When deployed as a US Marine in Northeast Africa, I quickly realized that my body required more clean-burning fuel than I was receiving from the standard military issued MREs. To increase my clean caloric intake, I had my family send me power bars, energy bars, and virtually any type of nutritional supplement bar they could find. While I was appreciative of their efforts, all I received were chalky, nasty tasting, and underperforming products. I felt that some of the bars I consumed could barely even sustain me, so I ended up with multiple bars in my ruck to maintain the energy, protein levels, and fuel my body required.

My personal experience in a physically demanding war zone coupled with high temperatures and stress led to the initial genesis of Condition One. There is nothing on the market that met all my nutrition requirements, and I knew there had to be a solution. There had to be a way to produce a fresh-baked commercial product that was not only delicious but also filled with natural ingredients that could promote long-term energy levels for demanding physical and mental activities.

After my transition out of the Marines, I attended college and spent my nights tinkering in the kitchen. I sought out fresh ingredients and began baking bars. After a year of experimentation, I was ready to share my homemade bars with friends, fellow service members, and family. Their reactions were worth the wait!

I then needed to see how my bars held up to the demands of the mega-athletes of the military, so I sent the bars to friends in Afghanistan who distributed samples to the Special Operations community, contractors, and fellow Marines. Again, the response was worth the wait.

Soon after, I officially launched Condition One and found a bakery that was able to produce my formula in bulk. Along with nightly packaging detail, bars were going out to veterans and athletes who acted as brand ambassadors. It didn’t take long for consumer demand, buoyed by the volume of incoming orders, to demonstrate further the market’s need for a fresh-baked, high-protein bar, and we knew our product would be welcomed commercially.

It wasn’t long after Condition One’s formal launch that demand outweighed production. I established relationships with a food-based manufacturing facility and began increased manufacturing levels to meet demand. I proved to myself that what I envisioned while stationed as a Marine in SE Africa could become a reality.

From the cross-trainer to the special operations soldier to the professional athlete to the weekend warrior, people have been waiting for a clean, healthy, fresh protein bar that not only tastes incredible but also satisfies the physical requirements of their individual bodies and lifestyle demands.