VILLAGEx 2022 Founder Friday: My Sports Dietitian | Eat2Win
Founder Fridays is a series that spotlights VILLAGEx founders and their startups
Eric Reid Jr. was one of Ronnie Harper and Tavis Piattoly's first clients in their diet and nutrition program, Eat2Win. For Reid, the Eat2Win program was essential to his success in high school sports that led to his LSU football scholarship and ultimately to a career in the NFL. For Harper and Piattoly, Reid’s success story inspired the two to further develop and formalize their program into the Eat2Win app and My Sports Dietitian business, to help millions of young athletes succeed through healthy eating.
“Our purpose is simple. We help athletes improve their eating habits. As a result, they improve their energy, body composition, strength, focus, recovery, and endurance,” said Harper, CEO of MySportsDietitian, and the Eat2Win Nutrition app founder.
Harper, VILLAGEx 2022 founder, says that he and his team will continue working to improve their startup, Eat2Win, post-Demo Day. “We will [continue working] to become excellent at all aspects of our business," said Harper.
Q&A
(Answers have been edited for clarity)
Why startup in New Orleans?
Ronnie Harper: “We’ve been watching [the VILLAGEx] program for a few years now. We did not totally understand it until we were accepted into the accelerator. With our success in 2021, we knew we had a chance and applied. It is an exceptional and vibrant entrepreneurial community that is growing in New Orleans. We now get it and try to tell others in our network of how special New Orleans and The Idea Village community is to the business community.”
In what ways has VILLAGEx inspired you and/or helped so far?
Ronnie Harper: “Accountability, guidance, and structure are the three words that come to mind when we think of this program. It is a community of like-minded individuals who have a passion for helping others in their position, who were there themselves not that many years ago. It is refreshing to see that we are now a part of this incredible community. We just hope we get to pass the torch on to others in the future.”
What does it take to be an entrepreneur?
Ronnie Harper: “We ask ourselves that a lot. It is very challenging and rewarding. It is often like riding a roller coaster. It has ups and downs with sudden twists and turns. You yell and scream in fear and excitement in the same breath. Sometimes, you wonder why you got on this ride at all, but when it is over, you get in line and ride it again because you love the fear and excitement of it all. So far, we are holding our own and looking forward to our future.”
Top 3 advice for someone pitching their startup to the VILLAGEx judges?
1. Passion can overcome a lot of gaps in your business plan. Don’t be afraid to show it. 2. Just be yourself…don’t stress out about what you have not accomplished. People in this community can pick up on pretenders really quickly. Be true to yourself, and it will show3. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and meet new people. Talk to everyone, even if they are not board members or staff. You leave an impression on everyone, and everyone talks, so your reputation will quickly follow you in a tight community like this.
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MySportsDietitian makes the Eat2Win Nutrition App, a solution for improving an athlete's performance, body composition, and overall health through a food-first approach.