Today we’d like to introduce you to Kurt & Molly Stiles.
Hi Kurt & Molly, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
In 2008, I was at the height of my career! I was developing gluten-free and allergy-free products at a time when people were first discovering they had celiac disease or were allergic to soy or dairy (or any of the other top 9 allergens). I was consulting across the country with large and medium-sized companies. I was helping them quickly design products to meet the needs of their customers in a competitive market. I had developed a gluten-free, low glycemic, and allergy-free line of muffins and cookies. I was in talks with QVC and Shop NBC to sell my products. I had written 26 episodes of a cooking show for a network.
I was writing a cookbook. I sat on three culinary boards and mentored aspiring chefs! What happened next would change my life forever. In the middle of my day, in the middle of a board meeting, I had a massive stroke. The stroke would take away my ability to speak or do things that came naturally to me, like cooking! I had to learn it all over again! The stroke would take away my ability to speak or do things that came naturally to me, like cooking! I had to learn it all over again! The condition, called aphasia, is common in survivors of brain injuries and head trauma. There are an estimated 80,000 new cases each year, and more than 1 million Americans continue to suffer from the disorder, which can limit the ability to read, write, walk, and more.
Stiles’ stroke injured the section of his brain responsible for language function. After he awoke, he was reduced to using a whiteboard to communicate. He spent the 2008/2009 holiday season in the hospital and was released by New Year’s Eve to begin a long journey of physical and mental rehabilitation. In addition to regular therapy, Stiles started working with North Memorial Health Care’s Intensive Aphasia Program (IAP). Headquartered in Maple Grove, it is one of only six programs in the nation and 12 in the world to offer such specialized therapy. “The typical treatment used is speech therapy with speech-language pathologists trained in rehabilitating patients with speech and language communication disorders,” said Dr. Irfan Altafullah, a North Memorial health care system neurologist. (My doctor!) Intensive therapy includes one-on-one treatment for several hours a day for weeks in a row-—60 or 70 hours of treatment. I took six sessions! A leader in the field, North Memorial’s IAP program was founded over 20 years ago. They offer four annual four-week programs for survivors at six months and those suffering for as long as 15 years. Stiles spent over 4 years on speech help, 5 days per week.
Now 60, Stiles has followed the advice of his speech therapist at North Memorial to “speak out loud,” traveling to share his healthy, stroke-friendly recipes with cooks, stroke survivors, and the general community. Fast forward to today. People talk to me and immediately get an impression of who I am. They judged my speech and equated that to not being smart. People shy away from me if they can’t understand me, and they mistake my passion for anger or rudeness. When I graduated with my master’s degree from SLU in 2018, I applied for over 300 jobs and had 66 interviews; 15 were in person. I didn’t get a single job offer. I went from being a sought-after Research Chef to not being able to get a job. Humm, I started a business to live out my passion and teach people!
Let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what challenges have you had to overcome?
As a small business owner, I have struggles similar to those of other small business owners. They are finding the need to find affordable kitchen space and find grants and money to keep my business afloat. I am a Research Chef, not a marketing guru or social media master. I need help finding ways to promote my business and continue to grow. Food is a tough market. People are specific about what they eat and have a definite opinion about how things taste, just like the restaurant industry! Plant-based diets and the food that supports them are still in the early stages of awareness. I need help understanding the need for incorporating plant-based foods into their diet. During his cookbook research, he asked, “How do people get sick?” Chef Stiles found the extending shelf-life of crops & chemicals/pesticides- smoking, radiation, use of transportation & use of artificial flavoring agents. Chef Stiles found due to the Western diet that many Americans follow (starch-based, high in sodium/refined sugars), there was an increase in the number of diagnosed diseases, cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease & stroke. Rising awareness regarding health and wellness triggers consumer interest in Plant-based foods, snacks, etc. The incidence of obesity, cardiovascular ailments, and other chronic disorders is increasing, and so is consumers’ exposure to information. Modernization and urbanization have rendered conscientious consumers more informed than ever before. They are prompt in realizing the benefits of a plant-based diet, fueling the demand for plant-based snacks. Healthy snacking has become very popular. But nobody cares until they have a stroke, diabetes, or cancer! So, my ideas next year are to build a community on social platforms, tell my/Kurt Stiles’ story, partner with vegetarian/plant bloggers & influencer groups (Cancer, Stroke, diabetes, etc.) as well as I need help, e.g., social media expert, blog, etc.
We’ve been impressed with Chef Pure Foods, LLC / Pure Plant Snacks, but for folks who might need to be more familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Chef Pure Foods (CPF) uses natural, raw fruits and vegetables, many of which cannot be sold because they are bruised or misshaped, to create healthy snacks. We marinate, then dehydrate (to save the fruit or vegetable skin’s nutritional value) our products. Our method is a scientifically based Culinology method for making plant-based snacks that mirror animal proteins. (The blending of food science & culinary arts characterizes culinology) CPF will make its products utilizing local ingredients, higher nutritional value, and taste factor, reduce food waste, eliminate the middleman & require less transportation. The mission of Chef Pure Foods is to produce high quality, great classic tasting, and healthy, non-chemical vegan snacks called Pure Plant Snacks.com– “Pure Foods. Pure Ingredients. Pure Intentions.” We focus on the traditional vegetarian consumer, flexitarians, and those who desire a plant-based lifestyle. CPF products qualify as Food-Tech- Products or services that make the food industry more efficient while providing sustainable solutions for our ever-growing population. It includes innovation across the whole food value chain, from farm to plate to bin and everything in between – production, transportation and storage, processing, marketing, distribution, consumption, and ultimately disposal.
What matters most to you? Why?
What matters most to me is educating my customers. My customer base includes survivors (of stroke, heart disease, cancer, and other life-altering diseases). My customers also have people who want to feel good and eat products that are good for them. 90% of the people I meet at the local farmer’s markets and festivals have yet to learn about plant-based products. They are used to eating meat at every meal and a diet filled with carbohydrates and sugar. Everyone has a story. There is a reason people are who they are and life experiences that brought them to this point in life. I enjoy hearing the story. I enjoy laughing with them, crying with them, and empathizing with them. I then teach them to do better. People who desire a healthier lifestyle or follow a “Plant-based Diet” include sections of flexitarians (lots of plants, but doesn’t preclude meat) and vegetarians. Lifestyles began with Millennials & Generation X and Z or suffered a chronic disease and wish to follow a healthier lifestyle; for example, some vegetarians are:
- Ovo-vegetarian: Avoid all red meat, seafood, poultry, and dairy, but eat eggs.
- Lacto-ovo vegetarian: Avoid all red meat, seafood, and poultry, but eat eggs and dairy products.
- Lacto-vegetarian: Avoid all red meat, seafood, eggs, and poultry, but consume dairy.
- Pescatarian: Avoid red meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy, but eat fish.
By the way, the plant-based food products market is projected to reach $74 billion by 2027.
Pricing:
- 1.5 oz bags are $6.00
- 2.5 oz bags are $10.00
Contact Info:
- Website: pureplantjerky.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pureplantjerky/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pureplantjerky/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kurtstiles/
