This is part of my Series on Entrepreneurial Culture.
I recently had the pleasure of getting
to know a remarkable entrepreneur by the name of Jules Lambert, President of
PROBAR. Jules was telling the story of his entrepreneurial journey,
which, as is the case with most “natural born-entrepreneurs”, was essentially
one and the same with his personal journey.
His entrepreneurial odyssey is as
varied as they come. It took him from his native Northwest Washington all the
way to the Ukraine, Russia and back- only to begin again with a journey that
essentially saw him circumnavigate the entire expanse of the United States.
In fields as varied as personal health and wellness to family-owned
kitchen and bath design/build firms to the food industry, his distinctive brand
of ingenuity, willingness to adapt to any circumstance and unwavering integrity
has carried him through the ups and downs. As I do not have sufficient space
here to relate his entire tale, I will begin at what was perhaps the most
critical juncture:
In 2004, Jules, his wife and two
daughters found themselves in a very tight spot. After almost six years in the
family business in their hometown of Bellingham, WA, they sold the house and
everything they owned and moved to Salt Lake and settled into to the basement
of his in-laws. Sara was 7 months pregnant and Jules was looking for his
next move- but money was extremely tight. Circumstances were in fact critical.
As always, he remained positive, kept his chin up and was out in the field
talking to people. Through one chance conversation he was introduced to the
founder of PROBAR, a Utah-based maker of great-tasting (I’ve tried them) and
nutritious bars containing 15 whole foods that are 100% vegan. Although
he had no direct experience in the field, the owners saw something special in
him and the CEO, Jeff Coleman made him a simple proposition: Sell bars and
we’ll figure out the rest later. If not, well - no harm, no foul.
As the first full-time employee/commissioned sales person for the company,
Jules set out to build the sales and found immediate opportunities to implement
systems and structure to the foundation of the new venture.
Jules and his family did not take this
opportunity lightly. Recognizing this as a major opportunity in their lives,
they, as a family, were going to make the most of it. Jules, his wife Sara and
their (now) three daughters proceeded to embark on a two year road trip aboard
a 100 sq. ft. RV bedecked with the PROBAR logo and provisioned with loads of
cases of the PROBAR product. (You can see the photos of the family and the legendary
RV above and below this post.) Five months into the epic journey, Jules parked
the RV outside a birth clinic near Boston and Sara gave birth their first son,
Nicholas in Milford, NH. Ironic but unplanned, Nicholas followed his father's
footsteps as Jules was born in a VW bus 32 years earlier en route to a birth
clinic in the Pacific Northwest. Embracing the gypsy lifestyle completely, Sara
proceeded to home-school their daughters and Jules proceeded to sell and
promote PROBAR all across the United States while crisscrossing the country.
It turned out to be a transformative journey for the Lamberts and for
PROBAR.
*PROBAR now has 40 full-time employees
*PROBAR manufactures all of its own products
*Jules and his family traveled to 48 (mainland) states while in the RV - the RV
wouldn't fit on the ferry to Hawaii, but it might on the Alaska Ferry!
*Backing up on a NYC highway to avoid one of the low overpasses is very
difficult at night - but the kids never woke up despite the passing, honking
drivers.
*Mission: PROBAR® creates delicious,
convenient, healthy, plant-based food products. “We strive to become the
leading provider of REAL FOOD choices, always maintaining our commitment to
quality, sustainability, and fantastic taste.”
*Core
Values at PROBAR: “Treat business like you treat family. At PROBAR®
we recognize that growing our business
goes hand-in-hand with nurturing relationships
and encouraging personal growth. We create meaningful, long-term connections
with our employees, vendors and customers in a community where trust rules.
PROBAR® is not just a job, it’s a shared
passion.”
