Meet Mitzi Dulan, RD, CSSD | Founder + CEO of simplyFUEL

We had the good fortune of connecting with Mitzi Dulan, RD, CSSD and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Mitzi, what is the most important factor behind your success?
I think the most important factor behind the success of my brand is that people are blown away by the taste of it. And, when you have a delicious and nutritious snack food that kids and parents enjoy you can have a winner. I also believe the authenticity of my story that I randomly made the players my protein ball recipe as the Team Sports Nutritionist for the Kansas City Royals for 10 years. Never before had I made them food in my kitchen at home and brought to them. The players loved my balls so I doubled, tripled and quadrupled the recipe. We won the World Series 6 weeks later, I got a World Series Ring. Then, everyone was asking “how do I buy your balls?” And, simplyFUEL was born.

I’ve also been extremely fortunate that the Dallas Cowboys sports dietitians have bought my protein balls to fuel their players for the last 4 1/2. years. I truly appreciate them supporting my small, women-owned business.

What should our readers know about your business?
Without a doubt, I’m most proud of launching my simplyFUEL Protein Balls in the Dallas Fort Worth Costco locations and we did so well that we just delivered two more truckloads of simplyFUEL Protein Balls to ALL Texas Costco locations! Yes, that means they are now in Houston, Austin, San Antonio and all Costco locations in Texas. Woohoo!!! I’m very grateful that my buyer at Costco gave me and my product the opportunity.

Also, for anyone who doesn’t know my story, here you go…in 2015, on a whim I made my protein balls for the Kansas City Royals as their Sports Dietitian. The players loved them! I got lucky and 6 weeks later, we won the World Series! The Royals gave me a World Series Ring. I did tv segments on NBC, FOX, ABC, and CBS in KC. Then, everyone was asking me, “How do I buy your balls?” And, I made the crazy decision to start my food company, simplyFUEL. I have protein balls and 1 ingredient chickpea protein powder.

It has not been an easy path to get into Costco. It has taken me 6 years of trying. A little backstory about how I finally got my protein balls into Costco. I was exhibiting at the world’s largest Natural Products Expo West in 2017 in Anaheim when a very experienced Costco buyer from the LA Region came by my booth and was obsessed with my protein balls. She came back the next day and told me that my product was her favorite product at the whole show out of about 3500 exhibitors. She wanted me to fly back out to meet with her. I flew out, we had a great meeting but unfortunately, I wasn’t yet all set up with a facility that had all the required audits and then once I got my production set up with a new co-packer, she went out on medical leave and after another year she had to retire due to medical challenges.

Next, I was all set for a meeting outside of Chicago to meet with the Costco Midwest region. Flight and hotel were purchased. Our meeting was on March 26, 2020. Needless to say, that meeting was cancelled a week prior due to COVID and Costco shifted their plans with COVID.

Fast forward, to 2022…I’m back exhibiting at Expo West in Anaheim and met the head guy for the Texas Costco Region who gave me the contact information for my category buyer. I got my PO by June and delivered my first order in January and recently delivered a to the entire state of Texas Costco locations!

Being persistent and persevering through a pandemic and surviving on a very bootstrapped budget by operating lean has been extremely tough but I’m still standing AND building. Many of the food companies that started back when I started are no longer around. I’ve seen countess companies get millions in funding and fail. It has been super challenging dealing with inflation on my ingredients, co-packer and shipping but I’ve never felt more ready to crush 2023. I’m very thankful to my 3 investors.

Thanks to my family and Antoine Dulan who has sacrificed a lot to support my business. Thank you to the Dallas Cowboys who have supported me for several years by fueling their players with my protein balls. Thanks to all the sports dietitians who have bought my protein balls to fuel their teams in the NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB, and college.

I cannot thank you enough for supporting my small, woman-owned business. I’m also very excited about some new products I will be launching this year!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I absolutely love eating at the Woolworth while people watching people below. I start with the caprese lollipops and truffle fries and then usually have the ahi tuna salad.

I also love visiting a Pressed location for my favorite cold-pressed juices which are the Roots 3, Greens 3 and the Citrus 2.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I’m so thankful for my original mom ball “rollers”. I had about 5-6 moms who were stay-at-home moms and and they would come over to my home and roll protein balls on my kitchen island for like 4 hours until they had to go pick up their kids. I didn’t pay these moms as I was bootstrapping everything! I paid them with protein balls. They were amazing and I’m forever grateful to them. We probably covered almost every possible protein ball joke. Thank you OG MOM Ball ROLLERS!!!

Website: www.simplyfuel.com

Instagram: @simplyFUEL

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mitzidulan/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/611786366424275