In 2022, Claudia started training for her longest runs yet — a 155-mile race through the Sahara Desert. To fuel the increase in training volume and intensity, she was focused on nutrition more than ever.

She was getting flavor fatigue from all of the sweet sports nutrition, coming back from a 3 hour long run filled with gels and sports drinks and unable to choke down another sweet thing. 

She needed more appealing options to power the mileage and recovery. She began to experiment with savory protein bars made from the flavors she was craving after her workouts.

After nearly a decade in management consulting, Schalk’s 80-hour work weeks, frequent travel, working lunches, and late nights started to catch up to him. He ate too many meals at airports, often loaded with sugar and artificial ingredients, and his health was suffering.

Schalk decided to leave his corporate job, revisit his passion for food, and rebuild his health. As Schalk focused on increasing his protein intake, he noticed that the sweet shakes and bars he relied on weren’t curbing his cravings, they were amplifying them. The entire market was built on that same loop. He decided to create something that wasn’t.