What happens when you start a business based upon doing good work? You start to make money you can feel good about. Lauren Lobley talks with the man behind Steve’s Club.
Starting a business today is easier than ever. With barriers to entry almost non-existent in this era of the Internet, social media, and do-it-yourself marketing, entrepreneurship couldn’t be more accessible. In other ways, it also couldn’t be more difficult. With so many business popping up everywhere, it’s hard to keep up, to stay relevant, to stay top of mind and to beat out the rest.
But no matter what your business, there is another theme that appears to be here to stay, and it’s one that every business should take seriously: social responsibility. More and more, customers are deciding which businesses to work with based on issues related to social responsibility: does the company give a portion of its proceeds to charity? Does the company recycle? Care about the environment? Do they care about the well-being of their employees? Where does the company manufacture its products? The questions are endless, and smart business owners would do well to pay attention. Because more and more, social responsibility will affect the bottom line.
Steve Liberati, owner of Steve’s Paleo Goods, is an entrepreneur who not only gets, but also embraces, social responsibility. Long before his food company opened its doors, Steve was the owner of a crossfit gym in Camden, New Jersey, one of the most dangerous and crime-infested cities in the country. In 2007, inspired by his surroundings, and realizing he could make a difference, Steve started a non-profit organization called Steve’s Club. He took the principles of the Crossfit training regimen, and applied them to help at risk youth in Camden:
“I’m dedicated to changing the lives of at-risk youth using the tools of fitness training, nutritional guidance and mentorship [to help these kids] lead better, safer, [and] more enriched lives. Many of the kids we’ve reached through Steve’s Club were “drugging and ganging” before they were working out, learning and keeping active with us. But they were never “bad kids.” They just needed an alternative.”
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And Steve was dedicated to providing it. Along with the workouts, Steve taught the kids about nutrition, and encouraged them to choose unprocessed foods whenever possible. But knowing they had little access to healthy foods, Steve provided a solution. With no culinary background, he and his wife, Kristen, threw caution to the wind and got creative in the kitchen, making nutritious Paleo kits for the kids to take with them to school.
“Our PaleoKits didn’t just work perfectly for the kids of Steve’s Club. Before long, they found their way into gym, diaper, computer and carry-on bags of family and friends – and the positive response was overwhelming. Our product was perfect for everyone: athletes striving to improve performance, those following Paleo, Zone™, low-carb and gluten-free diets, kids in need of better nutrition, and those who just love clean food and tasty beef jerky.”
And so, out of a selfless endeavor to enrich the lives of at-risk youths, Steve’s Paleo Goods was born. Six years later, the company has a long line of products from not only PaleoKits, but also dressings and marinades for salads and meats, grain-free and gluten-free granola, and many other delicious and nutritious products.
As for Steve’s Club, it has grown into a national 501(c)3 non-profit serving kids across the United States, with 21 affiliates and counting. Anyone with a strong desire to help at risk youth in their surrounding community is eligible to apply:
“Our goal is to help more people set up programs to help youth. We want to eliminate all the barriers. We handle the paperwork [to make it easy] for anyone to start a [Steve’s Club]. They don’t have to be a crossfit affiliate, [though we do] find that a lot of people that do start [a Steve’s Club are] either crossfit owners or they use a crossfit facility. It’s an easy fit because they already have the resources set up [though the gym].”
In true social responsible fashion, 15% of the proceeds from sales at Steve’s Paleo Goods go to fund Steve’s Club. His true passion project and raison d’etre, Steve’s goal this year is to add another 5 local Steve’s Club programs to the 21 already in operation. Changing the world, one club, one kid, at a time.
“I think the biggest thing for a lot of the kids that I work with is that they don’t see the big picture. They don’t realize they have options. And I put myself in their shoes. If you didn’t have 2 nickels to rub together and it’s hard to get food on the table, and suddenly you’re offered $1000 a day, it’s so hard to turn that down. It’s so appealing, for a younger person to get wrapped up in the wrong things. And the power you get from being a part of a group is enticing – that’s why gangs grow. But by giving them other options and showing them that there is another way through Steve’s Club, all of a sudden they realize that they do have options to make the right decisions, to not go down a certain path that’s very easy to go down when that’s all that’s in front of you.”
As you may have already guessed, as in business, Steve’s definition of what it means to be a man in the 21st century includes a whole lot of selflessness and vulnerability:
“Unfortunately I think that men who are unselfish is in limited supply today. Being unselfish is about helping other people – your family, your community – and sharing the resources that you have: your strengths, your talents. Being unselfish is also about helping people to break through their own limitations, to help them see what they’re worth. Selflessness is something that I admire in other people. I think it’s important to make the world go round and make it a better place.”
And that is what he hopes to teach his 3 young children too. As their mentor and father, he wants to show them the way to a good life is not to be profit driven, but to do something you love, to chase excellence, to serve the community, and to create a value based business. A socially responsible business. Like Steve’s Club and Steve’s Paleo Goods, he truly believes it will stand the test of time.
For more information on Steve’s Club and/or to order Steve’s Paleo Goods products, visit https://www.stevespaleogoods.com
For a part of NJ that has one of the toughest raps in the country, I really like this story coming from there and hearing about what Steve is doing. It’s one of the awesomest things I’ve seen in a while. He found a way to solve two problems, giving kids options other than gangs and giving them access to better food.
You’re awesome Steve. Simply awesome.