Blog
5 min read
Drawn by: Craig Baron's Talented Daughter.
Seven years. It is simultaneously such a long and short amount of time, but for a start-up it is quite a milestone. This month marks seven years since Rob and the founders kicked off the first crowd-funding that marked the beginning of our company and the meal replacement movement.
Over the last 7 years we have learned a lot about creating a brand, growing a company, and most importantly you, our consumers, and backers. We have the most dedicated group of customers in the world, and we mean it. You don’t mince words, you tell us what you love, what you hate, and what we need to do better. We listen and we are grateful. Because we started with the support of crowdfunding many of you literally made this company possible and now all of you continue to make us who we are.
It is only fitting that we share some of the incredible customers, who we call Soylenteers, that make us who we are. We wish we could share a story about every one of you, but no one wants us to publish a novel, so we had to narrow it down. Check out these incredible humans, their stories, and find out why and how they use Soylent.
Meet Sethward.
“7 years ago I was googling how to get a cheaper but healthier way to get my daily nutrition than eating hot pockets and ramen noodles.”
Sethward is incredible, he has been with us since the beginning. He has been making Soylent videos for years, not because we asked but because he likes Soylent that much, and we are so excited to share this amazing, self-produced masterpiece that he just shared with us! Also, if you don’t follow him on YouTube, do yourself a favor and do that now! But first, watch this video!
Meet Jonathan.
Hear directly from Jonathan why and how he uses Soylent:
“When we’re not under quarantine, my wife and daughter and I take weekend trips at least once a month. Sometimes we’re packing up every weekend. We go to the beach, or hike at a state park. But that’s not our real passion. We’re obstacle course fanatics.
Maybe crawling under barbed wire through mud and doing thirty feet of monkey bars over a 10 foot drop that’s probably safe sounds like the world’s worst hobby, but we can’t get enough.
We’ve been to over a dozen indoor and outdoor obstacle courses and Ninja Warrior gyms throughout our home state of Texas (and a few more around the country). We even tested the Oklahoma City course for the show American Ninja Warrior last year. Yeah, I fell in the water.
The last couple years we’ve averaged about 1 race a month. Last year that included the North American Obstacle Course Racing Championships in Vermont. We spent a week in London for the World Championships too.
Training for all that is pretty intense too. These days, I average about 20 miles of running a week, plus another 5-6 hours of strength and obstacle training over the same time frame. When I can, I try to fit in some rock climbing and yoga, too.
Needless to say, I’m burning a heck of a lot of calories. And everyone knows that athletic success is at least as much about good nutrition as it is a good training plan.
Healthy food is especially hard to find when you travel as much as we do. But whether you’re flying across the country or to a different country altogether, making the healthy choice doesn’t have to be hard.
For me, that’s one place Soylent comes in.”
-Jonathan
Meet Vanessa.
“I’m a Mom, I have two kids, I have a full time job and those things together in quarantine are impossible. But knowing I don’t have to spend one second preparing my lunch is very nice!”
Vanessa is one of those people who does it all. She is a Mom, she owns a business, and she often has to put her own needs last. She found Soylent a couple of years ago when she was looking for a plant-based grab and go option. She is now obsessed with Salted Caramel Squared and Cafe Vanilla. Also, she is funny. Like really funny. Hear directly from her what she thinks about Soylent in this heartfelt video. Then go check out her Comedy Club, Dynasty Typewriter.
Soylenteer - Vanessa from Soylent on Vimeo.
Meet Tamuka.
“My name is Tamuka Martin Chidyausiku, or Muk as my friends like to call me and depending on who you ask, I am a Beyonce enthusiast, a snack connoisseur, an entrepreneur, a S.T.E.A.M educator on Youtube.com/tamukainvestments, a scientists and most recently a Ph.D graduate. Oh yes.. it’s Dr. Muk to you, hun. Alas, as it relates to this blog and journey with nutrition; I am a Soylent fan… nay… A STAN!”
Muk is no joke and definitely has shown his deep love and commitment to Soylent over the years. So much so that he has become #SoylentBAE and has a website dedicated to his Soylent love affair. Check it out here!
Meet Cala.
“I love soylent bc I have a sensitive tummy and it helps me get nutrients I need”
Cala is one of the many people who use Soylent for weight management. She had some health issues related to her stomach and was not able to keep weight on. At one point she dropped below a healthy weight and was looking for products that she liked the taste of and that could also provide the nutrients and the calories she needed. She credits Soylent for helping her regain and maintain her health and strength.
She made a video about her journey that you can watch here.
Like we said, our customers are the best. We are so excited to see what we can do together over the next 7 years, but for now - THANK YOU.
P.S. If you didn’t get to share your story and want to do so feel free to email your story over to press@soylent.com and we may be able to share it in the future!
