On today’s episode, we’re talking with Angela Mavridis, owner and creator of TRIBALI Foods! We’re talking about the her brilliant frozen burger patties, why making these available to the public was a passion, and how she carefully sources her protein.

Fed and Fit podcast graphic, episode 134 the tribal food story with Angela Mavridis with Cassy Joy

We’re back with our 134th episode of the Fed+Fit Podcast! Remember to check back every Monday for a new episode and be sure to subscribe on iTunes!

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Episode 134 Sponsors

  • Real Life, Baby! – For a limited time, get 10%-off with the discount code “Cricket10”
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Episode 134 Links

  • Order Tribali Burgers online HERE

Episode 134 Transcription

Todayโ€™s show is brought to you by Real Life Baby! Real Life Baby is a fabulous online resource where you will find a variety of tips on baby and toddler well-being in addition to the most thoughtfully sourced baby gear ecoshop. Real Life Baby is a great resource for parents looking to surround their little ones with the safest, most nurturing materials available. Iโ€™m personally a big fan of the humanely sourced wool products. You can explore the Real Life Baby shop by heading to their website at www. reallifebabyecoshop.com.

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Cassy Joy: Welcome back to another episode of the Fed and Fit podcast. I am your host, Cassy Joy Garcia. Thank you all for joining us today. Iโ€™m really excited to bring you todayโ€™s interview. We are talking with Angela Mavridis of Tribali foods. She is just such a bright, bubbly, inspiring person who has created a tremendous product. And when I first heard about this product, I was so excited. I could not wait to try it. My friend Diane Sanfilippo originally told me about it. She leads this movement, Tribali foods, their first food products that theyโ€™ve come out with are these frozen burger patties. Iโ€™m going to tell you all about them. Why she created them, what thoughtful sourcing has gone into the ingredients, how easy they are to make from home. All these wonderful things.

But as a nutrition consultant, as a person who has lived this cleaner, trying to fuel my body with the best kinds of foods lifestyle for so long, there has been such a need for really clean, really easy to use, accessible proteins made responsibly. And Iโ€™m so thrilled to introduce you today to a lady who is accomplishing that, and sheโ€™s doing it so well. Welcome to the show, Angela!

Angela Mavridis: Hi, thank you for having me.

Cassy Joy: Thank you for coming on! I gave a very brief introduction. You know yourself better {laughs} so would you mind telling us a little bit more about yourself. And then weโ€™ll jump into maybe some of the story of what initially inspired you to create Tribali.

Angela Mavridis: Yeah, sure. So, my journey into health and nutrition was one that I call from paleo to confusion and then back again. And thatโ€™s because; I was born in Greece and lived there until I was about 6. And then subsequently spent every single summer until I was well into my teens with grandma just eating wholesome real food off the land and the sea. We lived at this beach house right by the water. Right by a fishing village. And every summer; I would spend literally three summers out of the year. Every summer I just felt like the food I was eating just made my body thrive in such a nice way. It could have been also the great vitamin D from the sun exposure. Or the 6 hours of swimming in the ocean. But I have to believe it had to do with food, too.

And ironically, back in the States here, dad owned and operated a hamburger fast food restaurant. So even though we cooked healthfully at home, and mom was a wonderful Mediterranean cook, we did have hamburgers, fries, and a shake more often than not. And at the age of 15, I had this sort of quest for the healthiest way to eat. So I decided to become a vegetarian. And if you know anything about a Greek household, not eating meat is almost like a taboo. I mean, they thought Iโ€™d joined a cult. It was horrible. {laughs} They couldnโ€™t understand why I would not want lamb, or Greek pork, or all these wonderful foods that I thrived on when I would go and visit Greece.

But, something about just here back in the States, at such a young age, I thought, โ€œThis isnโ€™t the way I want to eat. I really want to clean up my plate.โ€ So for the next 30 years, I dove into fitness. I ran a couple of marathons. I was a cyclist. I was a weightlifter. I did CrossFit. And the whole time I was fueling my body with not just protein powders, protein supplements, protein bars, protein shakes. Anything to make sure I was getting adequate protein. And back then, I was of the philosophy and the thought of, โ€œOh gosh, after I lift Iโ€™ve got to supplement with protein or my muscles are going to atrophy.โ€ {laughs} So I was always making sure to get the amount of protein needed for whatever fitness goal I had or whatever athletic endeavor I was doing.

And, I would always go to the market and buy those wonderful veggie patties. Which Iโ€™m sure youโ€™ve seen. They come in so many different combinations, and theyโ€™re made from so many different types of lentils, or grains, or quinoa, or black beans, or mushrooms. And they have so many flavors. They were unlimited; from southwest, to habanero, to barbecue. All these great patties. And those were my nice source of just a quick way to cook up some protein when I wanted to assemble a salad or made a quick meal. Iโ€™m single; I was in college; I was just always fast, fast, fast paced. So those were my quick go-to.

Cassy, that worked for a while. I mean, for a long time. Until it just didnโ€™t anymore. And I was very in tune to my body. Understanding what my body needed and what I felt I thrived on. I always think if I knew then what I know now, as a nutritionist, I would have been so much better off. But I think, as all people back in the 80s and 90s, I got subjected to the low-fat craze. And really didnโ€™t care about what was in the ingredients. If these patties were made with soy isolate, or maltodextrin, or vegetable seed oils, it didnโ€™t even matter to me. I didnโ€™t even know to look at the ingredient list, quite frankly.

So now, I tell clients even to look at the back of a label and study the ingredient list. Make sure you’re able to identify what goes into your food. Look at the carb content. Look at the sugar. Back then, we were all about low-sugar, and how many calories were on a pack. Thatโ€™s about it.

So, you know, the education process took a while. But I feel like Iโ€™ve come full circle to realize what is important in not just the food you eat, but also on how it makes you feel. So about 4 years ago, I studied nutrition and became a holistic nutritionist. And I dove deep into the science of how humanely raised, highly sourced, nutrient dense animal proteins can have a profound impact on the way you feel and the way you perform.

So I tried my first grass fed and finished beef about two years ago. And I have to tell you, my family was just in awe. They probably thought; oh my gosh, you probably donโ€™t even have the digestive enzymes to consume this and digest it. {laughs} So they were all sort of standing by to see what was going to happen. But I loved it. And I felt like, not only did I love it, but it made me feel good. In a different way. So I thought; ok, I really have to give this a try. I havenโ€™t looked back since. I almost feel like all the meat Iโ€™m eating now, Iโ€™m making up for 30 years of abstaining from meat.

But I feel like if you source it from high quality, and you know itโ€™s source, and you can trust the source, and know that itโ€™s humanely raised and sustainable, having clean animal proteins as a part of your diet can really do wonders. So Iโ€™ve sort of come full circle back to a more ancestral, paleo if you will, way of eating. Where my plate really does consist of real ingredients, wholesome ingredients from trustworthy sources.

Cassy Joy: Thatโ€™s wonderful.

Angela Mavridis: Yeah, I came full circle.

Cassy Joy: Yeah, back to your roots! I love it. {laughs} And Iโ€™m springing this question on you, but where did the name Tribali come from?

Angela Mavridis: Sure. Itโ€™s funny. I went to the PaleoFx conference about two years ago; and Iโ€™ve been to every single one since. And everybody was talking about a tribe. And I thought, this is the way I eat. And when I went to the paleo conference, I was like; oh my gosh. There are so many more people that eat this way. Iโ€™m not alone! Thereโ€™s more people out there. And they called the tribe, and come join the tribe. And I love that, you know? I feel that every time you change anything in your life, you need a teaching. You need a teacher. And you need a tribe. You need a community of people that are like minded, that think the way you do, that support you.

So thatโ€™s kind of the way the name came about. And I just like the little worldly accent, just to incorporate the global inspiration of worldly flavors that weโ€™re about. So itโ€™s Tribali.

Cassy Joy: Thatโ€™s wonderful! I love it! Iโ€™m glad I asked. {laughs} Well thatโ€™s wonderful. And you touched on this a little bit, but I would love to talk about how Tribali burger patties are different from other, letโ€™s say frozen. And letโ€™s walk people through what the concept of the product is to begin with. In case this is someoneโ€™s first introduction. Do you mind telling them exactly what these patties are, what they would find if they went to the store and picked them up?

Angela Mavridis: Right. So like I said, when I was a vegetarian I would go to the freezer section for that quick, convenient, effortless cooked source of protein. And there were so many options. So when I jumped over to the other side, and now Iโ€™m eating meat, Iโ€™d go to the freezer section, again, just to stock my freezer. I love to cook. Iโ€™ve got three little kids, and I pull out that Instant Pot, and the slow cooker, and meal prep, and thereโ€™s all sorts of recipes from my ancestral grandparents. Family tradition. So I loved to cook. But there are those times that I have to assemble. And I have to assemble fast, because weโ€™ve come home from a soccer game, and all three are looking at me; whatโ€™s for dinner. And I didnโ€™t get it together today.

So on those days, I love having something in the freezer. So I went to the freezer section of all these markets, now that Iโ€™m am eat eater; there were no options. And being that I grew up in the burger business, I sort of like that patty. That patty thing of knowing that itโ€™s 4 ounces. You can use it in so many different ways; not just a burger in between a bun with lettuce, tomato, pickle, and onions, which we sort of grew up knowing. But I use it in sort of the bunless burger way, and youโ€™ll see that on my package. Iโ€™ve paired them with cauliflower rice, zucchini noodles, or chop them up and throw them in a salad. I mean, there are so many applications that we use here at Tribali.

But there were no options. So what I was looking at was either the plain burger patties, that have salt, pepper, and rosemary extract. And sometimes those can either look or taste like a hockey puck. Sometimes thereโ€™s just not much there. Or the ones that do have some sort of flavor profile, but then when you turn the ingredient list around, you see all sorts of inflammatory things that I just wouldnโ€™t want to ingest or feed my family.

So thatโ€™s pretty much how the inspiration came about of how to flavor some ground meat in a way thatโ€™s flavorful, passes the kid test. All three of them like the flavors. And is that easy and convenient way just to meal prep.

So we have three. Weโ€™ve come out with Mediterranean beef, which has notes of the Mediterranean with lemon peel, a little olive oil, rosemary, mint, garlic, fire roasted onions, tomato paste. So all things that I grew up knowing in our diet. We have the umami, because, well, because I love mushrooms and Iโ€™m hoping more people do too. {laughs}

Cassy Joy: Theyโ€™re great.

Angela Mavridis: They have that fifth dimension; that umami flavor. So that one has a little Red Boat fish sauce, nori seaweed, some garlic and onion as well. And the shiitake mushrooms. And then we have the chipotle chicken, thatโ€™s got a little bit of chipotle spice, some poblano salsa, roasted red bell pepper puree.

And the interesting thing about these and how they differ a little bit from what else is out there is that it was important to me that once I grind the meats, and put the inclusions in, that you’re able to see them. I wanted sort of that real, homemade feeling. Because Iโ€™m sure you have too, and everybody else out there, has gone and bought ground meat at the market, brought it home, and chopped their various vegetables, herbs, spices, or purees to make little patties at home. And when you make them, you can see everything in there. You can see the inclusions. So I wanted that very homemade-like feel to it. So, thatโ€™s pretty much how we came about with those three flavors and what theyโ€™re about.

Cassy Joy: I love it. Thatโ€™s great. And in the package, in a box of burgers. I know that it comes with four patties, and theyโ€™re individually vacuum packed, and they are raw. So you would cook them, just to clarify, in case folks are thinking they could take these to work and pop them in the microwave.

Angela Mavridis: No, no. You cook them from frozen. And thatโ€™s sort of another reason I did them that way, because they are meeting my need. And like I said, Iโ€™ve got to believe more people out there have the same needs that I do of something thatโ€™s in your freezer that you donโ€™t have to think about to defrost. How many times have you come home and thoughts; oh, shoot, I should have pulled that out this morning to cook it later tonight. These you just grab. You open. And you throw on a host cast iron skillet, or a grill pan, or broiler pan. Whatever cooking method; I have all three on the back of the box. But I prefer a cast iron skillet on the fire, 5 minutes per side or 6 minutes per side.

And because they are grass-fed and finished, thereโ€™s a little bit of trial and error or just sensitivity to the way you cook grass-fed beef. It has a different nutrition profile than regular, feedlot, conventional beef. So itโ€™s good not to overheat and overcook it, and have the flame too, too hot. It also releases a lot more moisture. You just have to know a little bit of how to cook grass-fed beef. Itโ€™s just a little bit different. But the taste is just phenomenal. And like I said, the nutrition profile is so much better and higher quality.

Cassy Joy: Yeah, definitely. And when it comes to cooking it; Iโ€™m a huge fan. I have them in my freezer, and weโ€™ve enjoyed several meals from them. Weโ€™ve been eating this way for a while; I really donโ€™t feel like thereโ€™s much of an adjustment. I donโ€™t want folks to get scared off, or to be scared away from using them. Theyโ€™re just fabulous patties. So easy to make. And weโ€™re going to chat a little bit about our favorite ways to prepare them in a second.

But they really do; they come together really easily. You donโ€™t have to defrost them. And I love that concept. Because a question I get a lot from a lot of readers and a lot of listeners is; people want to cook from their freezer. Right? They want to make sure that theyโ€™re stocked up so that they have something on hand. Letโ€™s say they go on vacation; they come home, they havenโ€™t been to the grocery store. Like you say, come back from soccer practice and everyoneโ€™s hungry and we donโ€™t have something ready to go, you can just reach into the freezer and grab something.

But a huge question mark for a lot of people is how do I cook something from the freezer? Donโ€™t I need to have defrosted this in advance, or planned ahead? And the beauty of these burgers is they really can go from the freezer to the skillet. And itโ€™s just so; itโ€™s life changing. Itโ€™s really, really fabulous, and I love that.

Youโ€™ve mentioned now several times about grass-fed and sourcing; how important that was for you. Can you talk a little bit about where you do source your proteins from; the beef and the chicken?

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Angela Mavridis: Sure. The beef is sourced; weโ€™re all local here in California. So itโ€™s sourced in Humble Valley, which is in Northern California. And these are ranchers that do follow the standards that were important to us. So there is a distinction, Cassy, and most of the listeners probably know it. But for those who donโ€™t, there is a distinction between being just grass-fed on a label, or being 100% grass-fed and finished. And there arenโ€™t standards out there yet to exactly how you can put that label on your box.

So all cows realistically started their life on grass. Itโ€™s how they ended their life that matters. So when you see on a label โ€œgrass-fedโ€ it doesnโ€™t mean anything, quite frankly. Because like I said, they all start on grass. So you can put that on a label. The distinction is if it says grass-fed and grass finished. Which means they were born on grass, they lived on grass, and they ended their life on grass.

So I physically went and visited these farms up in Humble Valley. I wanted to make sure that their standards and what they were claiming and how they humanely raise their animals were indeed the exact way that I wanted to source a product. There is no confinement, ever, for these cows. And I was so proud of that. Seeing them out on the pastures; we even took pictures. It was so beautiful to be out there with these animals. And you want to respect the animal. And thatโ€™s why I kind of put it on my package, as well. Because now that I am a meat eater, I still want to respect their lives, and the way that they were raised, and the way they ended their lives, as humanely as possible. So thatโ€™s the beef.

The chicken is also sourced here in California, and meets the same criteria. Also; if Iโ€™m looking at my line extension, weโ€™re looking at pork, which would be pastured pork. In the seafood category, weโ€™re looking at some seafood patties. I have southwest salmon in the work. I have some lamb; Moroccan lamb patty thatโ€™s coming down the pipeline.

Cassy Joy: Wohoo!

Angela Mavridis: The seafood will be wild caught. The lamb will be pastured. I just want the highest quality of animal protein that I can source.

Cassy Joy: I love it. Thatโ€™s wonderful! It really gives me peace of mind. Itโ€™s not only easy and comes from the freezer, but I really do trust. I know how much you have worked at vetting those vendors. And itโ€™s important. A lot of listeners here are nodding along with us. Because they understand the importance of sourcing really high quality food. Especially when it comes to protein. Itโ€™s something Iโ€™ve talked about multiple times on this show.

But if weโ€™re looking at where weโ€™re going to budget our dollars on our grocery bill, right? Be it either the produce aisle or proteins or fats. I would prefer somebody prioritize higher quality protein than necessarily produce. Because nutritionally, you can get so much more bang for your buck, so to speak, if you are sourcing really high quality grass-fed pastured animals, wild caught, sustainable. It can have a much bigger impact, not only on our own personal health story, but of course the environment at large. So I think thatโ€™s wonderful. You’re making it really easy for people.

Ok, so, youโ€™ve mentioned a couple of ways. What are your favorite ways to prepare these burgers?

Angela Mavridis: Ok, like I said, on the package I have given a few options that show the bunless burger, for those who do like a more ancestral or paleo way of eating. I also want to mention that they are Whole30 approved. And thatโ€™s because, like I mentioned, the back ingredient list are free of irritants so we qualified for the Whole30 program. Weโ€™re also non-GMO project verified. And theyโ€™re naturally gluten, soy, and dairy free.

So Iโ€™ve paired them; and on our website, too, under recipes, youโ€™ll see. Iโ€™ve come up with various different recipes of how one would use this 4-ounce piece of protein. So you can center it on your plate; and, Cassy, when I was doing a little bit more consulting and nutritional advice for clients, I would really just try to simplify things. Because what I was hearing out from so many people is, yes I want to eat cleaner. I understand the health benefits of high quality. I just donโ€™t have time, or I donโ€™t know how to cook.

So those two problems, I thought; ok, I have to simplify things for people. To make it so that they can eat healthfully and mindfully and deliciously. So I had a very simple formula. I said; letโ€™s just take that plate, and do a P, plus P, plus HF. Which stands for protein, plus produce, plus healthy fats. I mean, if you can center your plate around those three things, and come up with a varied amount of combinations, you’re bound to stick to healthy eating.

So thatโ€™s pretty much what youโ€™ll see on my recipes, too. The protein, the produce, any sorts of vegetables. People donโ€™t have that much difficulty; or barriers to entry to preparing vegetables. You can chop a salad, or you can sautรฉ some veggies, or you can roast them. Itโ€™s the protein that sometimes gives them a little challenge or barrier. So the easier you can make that of just cooking a quick source of protein and drizzling on a little healthy fat, or adding a little avocado or some olives or some way just to make that a complete and balanced meal is just paramount for people that do struggle sometimes with, how do I prepare a quick and easy meal.

So, thatโ€™s, like I said, you can also put them in between two mushroom caps and do a burger. Or there are so many wonderful paleo friendly buns and breads out there. So you can definitely do it the classic, all American way and have a burger. Or like I said, do it as your nice source of protein to accompany any produce and healthy fats.

Cassy Joy: I love it. Thatโ€™s wonderful. Iโ€™ve shared a recipe recently featuring your chipotle chicken burgers on my website. We did a chipotle chicken burger bowl, and made that with some purple sweet potato fries. But I think thatโ€™s one of my favorite ways to enjoy them, is on a bed of lettuce and really just kind of a deconstructed lettuce-wrapped burger, so to speak. And then weโ€™ve also, one of our other favorite ways, just like you said. When youโ€™ve got to get dinner on the table; Iโ€™ll pop some brussels sprouts or something in the oven to crisp up and cook those patties on the stove; and boom! Dinnerโ€™s done. {laughs}

Angela Mavridis: Iโ€™ll tell you, one of my daughterโ€™s favorite way is doing little chicken tacos. Weโ€™ll take the Siete tortillas, weโ€™ll grill the patty, weโ€™ll chop it up in long strips, and sheโ€™ll prepare a nice little taco tortilla.

Cassy Joy: Sounds awesome! Thatโ€™s sounds yummy, with maybe some lime and avocado. Iโ€™m in! That sounds like lunch!

Angela Mavridis: I love it.

Cassy Joy: Thatโ€™s wonderful. Well, deviating a little bit, I really admire. Angela, you and I talked a bunch off line how much I admire what you’re up to with your business. But I really do admire you as a business woman. I think you’re serving a wonderful need, and you’re serving it really well. I would love to know; there are a lot of folks listening who do own their own businesses. Or, theyโ€™ve always had that idea. You know. Theyโ€™ve always had something in the back of their mind that they thought would be neat. Thereโ€™s a need in the market and they know how to fill it.

What kind of advice would you give to somebody like that who is maybe an aspiring entrepreneur or somebody who already has a product or a concept or a service that they want to bring into the food business. What words of wisdom would you want to pass on to somebody; maybe who was in your shoes about two years ago.

Angela Mavridis: Right. Sorry about that.

Cassy Joy: Thatโ€™s ok. No worries.

Angela Mavridis: That is an excellent question, and I have to tell you, Cassy, if it was easy everybody would be doing it. Iโ€™m not going to paint the prettiest picture. This is all new to me, and itโ€™s a journey of learning and pivoting. But Iโ€™ll tell you; what Iโ€™ve seen those brands and those people and manufacturers and entrepreneurs that have succeeded are the ones that can go through the barriers and make it to the other side.

So I think the three things that anyone has to have whenever they go into an endeavor like this is persistence, perseverance, and passion. The persistence is just; keep making those phone calls to get your product in front of the right people. Iโ€™ve had other people ask me; how did you get into Whole Foods? Literally, I walked up to the counter where I would buy the ground meat from when I would start eating and I would say; guys, I have something that Iโ€™ve produced. They knew me from my dadโ€™s restaurant, too. Theyโ€™re like; oh, theyโ€™re the hamburger people. Theyโ€™ve been doing hamburgers for 40 years. So there was some context there and some background. But you know, if you have it, and you believe in it, donโ€™t be afraid to just take it to the person and say; who do I present this to? I have something that I think might be good. I want to bring it to the world.

And just persevere. There are so many times that I just donโ€™t take no for an answer. No is maybe not right now. {laughs} Thatโ€™s what I hear. So Iโ€™m like; ok, great Iโ€™ll circle back with you in about a month or two. So just keep at it. The other thing is that, you know, with anything you do, you have to have passion and conviction. Sometimes people donโ€™t always buy the product, they buy the why. They see you and they resonate with why you’re doing this. Why you’re putting that out there. Why did you come up with it? Why does the world need another burger patty?

And if you have that passion and you can convey that to people in an authentic and real way, then that really resonates way and people do see that. And I feel like people buy from people they like. And like I said, sometimes itโ€™s not even about the product. Itโ€™s about the mission, or the passion, or the goal, or the values the company stands for. I mean; you do have to have a tasty product at the end of the day. Because you wonโ€™t get repeat customers. But it is about having that passion of believing in what you’re doing.

And Iโ€™ve said this before, too. It is a product Iโ€™m putting out on the shelves, but itโ€™s more about a mission of showing people that I think itโ€™s time we return back to eating real, wholesome food from well raised, humanely raised, sustainable animals and well-tended plants. We donโ€™t have to rely on factory derived or highly inflammatory processed foods anymore. And I want to educate people that thereโ€™s a connection between diet and disease. I mean, it does start with food. So if we can make a connection to ancestral eating and get back to real foods, it really does make a difference in the way you feel, the way you perform, the way inflammation reactions in your body. Anything from joint pain to trouble.

And thatโ€™s why I have a lot of my clients, too, start with the Whole30. Letโ€™s try and eliminate a few things to see how you feel. And I think everyone needs to start on that journey of seeing how food affects them. Once you conquer that and realize what foods work well within your body, I got away from the topic, didnโ€™t I Cassy? {laughs}

Cassy Joy: Thatโ€™s ok! Itโ€™s a good tangent.

Angela Mavridis: I love it. But what you do, you make that connection. Then you have a story to tell. And I personally made that connection for myself. And thatโ€™s why this product has come out, because Iโ€™ve made that connection of how something can really have a profound impact. And how eliminating certain things can really clean up the way you feel.

Cassy Joy: I love it. And just to circle back on what you said initially with your advice for the entrepreneurs; I think to sum it up, people do business with people. And I think itโ€™s important to always remember that. Itโ€™s important to remember that you are communicating and serving and working with other human beings. They are real people. And we do business with each other. We donโ€™t do business with these anonymous groups, necessarily. We want to do business; we want to be drawn in, like you said, to your point, by a story. Be connected with somebody. Be connected with a mission.

And then, at the end of the day, itโ€™s a bonus, of course, that it aligns with our health goals and aligns with our personal pursuits to live a healthy, happy life, right?

Angela Mavridis: Absolutely.

Cassy Joy: It aligns with how we want to serve our families and put good food on the table that maybe reduces some of the stress load of what it requires to put a healthy meal on the table. So I think itโ€™s a wonderful thing to get across. Thereโ€™s no easy path to success, and at the end of the day showing up at the meat counter at Whole Foods. Thatโ€™s such a classic example of people doing business with people. Now, of course, Iโ€™m sure there were 1000 steps after that. But that spirit and that drive that takes you to just go look someone in the eyes is what really matters.

Ok, to round off todayโ€™s conversation, I would love it if you could just tell everybody really quickly where can they find these amazing burger patties? Because theyโ€™ve been Googling, or theyโ€™re driving and they canโ€™t figure it out yet, and they just want you to tell them.

Angela Mavridis: I love it, sure. So, we are right now distributed to Whole Foods Sopac region. For those who donโ€™t know, those are four states; Southern California, Arizona, Nevada, and Hawaii. Weโ€™re also here in California at Lassens and Erewhon. And a couple of other independent grocers up and down the California coast. But for those of you who arenโ€™t in these four states, we have built out our direct to consumer website; ecommerce on our website.

So you can go to our website at www. tribalifoods.com and thatโ€™s with an S. Purchase on our website. I will say that shipping anything dry ice across the US is costly. So it benefits the user to purchase in bulk. Itโ€™s hard to just send one pack of patties. So you’re going to have to have a freezer, and have a little empty space there to fill it in with.

Cassy Joy: Itโ€™s worth it!

Angela Mavridis: Itโ€™s worth it to have them on hand for those days, like we said. And then thereโ€™s also a couple of online grocers. The simple grocer and healthygoodness.com. Which both have our patties in their cooler offering. So you would buy a cooler and fill it up with 10 items. You could pick Tribali patties. And other things to fill that cooler.

Weโ€™re also building out our Amazon storefront, and that should be launching here in just a couple of weeks. I saw it yesterday and itโ€™s looking quite good. So thereโ€™s that. We are looking to expand. So weโ€™re just starting to roll out. And like anything; and this goes back to the business advice. You really need to crawl before you walk and walk before you run. So weโ€™re just being a little more methodical in a progressive roll out and trying to penetrate the California market, and the natural grocerโ€™s here. And as much as Iโ€™m courted by national retailers to roll out my product nationwide and get it everywhere, I just want to make sure that we do that in a more systematic and methodical way.

Cassy Joy: I love it. Thatโ€™s wonderful. Well thank you so much for coming onto todayโ€™s show. As always, you guys will be able to find all the links, for example, to Tribali Foods. So Iโ€™ll link up to that. As well as the direct link to the shop where you can go ahead and order yourself some frozen burgers straight to your door and put them in that freezer. Go ahead and cut out some space. Iโ€™m sure you could find some old stuff in there thatโ€™s past due.

But thank you so much, Angela, for coming onto todayโ€™s show today. It was a wonderful call and I really enjoyed our conversation.

Angela Mavridis: Thank you for having me. I so enjoyed it. Have a wonderful day.

Cassy Joy: Thank you so much, Angela. Thanks everybody for tuning in. As always, weโ€™ll be back again next week.



About the Author

Cassy Joy Garcia, NC

Cassy Joy Garcia, a New York Times best-selling author, of Cook Once Dinner Fix, Cook Once Eat All Week, and Fed and Fit as well as the creative force behind the popular food blog Fed & Fit.


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