Against All Odds: Meet Factor 75

Often, what we set out to do in our life journey is not always what we end up doing. This is quite typical of many entrepreneurs and definitely a key aspect in the story of the CEO and Founder of Factor 75, Nick Wernimont. This retired MMA fighter and Marketing Executive began with the idea of getting healthy for himself, but eventually found a way to help everyone around him embark on their personal journey of becoming healthy as well.

Fresh out of college, Nick packed up his Ford Probe and made the trip out west. He headed to LA with the hopes of escaping the Midwest. His time out there consisted of the surf, exploring his options and eventually a gig with UPS as a financial broker. After a few years out west, his heart missed home and family and didn’t feel connected with the LA scene. He ultimately made his way back Midwest and landed in Chicago.

After dabbling in the mortgage industry Nick landed what he considered his dream job in sales of in medical devices. After nine and a half years, he moved up the ladder from sales roles to Director of Marketing and during this time was beginning to develop the plan for Factor 75.

Health and fitness has always been an important aspect of his life. Yet, it became even more important as he began his MMA and boxing career. Training four hours a day and competing all the while running a successful sales team truly pushed him to his limits. A few years into his training he began to experience his body breaking down. He wasn’t able to train the way he wanted or do the things he wanted and eventually he learned this was all due to the fact that he was not feeding himself properly. At the time, a personal trainer connected him with a chef who was available to make his meals for him and those meals were life changing. His health, stamina and energy improved dramatically and this brought about a revelation. After some intense research into how nutrition can affect the body, training and mind, he realized that this was something he could passionately pursue. The goals was to bring this idea of the personal chef to the masses, but specifically help people ensure that they are getting the required nutrition to help them perform at their prime. This situation was the cornerstone behind the development of what is now Factor 75.

Factor 75 is a brand dedicated to helping its clients live life to the fullest and using nutrition as a tool to enhance their quality of life. When you eat better, you perform better and when you perform better, you can enjoy life that much more. Factor 75 is a brand that is there to help the busy professional, weekend warriors and people who don’t necessarily understand all the aspects behind eating healthy.

The brand is there to fill the gap for those people who may not have the time, but want to eat healthy. The meals range in price from 10.95-12.95 pending the size and caloric intake the customer is looking for. The menu caters to all types of diets including specialized diets such as: gluten free, vegetarian, paleo and dairy free. There typically is at least 15 options up at a time to select from with new options being rotated in frequently. All meals utilize all natural or organic produce and the meats are antibiotic and hormone free. The team prides themselves on offering quality food that is more nutrient dense than it is calorie dense, which in turns fills their clients up and fills them up for longer.

As Nick and his team each work towards continuous growth, they have experienced their fair share of ups and downs. Nick in particular, truly showcases that taking on the role of entrepreneur is no easy task and it comes with difficulties. Yet, it is his passion and drive that continues to motivate him. He and his team have put in a lot of work over the last four years and are a testament that if you are motivated you can move mountains.

Nick made a great point when highlighting success in business, “typically people hear about these overnight successes, but what they don’t always hear about is the 5 years the people behind the brand put into their craft prior to their success.” It is no easy feat starting a business and people must embrace the grind in order to keep going. He explains that, “starting a business takes a lot more guts, fortitude and work than training and stepping into a cage with another guy to fight.” His journey has been the hardest, but most fulfilling endeavor he has undertaken.

Factor 75 is currently in a phase of growth. At the time of writing this article, the brand recently signed up with a new logistics partner and moved to a state of the art kitchen which will allow them to expand to a seven state radius before the end of 2014 and nationwide within the next year and a half. The team is working hard to establish all systems necessary to expand and reach their economies of scale in a successful manner. Nick continues to push for success despite any road blocks that may occur.

Life has a strange way of directing people onto a path and giving them clarity in terms of what is most important. In March of 2012, Nick lost his younger brother Aaron. Aaron was an incredibly influential part of Nick’s life and this loss had a tremendous affect on Nick. Aaron’s kind nature and positive personality truly made an impact on the people around him. It was also Aaron’s drive and ambition as a 2-time NCAAA Division III national champion wrestler truly embodied the ethos behind Factor 75 and how performance can truly define an individual. The loss Nick faced truly put things into perspective. Rather than building a business just to profit, Nick found a mission in the passing of his brother.

Just as Aaron impacted others, Nick has made it a point to ensure his business does the same. Not just in offering a services that can improve peoples lives through their product, but also through the fund they established in Aaron’s name. The Aaron Wernimont Inspiration Fund awards a scholarship to a student each year graduating from Pocahontas Area Community High School. A portion of the profits from Factor 75 are donated to the scholarship fund to help young people succeed.

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