Second Annual “Week of Engagement” Day 1 – Food

This is our second annual “week of engagement” and our Day 1 discussion is with Joshua Ingraham, owner of Go Buddha. Their mission is to create the most affordable and accessible functional plant based food program in the world, inspiring healthy families and supporting stronger communities. And we love that!

Tag your favorite restaurants, bars, food trucks, breweries, coffee shops, tea shops, juice bars, live event and local concert venues on your socials and use #engagesmall so we can follow along.

Find out everything about Go Buddha on their website and connect with them on Facebook and Instagram.

Brandan: Hey, this is Brandan Baki from Engage Small. Today is day one of our second-annual Week of Engagement. We did this last year. We’re doing it again this year. It’s five days. Today’s the first day, it’s gonna be food. So, that’s restaurants, bars, breweries, coffee shops. Things like that. The idea is you’re just going to, on social media, tag your favorite and use the hashtag #engagesmall. That’s all you have to do. It’s super, super easy. I hope you participate. There’ll be a new group or sector of businesses every single day, all week. And we have, this year, we’re gonna feature one business. We have an interview with them and you can see the teaser on our social, and then, on our YouTube, we’ll have the full interview. So, today we’re gonna be talking with Josh Ingraham of Go Buddha.

Brandan: So, I’m here with Josh from go Buddha. Josh, how you doin’?

Joshua: I’m great. Thanks for inviting us today, Brandan.

Brandan: Good. Absolutely. So, what does Go Buddha do?

Joshua: We are a healthy meal program, actually hybrid now, because we’ve opened an eatery, a walk-in eatery. So, for the first time, you can select your weekly meal program and come meet the Chefs. So, you can come in, it looks like a healthy Chipotle, you can walk in, you can build your own meal. You can build meals for the day. You can actually pick up meals that are fully prepared for the week. So, it’s kind of like, the most accessible, affordable way you can basically supplement your weekly nutrition. And it all kind of came down, you know, inspired by my time at the Cleveland clinic and meeting just, you know, incredible patients who are fighting for their lives. And leaving with brand new diets and plans that they’d never seen before. And then watching them come back because there weren’t, the resources weren’t available to them. So, we’re very lucky to be in Rocky River Community. So much support with our amazing community. But our overall, end all, goal is to reach everybody’s refrigerator.

Brandan: That’s fantastic. So, you said that you now have this walk-in eatery. So, what’s the base, if you step back from that, what’s the base of Go Buddha before that walk-in eatery?

Joshua: Yep. Its all about mindful eating, being conscious of what you’re taking in. ‘Cause you are actually made of what you eat, which is interesting. Right? Essentially, like, we make a lot of different decisions a day. And for some reason we, we’re held captive to these bad food decisions. And that is like, it’s our source of energy. That’s, you know, how our body recovers. And, you know, how it battles disease. So, it’s kind of amazing to think that, you know, if somebody asks you for a hundred dollars, you’d hesitate. But then, if you saw the doughnut, you wouldn’t. You know, so like, what is that mind trick that’s, you know, we’re being, you know, we’re being stuck on? So, we’re trying to create, you know, we’ll bridge the gap between that knowledge of plant-based foods and just like, what is that? And is it accessible to everybody? Cause I think it is, you know. Everybody, I think any doctor can agree that, everybody could use more vegetables in their diet, regardless. And so, even if you’re not vegan, right? Which is why we position ourselves as plant-based. We believe that anybody can come in, prepare one of our meals, and if they had to take it home and add another sustainable piece of protein to that, then we kind of did the hard stuff for you, right? We went shopping, we prepped all the legumes, and the grains and, you know, all the different sauces and such. And so, we’re following the functional medicine code. So, you know, less than five grams of added sugar, whole food, plant-based, you know, no streaming oil of any sort, all of our dressings and sauces are emulsified with cashews or tofu. So, we kind of created, like, this new code. It’s kinda, it’s really fun. And it was inspired again, by my wife. Her father was diagnosed with Esophageal Cancer. So, as a chef, and seeing all these meal programs, we wanted to find a way to get him meals to Minnesota. And that’s what kind of started that rabbit hole. Not only was I watching patients leave every day, at the Cleveland clinic, without options around them. And some of them not having any idea what whole foods is, right. So, it wasn’t, it’s not their fault. It’s just, it’s part of our, you know, the great marketing that has happened throughout, you know, our lifetimes. And I have a three-year-old and a five-year-old, and we’ll be driving, and they know the colors, they know the brands. They know exactly, if we’re stopping to get coffee, that there’s donuts there too. Like, they’re programmed already. So it’s amazing, like, what we’re able to, you know, communicate when we want to. But really, the necessity, it’s gonna go right back to that, you know, 2000 years ago when Hippocrates said, “Let food be thy medicine.” I mean, that’s truly it. I mean, in its simplest form, it can do some amazing things. So, that’s what the concept’s inspired on, is this connecting people with their own food journey. Which is why you can come in and customize your bowl with over 35 different ingredients. So, it’s kinda like a Chipotle on steroids. Where, you know, it is as fun and there’s as bold flavors, again by certified chefs, you know, who’ve done the work. To now present you, basically, we’ll be your private chef every single week. Where you can sign up for a meal plan or taste some of our really cool creations. So yeah, I think we found a way to kind of, you know, present comfort foods in different ways. Whether it’s a taco salad, or a hot nacho nacho, or we’ve got incredible Metro coffee, you know. Like, we’ve kind of covered it all here in the eatery. But that’s just kind of like, the hook to get you in. So, then when you taste these amazing flavors and start to believe that plant-based can find its way into your cuisine, that’s when the benefits start to happen. It’s not really the first visit. It’s really making us, you know, meatless Monday or, you know, a weekday vegetarian kind of thing. So again, there’s so many different opportunities to take advantage of our service. And we’re just really lucky to be in such a great community.

Brandan: That’s fantastic. So, you have a delivery option for your meals, you now have this store, and you kind of already talked about like, how this kind of all started, like where this all came from. But is there anything that you know now that you kind of, from a business standpoint, that you wish you knew when you started? ‘Cause you haven’t been around like, a super long time, right?

Joshua: No, yeah. Yeah. I’ve been exposed to many different corporate accounts, you know, as the Shepherd, Cleveland Indians, at Progressive Fields. The Boston Bruins, Boston Celtics, lots of sports. I’ve done every sporting event you could think of. So for me, it’s always been managing multiple concepts, with a large scale team. So, I knew that at the- what I wanted to do was not just open a restaurant. I know that’s what it kind of looks like from the outside, but I really wanted to create this concept. And then the concept kind of continued to evolve and now it’s a health brand. And now we’re starting to interact with like people, right. Who are trying to accomplish the same goal, but we need each other to be able to get there, right. So, that’s where Paragon Fitness comes in, right behind us. And Forward Fuel, which is another- they’re doing the nutrition actually, for me. For my, we’re calling it “Go, Josh, Go.” Instead of “Run, Forrest, Run.”

Brandan: That’s funny.

Joshua: The Titan games, you know, for the Season One, with The Rock. And then, you know, I’ve been on these like, kind of, binge workout diets, if you you will, right. And every time I’d feel great, then I, for some reason, stop. And then I’d, you know, fall back into it. But, I had enough energy before to kind of re-engage. And after the pandemic, it just took so much out of me to like, stay, just to keep going, after losing our jobs at the Ballpark, being furloughed. Just like everybody else. Yeah, nobody’s fault. We made a decision to move forward with Go Buddha. At that time, it was just, it was a hobby, you know. 10 orders a week, friends and family. But I saw something really special there and I knew that at the core, this could be a food solution, you know, for moving forward. So yeah, it could be kind of trendy and it’s gonna be really fun. And people walk in, they see how interactive it is and how, you know, we can really compliment whatever’s going on in your life. But, you know, I think in long-term with it, you know. Versus necessarily, coming in to see the restaurant, I wanna, you know, reach everybody across the nation, as well. So, we do deliver six days a week. We’re open six days a week. We ship nationwide actually, overnight and UPS Air, so. Which was a necessity during the pandemic. ‘Cause we couldn’t reach anybody, right. So, from a hobby in my kitchen at home to realizing that we needed to start to connect with somebody to be able to survive during the pandemic. And that’s when we took the spot in Rocky River. Which, I think, was a great decision. It was a tough one, because as a small business owner during the toughest economical time I’ve ever seen in my life, to choose this time to start my dream, was probably the toughest and hardest time to do it, but it was the only time I would ever get the “Okay” from the wife to stop- you know, working at the Ballpark-

Brandan: Right.

Joshua: to pursue this. So, it was kind of, you know, It’s ironic that we had to, you know, give up so much to get something that we really love. And, you know, I mean, ’cause you can look back at the past year and just see how many lives were, you know, cost due to the pandemic. And just, the trials and tribulations and just, it was a very difficult time for us. It’s still difficult. I mean, it’s very difficult, to be honest with you- every week. My first priority is our staff and just making sure that the business keeps going. ‘Cause I believe if you have a direct line to your customers and you have a good product; You just gotta stay in business. Right now it’s not a matter of, you know “are we making a ton of money?” It’s a matter of, you know. Are we accessible? Are we affordable? Can we operate in the most sustainable fashion? And overall, are we connecting? Are we resonating with our guests? And I think, you know, based on our reviews, we really are. And I think that’s the point. So, down the road, I’m sure we’ll hit that tipping point where it will magically just start to happen. And I don’t know when it will happen, but we’re gonna continue to work as hard as we can til we get there, right?

Brandan: Yeah. That’s great. And it’s, you know, when you think about all the other things you, kind of, did along the way… the pandemic hit you became nimble and agile and thought, “okay, let’s pivot.” “How can we”, you know, “take advantage of this bad situation.” And another thing you did, I thought was really interesting, is you you positioned yourself, to not start a business alone, but to find a community to grow with and to partner with people and grow together. Which, I think, is super important. I think a lot of small businesses think, “Well I’m gonna do this one thing and I’m gonna do it in my room and no one knows that I’m here and how am I ever gonna get business?” But when you make these relationships and build together and grow something, I think it can be super powerful. How, can people engage with you? What do you prefer? Are you on Instagram? Do you feel like, you know, Facebook is big for you? Where, do you feel like you can grow best?

Joshua: Well, that’s a great question. I’m personally in the eatery every single day. Which, I want to be accessible to just meet people. I think it’s really powerful, you know, when you can have that conversation and you can make that connection and that’s like the whole purpose of what we’re doing and someday we’ll be big enough where maybe that’s not as easy, but we’re about to start some more online classes actually, as well. We’ve been calling this thing, “The Meal Club”, right. We’ve got a weekly meal club. It was really just an affordable way for them to sign up and get a discounted price on the meals as they purchased more for the week. But we want to continue to make that more of a club, right? So, we’ve started the “Just Go” series and we have featured several local businesses, nutritionists and dieticians who approve of the cuisine. And they kind of walk through their own custom bowl actually, on the line too. So, it’s kind of fun to see their journey, what they’re highlighting. So, you know, we’re strong on Instagram right now. We’re strong on Facebook. And I think we’re gonna… I think Instagram probably is the platform for right now, where we find the most engagement. But I think it’s just a matter of time too, because we, again, went through, after starting in the summer, we saw you know, a little bit of success, which was, I think it was like a false feeling. ‘Cause we were like, “we’re gonna be fine.” “We’re gonna be great.” And then September hit and I’ve never been, you know, I never owned a small business during slower months or at the end of the season. I’ve always been a part of the Boston Bruins, or the Celtics, or you know-

Brandan: Yeah.

Joshua: things that sell themselves. And it really didn’t matter, but what I was doing, right. So, here it’s like, yeah, waiting for somebody to walk into the restaurant was a really different feeling. So, I have a ton of respect for my peers. I’ve always had respect for my peers, but like, my God, like, the stuff that they go through mentally every single day just to stay afloat and provide a service and an experience for everybody around here. So, I mean the next time I’m able to go to a restaurant, right, take a day off. I am gonna savor that moment ’cause I just know how hard and how much work goes into, behind the scenes, just to open that door.

Brandan: Yeah, absolutely. So, what do you enjoy, just kind of, to wrap up? What is something that you enjoy doing in your free time that has nothing to do with being a chef?

Joshua: My kids and home. Actually yesterday, I took a day off for my wife’s birthday and she had quite a list for me, so. I was putting’ papers down. I feel like my back’s broken, but that is what I love to do. I mean, that’s the ultimate goal anyways, is just, you know, just to be happy. And being happy, I guess everybody’s got their own definition, but I find myself just, kind of, completing this circle. No matter how hard I work, it’s just a matter to get home and spend more time with my family. So, I really want, right now, to make the biggest impact on their future environments, right? And as if I wouldn’t, you know, as a chef you’re only as good as your last meal. So, I feel like that’s my driver right there, is if I can’t be the best, you know, father, dad, you know, chef… I’m not providing the best environment for them. So that’s the ultimate, you know, when you wake up in the morning, “Did I do enough?”, is kind of what I ask myself. And so, it’s one of those tough questions. ‘Cause you should never answer, “yes.” You know, you’ve always got more to give. So, that’s how I always start my day. And it’s tough to turn it off, but you got to. I actually got a third baby on the way in October.

Brandan: Congratulations. That’s fantastic.

Joshua: I know. I did leave the ballpark as well. So, I’m now a 100% of the time here at Go Buddha. We’re gonna drive this thing. So, very excited for future collaborations with some local businesses, as well. So, we have the 24 hour food ATM and we’re about to launch a couple more here within the Cleveland area. So, we’ll be expanding in different ways, but as you pointed out, during the pandemic… We’re 24/7, you can order any time of the day and that ticket flies through that machine. So, when we walk in to start the day here, to open the eatery, we’re kind of prepping already, those meals that you’d preselected before you fell asleep. So, it’s a very cool model. I think it works very well. You’re just gotta, yeah, just gotta keep surviving.

Brandan: I love it. Hey Josh, thank you so much. I really appreciate the time. Good luck with everything.

Joshua: Thanks. Appreciated this.

Brandan: Thank you so much for watching that interview. If you wanna learn more about Go Buddha, you can go to their website check them out, and social, tag them, and visit them. It’s a super cool restaurant. It’s a really cool idea. And you can check out their food ATM, which is a really, really cool idea too. We’ll have all of the tags and links in our comments. So, please check all that out. Again, this was day one, it’s food. So, tomorrow we have a whole new sector, it’s Main Street and we’ll release a new video tomorrow. But if you wanna know any more about Engage Small, you can go to engagesmall.com. We’ve also got more details about our Week of Engagement there. You can see us on Facebook and Instagram @engagesmall. If you want to participate, be featured, or help out in any way, you can go to our website and fill out a contact form for that. If you are a small business or a freelancer there’s tons of resources on our website, that we think are helpful to you, but check them out. If there’s anything you need or a question that you have, reach out to us. We will try our best to answer it. So, until tomorrow, engage small with your favorite small businesses. Thanks.