Doctor Started a $100M-a-Year Business to Solve Health Problem

Throughout medical faculty in 2005, Dr. Lior Lewensztain stumbled upon a sobering statistic: solely about one third of Individuals hit their beneficial day by day servings of fruit. Lewensztain needed to alter that. So he began to be taught extra concerning the merchandise accessible on grocery store cabinets. 

Lewensztain’s analysis discovered that though plenty of CPG merchandise included purees, concentrates and “fruit leather-based kind” formulations, the market lacked snacks with actual fruit, minimal substances and no added sugar. 

The prospect of changing into an entrepreneur “got here out of left discipline.” However Lewensztain was decided to construct a fruit-first CPG model of his personal. After graduating from medical faculty, he joined an accelerated MBA program.

Leveraging an MD and MBA to start out a enterprise: That’s it.

“I obtained a enterprise diploma with the intent of using each backgrounds to observe medication on a grander scale and in a extra of a preventative approach,” Lewensztain says, “particularly making an attempt to get children to develop higher habits — to allow them to know that they’ll truly eat issues that style good and are good for you.”  

Lewensztain based his fruit-focused snack model in 2012. He named the enterprise That’s it. to encapsulate its easy, few substances. A bar with simply two (one fruit and a second fruit) turned its first and core product.

First, Lewensztain took his bootstrapped model to farmers markets to see if it had legs. Regular curiosity was there, and inside a couple of months, That’s it. submitted for a Entire Meals nationwide rollout program — and have become one in every of 4 companies chosen to take part. 

Navigating main retail distribution and growth

The training curve was steep, demanding astute navigation of producing and provide chain, Lewensztain admits, however the Entire Meals partnership generated important consciousness and landed further accounts. Quickly, That’s it. hit different main retailers, together with Goal and Starbucks. 

The enterprise continued on its development trajectory, with a notable inflection in the course of the pandemic when individuals began paying nearer consideration to what they had been consuming, Lewensztain provides. 

Now, along with these early retailer partnerships, That’s it. is obtainable in quite a few different shops, together with Costco, Sam’s Membership, Walmart, and on American Airways flights. The model additionally sells on-line via its official web site and on Amazon. That’s it. presently sees greater than $100 million in annual income. 

Balancing the enterprise’s scale with sustainable development

Balancing scale with sustainable development has at all times been one of many enterprise’s greatest challenges, Lewensztain notes. 

About 9 years in the past, the enterprise took a small undisclosed quantity of capital, however That’s it. “very consciously” averted the enterprise capital route, decided to retain full management over the enterprise and its infrastructure.

“As a result of we’re not venture-backed, we’ve to much more so actually thoughts each cent and reinvest into the correct locations to assist gasoline that development,” the founder says. 

Investing in innovation that aligns with model objectives

Naturally, innovation is a key funding space within the ever-evolving, crowded CPG area. However it’s not as easy as churning out a collection of classy merchandise for the sake of it. 

That’s it.’s problem — and alternative — lies in staying true to the guts of its model on the subject of any product growth. 

That’s it.’s new fiber bar, which introduces added dietary advantages however retains fruit heart stage, serves as a current instance. 

Over time, amid an elevated American curiosity in protein consumption, Lewensztain’s acquired plenty of requests for a protein-packed bar.

Nonetheless, even suggestions that appears well-informed and on the nostril isn’t price taking if it misses the mark on model intention. That’s it.’s guiding mission was at all times fruit, going again to Lewensztain’s medical faculty days and his preliminary enterprise inspiration. 

Including protein to the model’s flagship fruit bars simply didn’t align with that objective. “There are plenty of  protein bars,” Lewensztain says. “There wasn’t a necessity for one more one to enter the class.” 

A deal with fiber that doesn’t miss the mark

As an alternative, That’s it. turned its consideration to a bar with a deal with fiber (an ingredient having fun with reputation amid fibermaxxing, a trending time period encouraging individuals to extend their fiber consumption), which naturally happens in fruit. 

“We’ve elevated the quantity of fiber, all from fruits, which is a really massive distinction in comparison with fiber substances which can be extracted after which added again,” Lewensztain explains. “It’s a lot simpler on the physique and comes with rather a lot higher advantages when it comes to well being and wellness.”

One other current addition to the product line-up is Fruitola, a snack mix that includes fiber from fruit and protein from vegetation. “We don’t prefer to copycat,” Lewensztain says. “We prefer to carry newness to the market.” 

To that finish, fruit-forward simplicity in snacks stays the model’s overarching objective. 

“We served 250 million servings of fruit final yr,” Lewensztain notes. “Our goal is over 350 million this yr, and we’re even tacking on a billion grams of fiber as nicely.” 

Staying true to the unique mission and assembly demand

Even with its expanded line right now, That’s it.’s merchandise nonetheless have anyplace from one to 5 substances, which is pretty uncommon throughout CPG manufacturers, Lewensztain provides. 

The founder is proud the enterprise hasn’t strayed from its unique mission and sees much more potential forward, as extra shoppers, particularly amongst youthful generations, search clear merchandise with minimal substances. 

“ They need cleaner, more healthy, higher for you,” Lewensztain says. “We’ve at all times been that. We by no means needed to change; we by no means needed to take away something. That’s sort of that medical background kicking in, however that was actually the thought all alongside for us.” 

Throughout medical faculty in 2005, Dr. Lior Lewensztain stumbled upon a sobering statistic: solely about one third of Individuals hit their beneficial day by day servings of fruit. Lewensztain needed to alter that. So he began to be taught extra concerning the merchandise accessible on grocery store cabinets. 

Lewensztain’s analysis discovered that though plenty of CPG merchandise included purees, concentrates and “fruit leather-based kind” formulations, the market lacked snacks with actual fruit, minimal substances and no added sugar. 

The prospect of changing into an entrepreneur “got here out of left discipline.” However Lewensztain was decided to construct a fruit-first CPG model of his personal. After graduating from medical faculty, he joined an accelerated MBA program.