Female Disruptors: Jordann Amatea of Base Culture On The Three Things You Need To Shake Up Your Industry
“Challenges render strength” — this came to me from my great grandmother, Gagi, who lived to be 99 years old. She and I were always very close. She was an incredibly inspiring woman who showed me that every challenge I face gives me the opportunity to grow and to be a stronger woman for both myself and for my family. She would say, “you can let the challenge run you over, or you can figure out a way to run over the challenge.” Throughout my life, I have faced many challenges, especially on this Base Culture journey. There are days when I don’t know if I am able to overcome the obstacle in front of me. However, when I am staring into a dark abyss and feeling hopeless, I remember these words… challenges render strength.
As a part of our series about women who are shaking things up in their industry, I had the pleasure of interviewing Jordann Amatea,
Amatea is the Founder of Base Culture, a natural food brand that produces delicious gluten-free, grain-free and Paleo baked goods and almond butters. In 2012, a 30-day Paleo challenge turned into a lasting lifestyle for then 22-year-old Amatea as she found herself feeling more energized, healthy, and simply better. After struggling to find convenient, satisfying, and delicious baked goods that met her clean eating paleo lifestyle, it became Jordann’s mission to create deliciously nourishing products that meet the needs of this lifestyle on a national scale, without compromising on taste, quality, and integrity.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit more. Can you tell us a bit about your “backstory”? What led you to this particular career path?
I started Base Culture in 2012 after graduating from college and joining a CrossFit gym. I participated in a 30-day Paleo challenge with the gym and found that by eating meat, vegetables, seeds, nuts and fruit, I felt more energized, healthy, and simply better. However, I missed baked goods and snacks, and struggled to find paleo options that were convenient, satisfying, and delicious. So, I took matters into my own hands and spent about 6 months experimenting with recipes in my apartment to create my own Paleo, gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free baked goods. My brownies became a hit with friends and family, and the business initially grew by word of mouth. I received unexpected national news coverage, and it was at this point that I knew I needed to dedicate more time to building this business. I quit my day job, rented a small space in a commercial kitchen, hired a baker, and started selling to independent stores. From then on, it became my mission to create deliciously nourishing, Paleo Certified, clean ingredient products on a national scale, without compromising on taste, quality, and integrity.
Can you tell our readers what it is about the work you’re doing that’s disruptive?
When I started Base Culture, Paleo Certified baked goods and snacks did not exist in the market. Once I received news coverage and widespread interest in the products I created, I realized that so many people are looking for delicious, better-for-you, clean ingredient foods they can trust. It is for this reason that we built our own manufacturing facility to ensure the highest level of quality throughout the entire production process. Given the growth and success we’ve seen so far, it’s obvious that there’s a lot of room for growth in the space. We’re constantly thinking about ways to grow and evolve with our consumers, while staying true to our brand and its values. We have some exciting new products coming out this summer, and will continue to explore opportunities both within and outside of our current categories.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
On my first day in the small commercial kitchen I was renting space from, I was on a mission to make 300 muffins. Everything that could have gone wrong did. I showed up at 5am to get an early start, only to find that my code to the keypad on the entrance did not work. Once I got in, the AC would not turn on, so it was about 150 degrees inside, with active ovens in the middle of July. Then, once I started baking, I realized that I only brought 12 eggs when I needed about 200 to complete the order. To top it off, I threw my car keys in the trash at some point during the day, so before I could go home, I had to jump into the dumpster to find them. I figured if I could make it through that, I could make it through anything! This was the first of many challenges I faced during the early days of Base Culture.
We all need a little help along the journey. Who have been some of your mentors? Can you share a story about how they made an impact?
My dad has been my greatest mentor. He not only taught me to believe in myself and to follow my dreams no matter how big they may seem, but also how to start, grow and run a business. Even though I did not attend business school or get an MBA, the real life lessons I have learned with him by my side throughout the journey of Base Culture, are incomparable to any type of degree. There is not a chance in the world I would be where I am today without his love, guidance, patience, and understanding.
In today’s parlance, being disruptive is usually a positive adjective. But is disrupting always good? When do we say the converse, that a system or structure has ‘withstood the test of time’? Can you articulate to our readers when disrupting an industry is positive, and when disrupting an industry is ‘not so positive’? Can you share some examples of what you mean?
In my opinion, being disruptive is always a good thing, however it is never the easy thing. History writes itself every day. We learn from the happenings of yesterday to shape our tomorrow. If we, as innovators, are not disrupting the tradition of the past, there is no opportunity for growth in the future. In Base Culture’s move to bringing a product to market that did not exist, we took the “disruptive” leap. We could have fallen flat on our faces if the market was not interested in learning more about grain free, gluten free, paleo baked goods and snacks. Fortunately, we launched our product line during a time when the customer took interest. This leads me to say that educated disruption with tireless persistence and unmatched passion can change the tradition and open an opportunity for something new.
Can you share 3 of the best words of advice you’ve gotten along your journey? Please give a story or example for each.
1 — “never give up” — It was 1997 and I was 7 years old. I was running in the mile race during my elementary school field day. I had practiced for months with my dad, making sure that I was prepared to give it my all. On the day of my race, I was placed in the 3rd grade heat rather than with my peers in the 2nd grade heat. This meant that I would be running against older and faster girls. I remember being so nervous I could faint. The race started at a faster pace than I had practiced. I did everything I could just to keep up. As I approached the final turn, my dad was standing on the corner cheering me on. Tears streamed down my cheeks because I didn’t know how much longer I could hold on. We made eye contact and he said, “don’t give up, you can do this.” A switch flipped in my brain at that moment, and my doubts turned into motivation. I ran as hard as I possibly could, and I won the race. I remember that day like it was yesterday. This simple story of believing in yourself, no matter what challenges you are facing, changed the way I will think forever. No matter how big the mountain may seem, you simply cannot give up. Just put one foot in front of the other and sooner or later you will get to the top.
2 — “If you don’t believe in yourself, who will?” This piece of advice came from my mom. I was a gymnast growing up, and competed at a high level. During the last practice before my Level 8 Sate competition, I was bombing everything. I could not complete any of my routines without messing up or falling down. I left the gym that night with so much doubt in my ability to perform the next day. My mom took me to dinner to try to distract me. When she figured out that small talk was not going to cut it, she wiped a tear from my eye and said, “look, if you don’t believe in yourself, who will?” I realized then that I had the power within me to be courageous and believe in myself. The next day, I ended up winning the entire competition and then went on to win Regionals as well. I carry those words with me every day, and think about them when I get nervous. It is with this mindset that I walk into every room, no matter what is going on that day.
3 — “Challenges render strength” — this came to me from my great grandmother, Gagi, who lived to be 99 years old. She and I were always very close. She was an incredibly inspiring woman who showed me that every challenge I face gives me the opportunity to grow and to be a stronger woman for both myself and for my family. She would say, “you can let the challenge run you over, or you can figure out a way to run over the challenge.” Throughout my life, I have faced many challenges, especially on this Base Culture journey. There are days when I don’t know if I am able to overcome the obstacle in front of me. However, when I am staring into a dark abyss and feeling hopeless, I remember these words… challenges render strength.
We are sure you aren’t done. How are you going to shake things up next?
We’re constantly thinking of what’s next — so that’s definitely a loaded question! But like I mentioned, we just launched our new Chocolate Chip Brookie and also have some new bread innovations coming this summer that we’re really excited about! We certainly want to continue fueling our passion for creating Paleo and Keto Certified products that everyone will enjoy, but also want to make sure we’re thinking ahead of the trends. As we look to the future, we will absolutely be shaking things up with new innovations in existing categories along with potentially expanding into new areas. We want to make sure we’re always staying true to who we are as a brand while transforming and improving where we can.
In your opinion, what are the biggest challenges faced by ‘women disruptors’ that aren’t typically faced by their male counterparts?
In my experience, my challenges as a woman disruptor were the same as those of my male friends also disrupting the CPG industry. I have never let my gender hold me back from accomplishing my dreams. My mindset has always been, I am a founder and a CEO and I am here to do business. Whether it’s that I have turned a blind eye to it or I truly have not experienced gender discrimination, I am eternally grateful to have had all the opportunities I have had in the CPG world. I have felt supported by both men and women every step of the way.
Do you have a book/podcast/talk that’s had a deep impact on your thinking? Can you share a story with us?
I used to listen to Brené Brown’s TED talk about being vulnerable prior to every meeting. The messaging in this lecture struck a chord so deep with me and inspired a confidence in myself that I never knew I had.
You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
I would create a social platform free of filters and of hate, to support young girls and women and encourage them to be their authentic selves. This would be a safe place for females to bond over authenticity, love, and honesty. It would help them feel that every ounce of their being is perfect and no matter what shape, size, color, or gender they are, that they are special and matter. This platform would be designed to liberate girls and women from the daily judgments and comparisons they face, and to provide them with support on their journey to find their purpose and to plant their feet in their own lives. I want to create a safe place for them to explore personal values, goals, and beauty so they can take control of their lives and feel empowered to live how they want.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
My favorite life lesson quote is — “everything happens for a reason.” This quote, if you really truly believe it, can provide much comfort even on the darkest of days. Starting a company is scary, especially when you are doing it for the first time without any prior business or industry experience. You risk a lot, and when you hit bumps in the road, it is easy to want to throw in the towel and walk away. However, I have found that if you take a deep breath and remember that everything happens for a reason, more often than not, you are able to start seeing the way forward again. Maybe it wasn’t what you were expecting, but in the end, you are able to look back and say, “wow, if that unexpected difficult thing did not happen, who knows where we would be today.”
How can our readers follow you online?
They can follow Base Culture on Instagram (@baseculture) and Facebook (@BaseCutureLLC) to learn about everything we have going on as well as my personal Instagram account (@jordannwindschauer)!
Female Disruptors: Jordann Amatea of Base Culture On The Three Things You Need To Shake Up Your… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.