Someone once asked me, referring to school nutrition, “When are you done? When do you stop marketing?” My response was something like, “When McDonalds is done. Or when Coke is done. Or when Taco Bell stops.”

It’s said that nature abhors a vacuum. What that means, in short, is that if there is an empty space or a void, something will fill it. When it comes to school nutrition… the process of changing the contents of these vacuums takes time and consistency. This isn’t a one-off statement type of thing. It’s not a single flyer taped to a cafeteria door or sent home in a backpack at the start of the year.

I was 13 years old when my life changed. I discovered punk rock and hip-hop.

Punk rock and hip-hop both emphasize a do-it-yourself mentality that champions the capacity and capability of anyone to get involved.

This new music wasn’t about permission - it was about participation.

...like any effort, having a strategic purpose in mind and aligning your messages to serve that strategy is critical. You can drive a clear, consistent, and compelling message with actionable steps your customers can take, or you can post and share a lot of disconnected things and hope that your customers will be able to make sense of it all.

School nutrition staff are some of the only people with the potential to engage with every student every day. The job is far more than preparing and serving tasty, nutritious meals. It can create life-changing connections.