CYBF SEWF Series: Lean Machine

When I started Lean Machine in 2005, it was a bold move.

April Glavine

The thought of an independent organization attempting to enter a category dominated by national players was a risk. The notion of targeting a niche segment in a high volume, low profitability category added to the complexity.   Regardless, I believed in the brand and the fundamental truth that I could change peoples’ lives by simply providing them with access to healthy, nutritional options.

Generations of time-starved Canadians sacrifice their personal health and well-being daily to consume products their led to believe are convenient yet healthy.   Lean Machines Healthy Vending Service Inc. was established since 1999 to answer both of these needs and to educate, engage and energize a new generation of Canadians focused on the future of their community, their family, and most importantly themselves.

Our team has travelled the world, and can tell you these perceptions are wrong. Canadians continue to reach for products which offer little to no nutritional value for two reasons, lack of education on the benefits of healthy eating and most important a lack of options.  

The first five years of building Lean Machine were what investors and entrepreneurs refer to as the ‘POC’ years, or better known as proof of concept.

This scenario forced me to enter locations which today I’d politely decline simply because the traffic count cannot support the business.   But it was also these early years which truly made Lean Machine what it is today.  Its organic growth, quickly created popularity in turn generating buzz within the category which to this day is one of the majors reason why Lean Machine’s organic search within Google is so strong. 

With a boot-strapped budget, public relations became the driving force behind building unaided brand awareness across the country.   Almost an entire year was spent building awareness for the brand which actually meant advocating for better provincial legislation to aid the movement.  After a year, I realized I could spent another 25+ years repeating that exact process and still have not established the proper channels to influence government change.  

It was 2010 when I first entertained the idea of a franchising system. By this time other smaller players had entered the category, predominantly in the US and franchising was the approach they embraced to establish critical mass in a much bigger market.  

My franchising test consisted of two, completely different partners. Both options appeared to make sense at that time, exceptional reach due to their extended network of machines in addition to built-in infrastructure to service respective units. 

As the story unfolds, one remains a solid franchisee to the day while the other could be an article in itself focused on lessons learned. Neither of these tests resulted in significant profit for the brand, rather they continued to support Lean Machine in its constant quest for Brand Awareness and once again validated that the brand could hold its own in new markets.

While attending the Wallace McCain Institute through UNBI had the benefit of consulting and direct mentorship from some the leading venture capitalists and business leaders in our country. Through this process I recognized that in order for the brand to remain competitive and grow, franchising was a significant opportunity. 

For me, the past three years have been some of the most rewarding. Not only given the changes in my personal life but also witnessing first hand my first child, Lean Machine continue to grow and thrive in new markets. As our society becomes more and more heath conscious, the opportunity for the brand only flourishes.