MORE BACKGROUND
These partnerships, along with nationwide trials, established My25’s foundational guidelines, technology backbone, and a holistic approach to strategic direction. We centered on outcomes and personalization for the individual and—uniquely—the whole household. From a nutrition standpoint, we committed to: moderation versus deprivation; rebalancing the plate; The Dietary Guidelines for Americans; and that super nutrient, fiber.
The immediate goal was to improve clinical and social health, streamline mealtime, and reduce grocery expense for one of the most marginalized populations in the U.S.—while also curtailing costs for allied organizations and funders. Our initial deliverables were web-based/mobile-optimized resources branded as My25 Choice.
My25 Choice outcomes were, and years later remain, substantial on all counts as we successfully scaled one of the most health-compromised, nutrition-challenged, and cost-conscious mountains. Our innovation has been entrenched for the past several years among the nation’s most respected for-profit and nonprofit human services provider organizations.
Our innovation regarding an expanded product line was fueled in a number of ways as My25 Choice commercialization grew and grew throughout the U.S.
Jim and Sylvia noted that multiple outcomes could be achieved simultaneously—and, in fact, concurrently move the eat-better needle by leaps and bounds—when critical fundamentals are linked and automated. My25’s pivotal partnership with Walmart is a primary example of how connecting food-related essentials adds value and impact by saving time and keeping purchases in healthy and budget-sensitive lanes.
We were similarly energized by two additional factors. First, stories of engagement and positive health realized by family members and professionals personally interfacing with our resources by way of their connection to an individual utilizing My25 Choice. With everyone on the same eat-better page, sustainable habit change for the person with specialized needs was more often occurring. And second, subscribing organizations started promoting their My25 outcomes as a way to drive financial and marketing initiatives. Basically, wellness was selling . . . well . . . inordinately so for our customers.
Increasingly . . . “time savings,” “budget worries,” “the criticality of technology,” and “staffing challenges” came up in more and more conversations. We thoughtfully took it all in, leveraging our robust foundation and deep understanding of the changing dynamics. We expanded My25 capabilities and footprint to help more people with specialized needs and, simultaneously, their allied organizations. As a result, we strategically go far beyond healthy recipes and menus to catalyze and sustain broad-based change. Food as medicine, done right.
Mainstay’s My25 team is comprised of nutrition, preventive health, disease management, education, culinary (our chef is a graduate of one of the top culinary schools in the U.S. and long experienced at working with staff and residents in community-based homes), grocery, technology, human services and business professionals and partners who expertly and enthusiastically maximize our daily efforts and growth. We unabashedly love what we do.
Jim and Sylvia routinely present at conferences throughout the U.S. regarding: My25’s mutually-beneficial outcomes for subscribing entities and people with specialized needs; clinical and social health impact; integrated technology innovation; and first-ever, on demand performance measurement of household nutrition via trended Healthy Eating Scores (HES). They were invited to meet with CMS Secretary of Health & Human Services and her team in Washington to provide insight into My25’s groundbreaking, holistic approach. Further, at the request of Illinois state legislators, Jim and Sylvia were the architects behind guidelines—which have since been enacted into law—regarding health benchmarks for marginalized populations.
Mainstay’s founders are described as . . .
Fanatically determined to drive impactful, multi-pronged outcomes for their customers
Strategy and implementation gurus
Fiber nerds who really do eat the right foods in the right amounts
Forever lamenting that there are only 24 hours in a day
Bound for Door County, Wisconsin with various kids and dogs whenever a rare, spare moment pops up