“Our mission was really to connect researchers doing active nutrition research to the people who are advising clients and active nutrition consumers,” said Todd Pauli, founder of Move Nutrition Network. “So, you know, dietitians and trainers and nutritionists, we really saw this need of making sure as much as we possibly can to get the right information into their hands. So when they’re having conversations with their clientele, it’s scientifically sound and they have easy access to a lot of the research around topics that their clients are interested in.”
Pauli also discussed the challenges of running a nutrition-focused business in the active lifestyle industry. The main challenge he said was simply finding enough time, as well as integrating more deeply with industry associations and professional organizations. To address these challenges, he expanded Move’s advisory board to include even more heavy hitters in the industry to better leverage their expertise and insights.
“I really needed to put a structure in place to utilize that board better, and so that’s what prompted adding more folks to the board,” said Pauli. “And so part of that was naming two co-chairs to the board, Katie Emerson and Heather Granato. I really saw them going in before I even talked to them about it as being two individuals who could really take charge of the advisory board and help us steer it in a way that maximizes everyone’s expertise on the board while simultaneously help Move grow.”
Another important part of Move is tailoring content to the more educated sports nutrition consumer, which means staying on top of trends. Key trends Pauli is seeing include the rise of weight management solutions like GLP-1s, as well as a growing focus on women’s health and strength-building in the active nutrition space. He added that he has witnessed a positive shift in fitness trends, moving away from a focus on thinness and aesthetics towards a more holistic approach emphasizing overall health and strength.
Pauli also underscored the importance of finding credible influencers and providing scientifically-backed information to counter misinformation in the sports and active nutrition space.
“I think there’s room for credentialed or certified—so say, a dietician who’s certified or a nutritionist or a trainer, especially if they’re giving health or nutrition advice,“ he said. ”I always encourage brands to lead with that because it really backs up against their whole story of delivering science back to ingredients. But having said that, there are also great ways to use other influencers who it’s more about just lifestyle and not giving health or nutrition information, but just showing them using the product.
“But it can also be your own users and user-generated content—these small communities that you start to develop and grow as a brand. And I think that grassroots type of approach, while it’s long term, pays big dividends because you grow such a loyal audience over time.”
