Written by
Lindsay Gray
A conversation with Brett Matthews,
Chairman and CEO of Kate Farms
Now more than ever, brands are held to a higher standard. Consumers want to know that a brand has a meaningful purpose built into its DNA and that they stand for something greater than the product or service they sell. At Clarkmcdowall, working with brands that are authentic, doing good, and making a difference in the world has always been our focus and passion. We want to help brands that are trying to create a better today and tomorrow. Kate Farms is precisely one of those brands.
Kate Farms unleashes the power of nutrition to transform the lives of so many people - from those who have chronic health conditions to those who want products to help them on their overall journey towards wellness. The business offers clean, plant-based nutritional formulas backed by science and supported by clinical research, as well as people-first care to help guide people through their individual health journeys.
Since its inception, Kate Farms has been a pioneer in plant-based nutrition and has experienced great success and growth. Now the brand finds itself at a defining moment in its journey — a moment to codify its purpose and create a fresh springboard for growth.
We had the opportunity to talk with Brett Matthews, Chairman and CEO, about what makes Kate Farms tick, how the employees behind the brand care about something greater than themselves, and why they welcome competition if it means helping more people, faster.
Voice of a generation and generations to come
The American healthcare system is complicated. People are presented with treatment options, insurance policies, and nuances that can be difficult to get ahead of or fully understand. Kate Farms and the amazing employees behind the brand are driven to understand these nuances so they can effect change and be a voice for the people.
“Even with the caring of doctors, nurses, dietitians, support staff, navigating the healthcare system is hard. Most people need support, and it helps to have an ally to help them navigate the system,” says Brett. “We have set up Kate Farms to be that ally and help people understand what they need, how to talk to the doctors and insurance company and how to access better nutrition. That’s also why we’ve spent a lot of time making sure we’re on Medicare, WIC programs, Medicaid, private insurance, or available via cash with discounts.”
But effecting change is no easy feat. It requires tireless effort to ensure those who can influence the healthcare system hear what the people need and want, now and in the long run.
“We want to be advocates, to use our skills to help impact public policy because we strongly believe good nutrition can reduce the cost of healthcare countrywide and worldwide,” says Brett. “The number one cause of death in this country can be attributed to poor diet and we all know bad food can make you sick. Conversely, good nutrition can make you well and help reverse and prevent disease. It’s our job to provide people with access to good nutrition that’s clinically backed. That’s why we are focused on working within the healthcare system to offer a higher standard of plant-based nutrition as an option for health care providers and people to use to help them on their journey towards health.”
At Clarkmcdowall, we believe declaring a purpose without also addressing a broader context is futile and therefore hollow in the eyes of consumers and talent. If a brand aims to truly live up to their higher-order brand purpose, it becomes imperative to tackle systemic issues, whether through actions, advocacy, or education.
Growing from the inside out
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With positive results from the people they serve, clinical proof the formulas work, and increasing brand awareness, Kate Farms is at an inflection point. How will it balance rapid growth and expansion without losing its culture of strong values and commitment? For Brett and his team, it’s simple.
“Our culture is the essential ingredient in our growth. We employ extraordinary people called Kate Farmers who not only have tremendous expertise and talent but have heart and care about something bigger than themselves,” says Brett. “We have clarity on “why we’re here” and we’re motivated to impact lives. So, for us, growth and culture support each other—they are not at odds.”
This firm belief—that culture inspires growth—has not waned during a time of unprecedented challenges because of COVID-19. In the case of Kate Farms, they’ve done their best to connect with their employees by standing up an Experience Team to support people professionally and personally during this time. They have also rewarded employees during this time and have adjusted everyday business practices to ensure all 190+ employees, which has doubled during Covid, receive virtual time with one on ones and small groups with Brett to discuss business updates, core values and life.
Further, codifying how an organization operates is essential in ensuring the collective energy and manner of employees is easily understood and adopted. It's not just what you do, it's the way you do it that matters. Together with the Kate Farms team, we have focused on how these practices can be shared as the company grows exponentially, and we’ve done this by combining what has yielded success to date with what it will take to achieve their next stage of growth.
It takes a village
One of the most humbling parts of our conversation with Brett was his humility when discussing the future of Kate Farms.
“We have so many blessings as a company,” says Brett. “It’s real; real people, real stories, real results. It’s authentic and we need to articulate our story in a way that is big enough to capture where we’re headed.”
But Kate Farms knows they can’t do it alone. To impact hundreds of millions of lives in the next five years and beyond, they will need other brands to follow suit.
“Time and time again, people with health conditions are on a search for solutions. They are persistent, smart and, like all of us, sometimes need a little help. We are helping by working very hard to institutionalize a higher standard of nutritional care for people, and we are excited to be joined by the many hospital systems and healthcare providers who are recognizing the improved outcomes they are seeing in patients using Kate Farms,” added Brett. “The ecosphere is expanding too—technology platforms, health-oriented nonprofits and associations, insurance companies and healthcare systems—as more people realize the benefits of plant-based nutrition in medical care. And importantly people are looking for and having their voices be heard to get better nutrition to help them along their life journey and more and more solutions are there to help. Everyone wins as the overall support grows to help people along their way towards wellness."
This recognition of the category being an audience is important. Instead of viewing adjacent innovators and competitors as adversaries, Kate Farms views them as a springboard for growth and inspiration and building on the movement that has started—better nutrition to help those in need. It helps flip the notion of “fighting the system” into one of creating positive momentum. And it begs the question, how can you begin sharing your brand’s efforts to inspire your competition to build a category, and what would you like your competitors to start doing to pave the way for your brand’s growth?
At Clarkmcdowall, we continue to seek out partnerships that allow us to shape better tomorrows in industries where change is needed most. The journey with Kate Farms has been about clarifying their vision and answering: Who are we for? What do we stand for? What do we have to offer the world? Amplifying your brand isn’t about changing direction, it’s about strengthening the foundation and providing a springboard so you can realize your full potential.
This conversation is part of our series on future-ready brands, where we speak with leaders about evolving a brand at defining moments. See more conversations with future-ready brands.
About Kate Farms
Kate Farms was founded in 2011 by parents determined to save their daughter’s life after a diagnosis of failure to thrive and is now the #1 recommended plant-based formula. * Kate Farms offers medical formulas for children and adults, to be used as sole source or supplemental nutrition, for oral or tube feeding. They are available nationally and eligible for insurance coverage with Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurance. All Kate Farms formulas are made for tolerance with easily digested organic pea protein, soluble fiber, and phytonutrients to support gut health, and without common allergens or artificial ingredients. These formulas have been clinically proven to demonstrate improved tolerance, weight gain, and adherence. Kate Farms can be accessed in more than 600 US hospitals, including the top children’s hospitals; availability is increasing daily. Visit www.katefarms.com.