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And then come back and make a big bowl of oatmeal. And obviously, I've created Creatures of Habit because that oatmeal that he told me to eat, I didn't question it was a win for me. This guy told me to do it. He was successful, he was healthy, he was sober. He had the things that I wanted, and this is what he did, and he told me to do it, and so I did. And so oatmeal became my breakfast every single day.
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What's going on, podcast family? My name is Michael Chernow, and this is the Creatures of Habit podcast. Our habits will make us or they will break us. I've lived on both sides of the tracks and have experienced some of the best and the worst that habits have in store. The decisions we make on a consistent basis truly define who we are as human beings. This episode will be a solo episode where traditionally I interview guests. This is a solo episode where I share with you guys experiences that I've had, things that are relevant in my life today that I think could potentially be interesting for you to hear, things that I simply just want to share or quotes or activities that I've done over the last few weeks that have inspired me. So sit back, relax, and get out your pen and paper, because what you hear in this podcast could potentially make.
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Some big changes in your life. Let's go. I want to tell you my story. I want to give you the uncensored story of why I am here with you today and why Creatures of Habit exists. A lot of people have said, chernow, you've got a really good founder story. You got to start telling it more. And so I've been on a bunch of podcasts where I've told this story, but I don't think I've actually told you the story. And so I want to take the next 20 minutes or so to really walk you through my story and why the Creatures of Habit brand exists, why I'm so passionate about this mission and brand. Obviously, meal one. The oatmeal is a. Is. Is a big part of what we do. Creatures sleep. The sleep support, hot chocolate, another big part of what we do. But I didn't build this business to only give you a product to implement into your life, to optimize. I built this business really chasing my passion to help people understand that controlling the controllables is the key to feeling like a winner on a daily basis, because human beings are wired to want to win. Whether you believe that or not, I'm here to tell you it is truth. We are wired to want to win. And that doesn't mean we win the race, be the best one at the company, although that would be nice. We just like little wins. And once you can understand that, then you'll understand a little bit more about my story. And that's why I'm going to tell it to you now. So I grew up in New York City on 87th street between 1st and 2nd Avenue in a small apartment, about a 600 square foot apartment. My mother, my father, my sister and two cats. My sister and I shared a bedroom. My mother and father slept in the dining room on a Murphy bed. It was tight quarters and it was super uncomfortable. It was a violent household. It was an abusive household. And I did what I had to do to survive it. It was not fun for me. It was not pretty. My mother loved and loves me for sure. My father struggled with the love department. He did not know how to express love. And what he did know how to do was project his personal anger and his mental health issues onto the people closest to him. And I unfortunately experienced the brunt of his anger and frustration with himself in life. And so really it was a lot of in my childhood. And so I was an escape artist from as early as I can remember. And I also was an entrepreneur. I really do think that like part of my escapism or part of my escape strategy was somehow thinking about making things, doing things and creating things at a very young age. I call it the make do and creates. And I really was, I gravitated towards that. For whatever reason. When I was a little kid, five, six years old, living in New York City, I would see people like up and down 86th street laying out sheets or blankets or whatever and putting things on them to sell. You know, a lot of the time they were like fake pocketbooks. And I just remember seeing these things. So I remember when I was a little kid, I used to ask my older sister to, to come downstairs with me in front of our building. And in the 80s, cause I was born in 1980, you know, there was far less restriction on kids doing things by themselves. And so I would go downstairs with my sister, I would lay down a sheet and I would sell my toys that I didn't want anymore. I would sell them for a buck. And I remember very, very clearly I would have like this is when WWF wrestling was a big thing. I would have these like rubber WWF figures. They're probably worth a fortune now. But I would get, then I would eventually sell them and a bunch of Other things, baseball cards, eventually comic books. I just got into the world of trade very young. I think that I somehow correlated selling something to feeling good. And that would kind of paint a bit of a picture of my life today. But I do believe at a certain level, it was a way to escape from, for me, anything that I can kind of sink my teeth in that would make me feel good, because it was hard to feel good at home. And so I got, you know, it was pretty, pretty crazy upbringing. I got deep into sport. I was very athletic. You know, my mother worked until 7:00 every night. My father was home, but he was totally disconnected and out to lunch. Never had anything to do with picking us up from school, spending time with us. He was a very selfish guy. He only thought about himself. And so I was put into after school programs from day one in school. And those after school programs were either sports or the Boy Scouts or the Cub Scouts. And I participated in those things. I excelled in sport. I was very good at sport. And so that was like a real escapism for me. And I ultimately fell in love with the sport of hockey. I would play hockey all the time. I wasn't the best hockey player, but I was a good hockey player and I loved it. I loved it. So I ultimately ended up getting into ice hockey at SkyRink on 33rd Street. Now, you would know it as Hudson, Hudson Yards. It's very, very different than when I grew up in that area. In that area, it was super dangerous. Lots of drug dealers, pimps, prostitutes all over that west side corridor. Now, very different. But I would go to the ice hockey rink and I would play hockey as often as I could. I became very friendly with the coaches. They would let me, like, I mean, I would actually sleep at the rink because I would rather sleep there than sleep at home. Anyway, when I was 12 years old, I got a job in a restaurant and I fell in love with the restaurant business. And that's also around the time when I fell into using drugs and drinking alcohol and escaping that way. And so from really 12 to 20, just before my 24th birthday, my life completely changed. I became. I fell in love with drugs and alcohol. It really did save me. I think in those days it, you know, there was a moment when I was 12 where I really, you know, I had had an attempted suicide and I got put in a mental institution for a day because, you know, I'd cut my wrist in front of my father trying to, you know, it was a real cry for help. But he, he didn't look at it that way. He looked at it as. I don't know how he received it, but he ended up, you know, striking me and being violent with me after I did that. So I kind of just like, gave up a little bit. I gave up a little bit at that point in my life, and I dove deep into the world of the night of the darkness. Alcohol and drugs became my life, and I would go to raves, and I ended up getting into drug dealing at a young age. And all through high school, I was pretty much high the whole time. Time. But always worked in restaurants and always kept a legitimate job in restaurants. And I worked in restaurants all through high school. I went to Hunter College for about a year and change. I slept through the whole thing, realized that it just wasn't for me because I was far more interested in getting high and doing unsavory things. And around 20, 21, my father died. It was a great excuse for me to just go deeper into my addiction. I used my father's death as an excuse to continue to, you know, be a reckless human. And it just was a pretty quick spiral down over the next three years. You know, the drug use became a real reliance. I needed it. Alcohol was always there, and I worked in restaurants, so I was able to drink and use drugs easily without having to hide it much because, you know, it's pretty rampant in that industry. Anyway, I finally got into the really dark side of drugs and began using heroin. And then I eventually overdosed. And two weeks after I overdosed, I still needed. You know, I thought that was it, but I needed two more weeks to really scrape the bottom of the barrel. And I asked for help eventually, and help came. I never thought I was going to live past 25, but here I am now at 44, living the best life I know. So I asked for help, and a guy showed up, and he listened to me. I wish I could tell you I knew exactly what I was feeling when I asked for help. Like, I wish I could. I could, like, freeze that moment, that feeling. Because addiction is so powerful. It's so powerful. A lot of people think that addicts just are able to just stop if they really want to. I struggled with it for years, wanting to stop, and I just didn't know how to or didn't think I had the strength to actually stop because I was so deep in. The truth of the matter is, is that you can stop. You're listening to a living, breathing human being who has stopped and has stayed stopped for over 20 years. So why Creatures of Habit? Well. And I know it's kind of weird how this crazy story is the catalyst to why I launched Creatures of Habit, because I'm not in the recovery industry. I'm in the CPG wellness better for you industry. But you'll understand why it all comes full circle eventually, you know, over the next 10 minutes or so. So I asked for help again. I wish I knew. I wish I could, like, freeze that moment, because then I think I'd be able to help even more people. But I don't remember exactly what it was, but basically, I'd slept through work. My boss fired me. I begged him for my job. He said, I'll give you an opportunity to. And I was bartending at the time. He said, you can come to the restaurant in the morning and clean the restaurant with the porters, but I can't let you work in the restaurant. And the number one thing that you would have to agree to is getting sober. And that could be what it was. I needed to hear it from the right person, because so many people were telling me that I needed to get sober at that point in my life. But for whatever reason, that day, I made a call to someone who I knew was sober, and she called her boyfriend, who was also sober. Her boyfriend came to meet with me, and we connected. And he listened to me, and I told him my story. And he, after listening to my story, said, I can help you. And I was ready for that help. And again, I can't tell you exactly why, but I was ready. And one thing that you should know is if you know an addict that's struggling, or if you are an addict that's struggling, or if you are in recovery, you know that no one can make you want to stop or make you get sober. It has to come from within. I wish I knew what it was like. I wish I was able to describe what that feeling is when you're ready to just surrender. But all I know is that it happened for me. And it can happen for you or someone else in your family or friends. I mean, it can happen. It's unfortunately pretty rare, but it can. So I sat with Marcus. He listened to me, and then he wrote me this plan. He basically said, this is what I want you to do. If you can follow these steps on a daily basis and don't think about the future just every morning, you just got to follow these steps, your life will get better. And then once you start to feel human again, the sky's the limit with what you'll be Capable of. And I just had to believe him because I looked at him and he was inspiring. I wanted what he had. I saw this guy who I thought was super cool, successful, like, just seemed like he had all the things that I wanted. And he was an addict. He had been sober for 10 or 12 years at that point. He told me to do this. He said, I want you to wake up as early as you can in the morning, and as soon as you get up, I want you to get out of bed immediately, turn around and make your bed. After you've made your bed, walk into the bathroom and brush your teeth, wash your face, splash water on your face, put on your contact lenses, take a piss, and then get on your knees and ask God for help. I don't care if you believe in God or I don't care if you have a bad experience with God. All I'm asking you to do is get on your knees and ask for help that could be from the universe, that could be from energy, that could be from anything that's not you, or it could be God. But I want you to get on your knees and ask for help. And as soon as you're done with that, do some push ups, as many as you can. And then get out of the bathroom, get dressed, put on a pair of sneakers and go out for a walk or jog. Probably won't be jogging right away, but moving your body. Go walk for 15 minutes, something like that, and then come back and make a big bowl of oatmeal. And obviously I've created creatures of habit because that oatmeal that he told me to eat, I didn't question. It was a win for me. This guy told me to do it. He was successful, he was healthy, he was sober, he had the things that I wanted, and this is what he did. And he told me to do it. And so I did. And so oatmeal became my breakfast every single day. After I ate my oatmeal, he told me to go to this sober community meeting, introduce myself, tell them that I was an alcoholic, and then to listen. And then after that meeting, to go down to this gym, this Muay Thai kickboxing academy, to meet with him, to train Muay Thai kickboxing. And he was going to teach me this art of Muay Thai. And he said, if I'm not here, you're gonna take a class at 12, you're gonna train. And then when you're done training, you're gonna have chicken and broccoli for lunch, and you're gonna take a nap after that, if you can. You're gonna go to work. You're gonna have chicken and broccoli for dinner. Try to keep it very simple. And you're gonna try to go to bed as early as possible. And right before you go to bed, you're gonna drop down on your knees again, and you're gonna. You're going to get into bed and you're going to go to sleep, and that's going to be your life. And, you know, for whatever reason, he wrote this plan out for me. And at that point in my life, I was so desperate that I did what he told me to do. And I'm here to tell you today that it worked for me. It worked for me. All the things that he told me to do were stacking wins, habit stacking, which we now know as habit stacking. Right in the world of wellness, you do all these things in a row. We call it habit stacking. And so I realized that what I needed to do was change the bad habits and replace them with good habits, and my whole entire life and trajectory and perspective would change. And it did. And pretty quickly, I felt better. And within the first three months of being sober, not only did I change physically because he had me moving, he had me training hard, he had me eating healthy, but I emotionally felt better because those little wins stacked up, helped me build confidence back into my life, myself. And slowly but surely, my whole entire existence changed. And I became this fitness, nutrition person. And I stayed. I got my job back at Frank, and I worked behind the bar as I was getting sober because I saw how incredible life could be by just changing a few things. Moving my body, eating healthy, getting into prayer, surrounding myself with a community of people that supported me, that understood what I was going through, I understood what they were going through, and we connected over that. And it felt comfortable. It was a win. And so my life progressed. I met my wife about nine months into sobriety, and she also supported me. And I love her more than anything on the planet. I can honestly say I love her. And the only reason why I could say I love her is because I learned to love myself. So I ended up going back to school. I went to culinary school. I got a degree in culinary arts, and I began this process of building businesses. My first business was called the Meatball Shop. It was a restaurant that I opened up in February of 2010, and it took off like wildfire. Now, you can say that that was luck, or you can say that I can. I consciously made These decisions on a daily basis to put myself in lucky situation. I believe that to be the case. Is it really luck, or is it consistency and positive decision making that creates these situations that one would consider lucky? One of the initial investors of that restaurant said, hey, you guys have struck gold here. Let me help you open more of these businesses. And so we did. We opened up five more restaurants together, Daniel and I. And then I sold a bunch of equity at Meatball Shop. And that was a really tough time in my life too. You know, it was really tough. The meatball shop was kicking butt. But my partnership with Daniel was very, very difficult. Very, very challenging. It was a failure of mine, for sure. I. What I learned in that process is I. It was very, very difficult for me to not be able to step out of myself and put myself in someone else's shoes, to see their perspective on a certain situation. And so that makes for a really difficult partnership. Right? Like, if you can't see it from the other person's side at all, whether they're right or wrong, it's very, very difficult to be simpatico. You have to be able to step back, hear what other people are saying, appreciate what they're saying, allow that to somewhat impact how you feel or how passionate you about a specific situation, and then ultimately be able to make a sound decision. And the two of us were young, and it was really our first business, and we battled a lot. So I ultimately ended up selling a bunch of equity at that company and creating my second restaurant concept, which is called Seymour's. And that one also was very successful. And I scaled that business to six restaurants and sold equity to my partner there in 2019. And this is when Creatures of Habit began to take shape. So I had spent many years from 12 to 39 in the world of restaurants. So what is that? 22. 32. 27 years working in restaurants as both a technician and a restaurant owner. And I knew when the pandemic hit that something needed to shift. I knew that I had to pivot out of the restaurant business. Now. Before Creatures of Habit was what it is today. I had created this brand called Creatures of Habit that was. That was going to be a restaurant in New York City. And I was gonna use the restaurant as an incubator for a line of consumer packaged goods. So it was gonna be this great restaurant, but I wasn't gonna scale the restaurants because I knew that I didn't love doing that anymore. I wanted to have one restaurant that was a wellness restaurant that was a cool spot in New York City that people can get healthy food, but it would be in an awesome environment. Not like a kind of hippie, dippy, crunchy, vegan style environment. It would be just this really awesome restaurant with a great vibe. But the food just so happen happened to be healthier. And then we were going to make products within that restaurant and have a little retail component to the restaurant and bottle sauces and make overnight oats and do things like that that people could ultimately grab with them on their way out. And whatever people were taking home with them, we were going to ultimately invest in to develop a line of consumer packaged goods called Creatures of Habit. And that was how I was going to scale that business. Well, the pandemic hit and investors lined up for it, and I basically called it off. I told everybody that what's going on in the world right now does not make sense to open up a brick and mortar business. I'm going to pause and we'll see how this thing goes. And my wife and I decided to move out of New York City and move to our house upstate in upstate New York. And it gave me an opportunity to really think about what the future would be for me in my career. Because the career as I knew it in the world of restaurants had come to a screeching halt. Nobody knew what to expect in that business. And I really took three, four months to do a deep dive. And I hired an executive coach, a woman named Megan Dolce, who's also a very good friend of mine. And she really helped me see that I am a creative entrepreneur. A restaurant was a medium for me, but I could really create in any industry if I wanted to. And so I had already been thinking about cpg, which is consumer packaged goods. Anything that's in a package, it doesn't have to be food. It could be skin care. It could be really, you know, anything that you would buy in a store in a package. I knew that I wanted to be in that. In that industry, and I knew that I needed to be in wellness. I knew that I needed my business to align way more with my passion for wellness, because I knew that my story doesn't exist without wellness. And so I took those months to really figure out what I was gonna do. And I was on a run, which is where I get a lot of my great thinking done. And it all came to me. I had been eating this oatmeal concoction for years at that point. 16 years. 15. 16 years at that point. This was like in 2020. So, you know, I got sober in 2004. And I had been eating that oatmeal since Marcus told me to do that. And it just all came to me on that run. I've been eating this oatmeal every single day. This is a nutritional win for me. This eating, this healthy meal to kickstart my day makes me feel good, gives me leverage on making better decisions nutritionally throughout the day. I loved my oatmeal. I really did. And it was before we came up with the overnight product. It was a hot oatmeal that I would make every single morning. It would take me 20ish minutes to make. I would, you know, I would take about a little more than half a cup of oats, 2 cups of water, and slowly bring it to a boil. I would let it boil for 5, 6 minutes, and then I'd let it simmer for about 10 minutes just to really get the oats to the right consistency. And then once it was simmered, I'd steam it out a little bit, and then I'd pour a scoop and a half of plant based protein powder into it with chia seeds, flax seeds, and pumpkin seeds, and some pink Himalayan salt. And then I would stir it and I'd finish it with some blueberries, some cinnamon, cacao nibs, and sometimes some shaved almonds. And then on the side of that, I had my supplement stack, which was always omega 3 fatty acids, probiotic digestive enzymes, and vitamin D3. And that was my morning breakfast every day. And so I, on this run, said, man, if I can figure out a way to get all of that stuff into a pouch, not only will I be able to share this, like, monumental habit with the world, this habit that I believe so much in, because nutrition, what we put into our body, truly does dictate how we feel. Not only how we look, how we perform, but also how we feel. And when you eat healthy food, you feel good, you also perform well, and it ultimately contributes to how you look. And so I said, wow, like, if I can give people a springboard in the morning, like, I use this thing to make better decisions nutritionally throughout the day. And this, by the way, was also, like, a catalyst to my complete 180 in life. This is one of the first things he told me to do every single morning that I stuck with. And so does oatmeal. Is oatmeal like, a big part of my overcoming adversity story? Hell, yeah, it's a big part of it. And it all came to me on that run. I said, man, if I can get this stuff into a pouch, I think I can help a lot of people and it will give me an opportunity to truly tell my story. Because I know what made me feel comfortable on a day to day basis basis, comfortable enough to want to continue on the recovery path. I know it was the other people around me that told their story that I related to that made me feel comfortable, comfortable enough to literally want to continue. And so if I can get this oatmeal into a pouch, I think I'll have a business that can help a lot of people. Because it's a habit that I've been doing for so long. It's what I fuel my body with and it's fueled me through competitive sport, traveling. I mean, I'm talking about, I eat this thing, I eat it every day still, every day. Unless I'm doing some kind of crazy, you know, gut rebuilding protocol like I kind of am right now, where I can have it every day because I have this very restrictive diet. But by and large, meal one is my breakfast every single day. And so I got home from that run, I told my wife, this is what I'm going to do. She thought I was absolutely out of my mind. But I said, I really believe I've got something here. It is so authentic to me. I could really, really stand behind this thing. There's so many products in the wellness world today. There's so many. There's like what to eat and what not to eat, the supplements to take and the supplements not to take. I just knew that I can create something that was just a no brainer for everyone and anyone. I had a call the other day. I speak to a lot of people in the community. I had a call the other day with a guy who's a diabetic and he was like, you know, I've wanted to eat oatmeal for so long, but it just spikes my insulin. I can't eat it until I had meal one. And he wears a continuous glucose monitor and he eats meal one every single day because the combination of oats, protein and fat actually don't spike his insulin. I was so happy to hear that. So when I say meal one is for everyone, I mean meal one is for everyone. And in these conversations that I have with people that are like, you know, it tastes really good, I get that big blast of protein in the morning that I've been looking for without having to think about it. But really, at the end of the day, it is the easiest way to get a healthy meal in the morning, the most like thoughtless way. I don't have to put any thinking into it. I make it the night before. It takes me a minute to make. I pull it out in the morning and it's ready to go. And I'm here to tell you that it's a freaking win. It's a win. And so I spent the next year and change after I told Donna that this is what I was going to do, working on the formula of how to make my oatmeal in the morning viable in a pouch to be able to sell as a brand. And I did it. And that's another thing that I want to share. Like ideas can and do become reality if you put your mind to it. I had an idea. I committed to the idea. I was relentless about making it happen. I asked everybody around me for help and I did it. And I'm not ashamed to say we sell millions of dollars worth of oatmeal every year for the last three years actually. And we're nowhere near where I know the company is going. But Meal One and Creatures Sleep, now we have Creatures Sleep we introduced about a year and a half ago, almost two years ago, which is our sleep support hot chocolate, which really helps you kick off your wind down routine. So you your day with Meal one. And just so anybody listening doesn't know what Meal one is, it is a high protein overnight oatmeal. You can also make a smoothie with it if you choose. But basically it's gluten and glyphosate free oats. It's 30 grams of plant based protein. It's got chia seeds, flax seeds and pumpkin seeds for omega 3 fatty acids. It's got a probiotic, digestive enzymes, vitamin D3, pink Himalayan salt for electrolytes. So there's a good dose of sodium in there in the morning, which is something that really does help you, you know, with hydration and energy. It's just an all around great product. But I'm like, I don't try to sell the oatmeal. My philosophy and how this business is going to grow is through the mission of trying to help people understand that change is possible. And I'm doing it through this business. I'm sharing my story as often as I can to give people the inspiration and the hope that. And you don't have to be an addict. I don't mean going from addiction to recovery. I just mean so many people struggle with their health and making better decisions with their nutrition and trying to find a Way to get the motivation and the discipline to work out and go to the gym and be fit and move their body. What I'm here to tell you is that the happiness in life does not come from the material things. Comfort and dopamine come from money. But comfort is not long lasting and dopamine is certainly not long lasting. Knowing that you have committed to yourself through nutrition and fitness is long lasting and brings absolute joy. It just does. And that's how I've stayed sober all these years. Because I am committed to a life of wellness. My life today. The success in my life and the joy in my life is because of my wellness journey. I don't have my wife and children without my wellness journey and sobriety. And so I am so obviously, if you're listening to this this far, you can hear in my voice how passionate I am about this. Yes, I would love you to try meal one. If you haven't tried it. Yes, I would love you to try Creature Sleep, which is, you know, Creature Sleep is a sleep support hot chocolate. It's a delicious hot chocolate. You can also make it into a chocolate milk, but you have it around an hour and a half before you go to bed. It's a blend of 0thC, CBD, Ashwagandha, Reishi, Mushroom, gaba, chamomile, flower extract, magnesium, L theanine. It's got a touch of lion's mane in there. It tastes like Swiss Miss hot chocolate. It's absolutely delicious. It's a perfect sweet tooth quencher, but it really does help you relax, fall and stay asleep so you can kick off that wind down routine. So my mission is to help you find an easier pathway into what I know to be the joys in life which really come from our commitment to ourselves and being healthier. And if I can be even a blip on your radar, that journey, that's my life's work. So that's my story. And I'm so deep in the thick with creatures of habit. You know, I love this brand and there are moments, I'll be honest with you, I'll be transparent. You know, I'm like a very out in front human. I like to be around people and constantly socializing and people are my, people are my, you know, like everything in my life. Solitude is really my kryptonite. Like I love being around people and running this company is very different than being in the world of restaurants. I spend a lot of time alone in an office by myself because the team is remote and sometimes I question man like, is this what you signed up for? You're alone a lot. You're running this digital brand. And I just know that this is all part of it. It's all part of it. I've got a mission. I want to help as many people as possible feel good about themselves. And it's not necessarily only about, you know, trying to help addicts find their way out of the shackles of addiction, although that's a big part of it. I want to just help people that are struggling find a few little things that they can include in their lives and hear my story and potentially relate. And that is what this brand is. And I'm not going to stop until we impact millions of people's lives. I'm going to keep pushing hard, no matter how hard it gets. You know, you hear about these brands that all of a sudden are doing $100 million in sales and, you know, yes, I want to get there. Yes, we will get there eventually. But right now, for me, it's about the mission. Trying to impact as many people's lives with this story and hope that they want to opt in and try the product. I'm so grateful for you all listening to the podcast. It would mean the world if you'd subscribe to the podcast. We're really trying to grow this thing. This podcast has been such a fun part of the job for me. Creatures of Habit. This is my way of really communicating with you. Unless you're one of the people that I've connected with and call. I call a lot of people from the Creatures of Habit community. I spend a lot of my time making phone calls because I, again, need that as a people person. But that's my story. And I'm really telling you that I've overcome adversity, and wellness has been my ticket through it. Share this podcast with someone that you think might appreciate it. I love you guys. Appreciate you. Until the next one. Peace.
Podcast Information:
In this compelling solo episode of the Kreatures of Habit Podcast, host Michael Chernow delves deep into his personal journey, unveiling the transformative experiences that led to the creation of the Creatures of Habit brand. Unlike his typical episodes featuring guests, Michael offers an intimate recount of his life, emphasizing the pivotal role of habits and routines in overcoming adversity and achieving success.
Michael begins by painting a vivid picture of his challenging upbringing in a cramped and volatile household in New York City. Growing up on 87th Street, he shares the difficulties of living in a small apartment with his family and facing his father's unexpressed anger and mental health issues. This turbulent environment fueled Michael's need to escape and find solace in various activities.
Quote [00:00]:
"I was an escape artist from as early as I can remember. And I also was an entrepreneur."
From a young age, Michael exhibited entrepreneurial spirit, selling toys and comic books to cope with his home life. His involvement in sports, particularly hockey, provided a temporary refuge from his troubled home environment.
Despite his early passions and successes, Michael's life took a dark turn during his teenage years. At 12, after a suicide attempt and subsequent institutionalization, he began grappling with severe addiction to drugs and alcohol. The loss of his father at 21 further exacerbated his struggles, leading him into a deep spiral of substance abuse.
Quote [00:29]:
"What you hear in this podcast could potentially make some big changes in your life."
Michael candidly discusses his time working in restaurants while battling addiction, highlighting the pervasive nature of substance abuse in the industry. His turning point came after a near-fatal overdose, which forced him to confront his addiction and seek help.
Michael recounts the moment he decided to seek help, detailing his encounter with Marcus, a sober mentor who provided a structured plan to regain control of his life. This plan included establishing a disciplined morning routine, which became the foundation of his recovery.
Quote [01:27]:
"I wish I could freeze that moment, that feeling... addiction is so powerful."
Marcus's regimen emphasized "habit stacking," introducing Michael to a series of positive habits that replaced his destructive behaviors. Central to this routine was "Meal One," a high-protein overnight oatmeal that became a daily staple in his life.
Quote [16:XX]:
"I've been eating this oatmeal every single day."
Through consistent adherence to this plan, Michael experienced significant physical and emotional improvements, ultimately leading to over two decades of sobriety.
Post-recovery, Michael's entrepreneurial drive led him to the restaurant industry. He founded The Meatball Shop in 2010, which quickly gained popularity. Despite early successes, Michael faced challenges in partnerships, learning valuable lessons about empathy and collaborative management.
Quote [MM:SS]:
"It was very, very difficult for me to not be able to step out of myself and put myself in someone else's shoes."
Undeterred by setbacks, he launched Seymour's, another restaurant concept that expanded to six locations by 2019. However, the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic compelled Michael to pivot away from the restaurant business, leading him to explore the consumer packaged goods (CPG) sector.
The creation of Creatures of Habit was born from Michael's commitment to wellness and his personal story of overcoming addiction. Initially intended as a restaurant incubator for CPG products, the pandemic prompted a strategic shift. Settling in upstate New York, Michael focused on developing "Meal One," a convenient, nutritious oatmeal product designed to replicate his morning routine.
Quote [MM:SS]:
"If I can give people a springboard in the morning, like, I use this thing to make better decisions nutritionally throughout the day."
"Meal One" encapsulates Michael's philosophy of habit stacking, combining gluten-free oats, plant-based protein, seeds, and essential supplements to create a balanced meal that supports both physical and mental well-being.
In addition to "Meal One," Creatures of Habit introduced "Creatures Sleep," a sleep-support hot chocolate designed to aid relaxation and improve sleep quality. Both products reflect Michael's dedication to fostering healthy habits that contribute to long-term wellness.
Quote [MM:SS]:
"It's a high protein overnight oatmeal... it's the easiest way to get a healthy meal in the morning, the most like thoughtless way."
Michael emphasizes that the brand is not merely about selling products but about inspiring change through shared experiences and personal stories. His mission is to help individuals commit to healthier lifestyles by providing accessible and effective wellness solutions.
Michael passionately outlines his vision for Creatures of Habit, aiming to impact millions of lives by promoting wellness and resilience. He openly shares his successes and challenges, reiterating the importance of consistency, positive decision-making, and community support in achieving personal growth.
Quote [MM:SS]:
"The happiness in life does not come from the material things... Knowing that you have committed to yourself through nutrition and fitness is long lasting and brings absolute joy."
As the brand continues to grow, Michael remains steadfast in his commitment to the mission, leveraging his platform to inspire others to adopt healthy habits and overcome their own adversities.
Michael Chernow concludes the episode by expressing gratitude to his listeners and encouraging them to engage with the Creatures of Habit community. He underscores the significance of wellness in his life and the lives of those he aims to help, reinforcing the podcast's core message: our habits define us and have the power to transform our lives.
Quote [MM:SS]:
"My mission is to help you find an easier pathway into what I know to be the joys in life which really come from our commitment to ourselves and being healthier."
Michael's authentic storytelling and unwavering dedication serve as a testament to the profound impact of habits on personal success and well-being.
Introduction to Habit Importance [00:29]:
"Our habits will make us or they will break us. I've lived on both sides of the tracks and have experienced some of the best and the worst that habits have in store."
Foundational Storytelling [01:27]:
"I want to give you the uncensored story of why I am here with you today and why Creatures of Habit exists."
On Addiction's Power [00:29]:
"Addiction is so powerful. A lot of people think that addicts just are able to just stop if they really want to."
Habit Stacking Revelation [16:XX]:
"I've been eating this oatmeal every single day. This is a nutritional win for me."
Mission-Driven Entrepreneurship [MM:SS]:
"If I can give people a springboard in the morning, like, I use this thing to make better decisions nutritionally throughout the day."
On Long-Lasting Happiness [MM:SS]:
"The happiness in life does not come from the material things... Knowing that you have committed to yourself through nutrition and fitness is long lasting and brings absolute joy."
Commitment to the Mission [MM:SS]:
"My mission is to help you find an easier pathway into what I know to be the joys in life which really come from our commitment to ourselves and being healthier."
Michael Chernow's heartfelt narrative in this episode offers listeners an inspiring look into the transformative power of habits. From battling addiction to building successful businesses, Michael's journey underscores the essential role of consistent, positive routines in achieving personal and professional success. Through Creatures of Habit, he not only shares his story but also provides tangible tools for others to embark on their own paths to wellness.