s a good place to get vaca frita, croquettas, churassco, and of course arroz con pollo.

If you don’t know what happened next, I’ll give you a hint… it was the beginning of bruks bars.

 

If you want to read our story and follow our business more closely check out our Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram accounts. 

 

Thank you for reading about my food journey. I’d love to hear about yours!!! If you feel like sharing, please email me at sean@bruksbars.com.


Sean