David Habib, the Founder and CEO of Yo Mama’s Foods, is committed to providing nourishing and delicious foods to households across the country, revolutionizing the idea of healthy and tasty meals through their range of natural pasta sauces, salad dressings, and condiments.
Family dinners played an indispensable role for David. With parents and relatives who possessed remarkable culinary skills, he grew up cherishing the moments spent around the table, savoring scrumptious food and sharing captivating stories. This profound connection with food persisted even during his professional career in the corporate world and frequent dining out.
However, his relationship with food took an unexpected twist when he started experiencing discomfort after consuming a specific brand of pasta sauce, brimming with artificial preservatives. This experience ignited a brilliant idea within him: to completely transform packaged sauces, dressings, condiments, and pizza sauces into delicious creations that could perfectly emulate the nostalgic flavors his mother used to create. And thus, Yo Mama’s Foods came into existence.
David’s passion for creating exceptional culinary experiences has propelled Yo Mama’s Foods to the forefront of the culinary industry. By offering a wide range of convenient and nutritious options, David has made it easier than ever for people to enjoy delicious, homemade meals without the hassle. With David’s unwavering commitment to quality and flavor, he has created a brand that not only nourishes the body but also satisfies the soul.
Routine | Serving Dinner at Thousands of Tables Tonight
Growing up, family dinner was a cherished tradition for David, instilling in him the importance of generosity, education, and communal support. Encouraged by his parents to venture into new territories, he developed a strong work ethic and the resilience to overcome challenges. This early foundation laid the groundwork for his pursuit of success in all areas of his life. At night, David meticulously plans his goals and actions, relying on established routines that have proven pivotal in his achievements. The following routines have been instrumental in his success:
- Set morning alarm in the kitchen
- Write everything down
- Be at the Office at 7:30 AM
- CrossFit for one hour
- Spend time at the beach every night or play Pickleball
- Evening planning at 9 PM
- Sunday planning for the entire week
Success
To David Habib, success is not solely defined by personal achievements but by the tangible effects he sees in organizations and the community. He doesn’t see success as just personal achievements but rather as the ability to make a real difference.
This belief has driven his success with Yo Mama’s Foods, which has been recognized as one of the fastest-growing businesses in America, ranking at number 899 in the Inc. 5000 list for 2023.
The company’s remarkable growth can be attributed to David’s vision and hard work, as their products are now sold in 24,000 stores nationwide. His dedication and achievements have also earned him a spot in Forbes’ exclusive “30 Under 30” list for 2022.
Book Recommendations:
Shoe Dog by Phil Knight
Connect With David Habib
Website: www.yomamasfoods.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/yo-mama’s-foods/
Instagram: instagram.com/yomamasfoods
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yomamasfoods
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCad5KgOCLQeNCPGvEjEakDQ
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/yomamasfoods
Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@yomamasfoods
Transcript
Hannah Mitrea 00:04
Hello, everyone. This is Hannah, your host and you are listening to the Success Is Routine podcast. Our show is on a mission to talk to leaders in life and business that have achieved success and to learn what their routine is. If you’re ready to create your routine to success, you’re in the right place. Now let’s get started. Welcome everybody to Success Is Routine podcast. I’m super excited to be talking to David Habib, is the Founder and CEO of a Yo Mama’s Foods. And welcome to the show, David.
David Habib 00:34
Thank you, Hannah. I’m excited to be here.
Hannah Mitrea 00:37
I’m excited, too. I was actually telling my husband while we’re eating lunch, I was like, you know, Yo Mama’s Foods? He was like, Yeah, I was like, I’m talking to the founder. That’s awesome. I love talking to founders and CEO definitely have like products because like, if I see your stuff in the store, I get like super excited. I talked to him. So really excited to talk to you. But share kind of your story. How did you kind of get into Yo Mama’s Foods? So before we jump into your routine and your success, I really want to hear more about like who you are and how you how you got there.
David Habib 01:07
Yeah, absolutely. So Hannah up when I was growing up, family dinner was always a really key part of our day, my mom and my father and all my relatives are very good cook. So that was kind of a non negotiable part of our day was to gather around the table and, and to eat really good food and just discuss our day and what we all learn. So I think when I was really thinking about what I wanted to do, you know, food was was always at the center of it. And I was working in corporate America, I was eating out a lot. I wasn’t really feeling well. I was eating another brand of pasta sauce that was given me some some bad heartburn. And that was really the start of the idea. And that was, you know, how do we create and kind of reinvent some of the package sauces, dressings, condiments, pizza sauces out there, that are just loaded with a bunch of preservatives that my mom never cooked with and that most moms don’t have in their pantry. And that was where the idea came from. So yo mama’s foods is really centered around that, you know, crafting natural pasta sauces, dressings, condiments using only ingredients that that mom has in her pantry. And you know, our goal is to save everyone time. And so you don’t have to slow cook a really good sauce for eight hours because we can do it for you.
Hannah Mitrea 02:28
I love that. And as the new year starts, I think we all get a lot more health conscious. And so I’ve been watching a documentary called the Blue Zones on Netflix. Yes, absolutely. And so just seeing like, how bad food that’s like super unprocessed and less, you know, isn’t made with ingredients that you could probably read. That’s what my dad’s thing always is, like, read the ingredients if we can’t read them we shouldn’t buy. Exactly right. I love that you’re creating a product that you know fills that need where you can still like I’m from Pennsylvania originally. And so pizza pasta my mom like so. I did my DNA and like 50% of my ancestry comes from Italy. No pizza pasta was yes, part of my life growing up of course, it’s I love that you have a sauce that you can you know, easily, like everyone can access that is healthy for you because it has real ingredients. So like a family dinner like that was something that was really important to you growing up my daughter is 16 and I was talking to my husband was like, remember, if we still ate family dinner when I was 16, so I think it’s really cool that we’re doing that I’m glad that something you grew up with. So how do you think, you know, maybe family dinner or just those things kind of played an impact in your trajectory of where you wanted to be?
David Habib 03:44
Absolutely. So it really became a language for us. And for my childhood. I think I learned early on that food is a beautiful language. And it doesn’t matter what background you come from how wealthy or poor you are, you know, people have had to eat and the tables are really beautiful place to gather. So my my mother had always a gift of kind of bring different backgrounds and different people around the table to eat together. So I think I learned very early on that food is a unifying force. And that’s really what we strive to do is bring people around the table. And I think that that message is so important and so relevant today, just given everything that’s going on, you know, there’s so much news about division and about how different we are when really we’re all the same, right? And so I think, you know, I find that a huge piece of our mission and it’s something that’s really powerful is you know, we’re not just selling you sauce, we’re not creating sauce, but we’re building those lasting memories. And that’s what I tell our team, you know, daily is that we’re cooking dinner tonight in 10s of 1000s of households and that’s a really powerful responsibility for us.
Hannah Mitrea 05:00
Yeah, that’s one way to think of it that way, it completely changes. I think the dynamic of it, too. Because you really are, you’re cooking dinners for 1000s of people every single night, which is so cool that you’re doing. I’d love to cook dinner for one family. And so like, you know, I love that I love that diversity and just being surrounded by other people. It’s something I grew up I think with a lot too. And it’s something that, you know, I feel like we’re all just people, just like you said, and so in food really brings us together, my husband’s from Nepal. And so I can, I can definitely say food brings us together. Because when I was in Nepal, like, I don’t know what they’re saying. We have this common ground. And I remember when they brought like Oreos out, and it was just like me, my daughter’s like, lit up, because we’re just like, Oh, my God, something we know. Yes, exactly. But it was that food that like creating that common bond for us and everything. So I know, we’re gonna be talking about routine. But before we get to kind of the routine of it, kind of like bridging between, you know, life routine business. And so you grew a huge business and a very successful company. And so how did routine play a role in your life growing up, they kind of translate it to business?
David Habib 06:18
Absolutely. I was definitely scheduled early on in my life, but my parents, were kind of a very busy schedule. So about between sports, and school and academics and music. So I think that that was kind of ingrained early on was that, you know, I had a lot to do, and not to be in a busy way. But ultimately, if and to learn and to give your gift to, to those around you too. But I think that that kind of allowed me to from a very early age, I’d say come start to compartmentalize certain activities, right. And I think that school was obviously for all of us, you know, where we spent most of our time. So that gave me the opportunity to kind of focus on that, but what I quickly realized was that I didn’t really like school, you know, I enjoyed learning, but I didn’t necessarily enjoy, like, the fences that they put around learning. And I, you know, very early on was interested in business and in commerce, and the idea of creating a product that you can sell and share with multiple people. So that kind of interest really, I can think back went all the way back to third grade, I remember I asked for a cash register for my like birthday gift, just random gift for like a third grader. But that’s really, you know, kind of where I like to focus. And I was always interested in different aspects of business really, from early age. And I think allowed me to, to focus. And my parents were, I would say, very open and not pushy at all, as far as what we studied or wanted to do. And you know, they just wanted us to be happy. But at the same time, there was also pressure to do well within school as well. So it was an interesting life because I had to perform in school, even though I didn’t enjoy. But that’s what ultimately built, I think, a really strong work ethic than just the ability to have to do things, even if you don’t want to do them and just excel at them and do well and move on.
Hannah Mitrea 08:26
Yeah, awesome. I think that’s so cool. So I do marketing, and my LinkedIn bio actually put in there like, you know, I love marketing since I was a kid because like, I like black friday commercials and all those whether the TV show sometimes. And so sometimes the thing we just know that these things are like where we’re gravitating to, even before we probably know that we’re heading towards it. And I know you’ve kind of mentioned like, No, you didn’t really like school, we like learning. And so did you because I know we’re about to jump into the routine side of it. But did you ever struggle kind of jumping into that routine? Was there a switch that was like, hey, or maybe like, had to keep trying to get there before it realized.
David Habib 09:08
I was a slow reader. And I didn’t pick up readings as quickly as I was supposed to in kindergarten. So I think that that made it a little bit more challenging when I was a younger child. But at the same time, I had to work a lot harder in order to perform. So I think it goes back to that work ethic of Yeah, I wasn’t a focused kid at all. And I’m not a focused person today in certain ways, but I’ve obviously trained myself and know what I need to do in order to be able to focus on one specific task to ultimately stay organized. And this is just a good lesson across the board is sometimes where you lack and where your weaknesses are the biggest opportunities because from that, I think that that’s where I just developed a very strong work ethic from a very early age.
Hannah Mitrea 09:57
Right, cool. So let’s jump into routine, and what does that routine kind of look like for you?
David Habib 10:04
Yep, so for me, we’re typically in the office here at 7:30, or warehouses here at 6:30. But I like to start my mornings around 6am. And that’s really my personal time to plan for the day to make sure I set my clear intentions. And I come into work with the right framework and the right attitude and the right mindset, I typically have my breakfast, whatever I can to wake up in the morning, I wouldn’t consider myself a morning person, it takes me like a good 45 minutes to understand that I’m not sleeping anymore. Only in the office around 7:30. And from 7:30, until really 4:30, I would say it’s just a lot of problem solving. Every day is different here, which I think it makes her team extra excited to be at work, because we don’t really know what good bad or ugly we’re going to be solving today. But really, really focused on making sure that our team has what they need here, that we’re driving towards our strategy and the mission from there after that, hey, and I typically go to CrossFit. So this is where, you know, I’d say the mental and spiritual side comes before work. And then the physical side where I’m understanding that I’ve been sitting all day and need to move happens at 4:30. And that’s a really important time for me, I go with all different types of people, different industries. And I think it’s been a really important piece of my daily routine, I would say even from a mental health side, to be able to just go and you know, workout very hard for an hour. Typically, I eat dinner after that. I like to spend alone time as well. So I live very close to the beach, our headquarters and offices about a mile away from the beach, which is wonderful. So Clearwater, Florida, where we’re headquartered has some of the most spectacular sunsets you will ever see. So typically, I’d say springtime, summertime fall, I’m at the beach almost every single night, just walking, making sure that I put my feet in the sand kind of recapping my day, when the time change happened, I replaced that with a pickleball. Now the pickleball, which is a new addiction. And after that, typically around nine I’ll try to get organized for the next day . You know, all of my inbox really intentional about trying to not send emails in the evening, and I scheduled them for the next day. I think that was something that drove me a little bit nuts when I was working in corporate America because I would you be getting emails until 4am. And something that you know, I’m trying to work on and I try to set a clear intention is that you could still be working at night, but you can be intentional about making sure that other people aren’t. So that’s that I’m typically in bed by around 11am Wake up and do it all over again.
Hannah Mitrea 13:00
I love that hack of the whole scheduling emails, I think it’s super cool that you do that. It’s something I actually do too, because I don’t like when my team is working on it or working later in the day, I want them to take those times off, but doesn’t mean that sometimes I’m not gonna get on and send an email. And you know, for client emails, I’ll try to schedule for the next day kind of just set the intention of hey, I’m not working all night long. So please don’t email me all night long. Doesn’t mean I won’t occasionally jump on that. And so you’re really doing a lot of that planning in the evening. before and I 100% relate to your it takes 45 minutes to like, recognize you’re even awake. Yeah. I’ve been dealing with trying to like figure it out. And I was talking to one of my coaches and she was just like, you need to get that sun in your eyes. Yes, it’s not going to happen in the middle of winter. That’s right on the ground with. So I’m like I’ve been trying to you know, I don’t want to touch my phone. Because there’s a big thing of you know, you don’t want to get on your phone first thing in the morning. I have my Kindle that I’ll just like turn YouTube on and like watch music videos in the morning just like get some light into my eyes. But it’s still like I’m looking at like with one eye know like swap eyes before I can fully get away because I
David Habib 14:14
And that reminds me one of the best things I did was in 2020 I bought an alarm clock. So I actually put my phone in my kitchen. And I don’t put it in my bedroom because it’s not my alarm clock but that was really helpful to not use your phone as your alarm clock because it’s not the first thing that you look at in the morning and it’s not the last thing that kind of triggers your like brain to just keep on working now. That’s kind of another good good life hack that I’ve learned.
Hannah Mitrea 14:43
Yeah, we should probably try that one that you have to actually hit because right now our Amazon devices our alarm clock, me and my husband into a different room than us but me and my husband are both very good. I just like waking up telling it to shut up and go Oh, I should try a real alarm clock that like you have to hit. Yes. Get it to stop, exactly to get up in the morning. So a little dive into a little bit more of that like that nighttime planning, what does that look like to really plan for that day to be successful?
David Habib 15:15
Yeah. So I would say Sunday’s are kind of more deeper where I do the entire week. And then in the evening, I’m intentional about what I’m planning and what days I’m planning it on. So we start our Mondays here with a team meeting, that’s really important for us to kind of regroup and really recap everything that we have, that each department is working on. So I know at the end of my weeks, I’m really focused in on what is the entire company doing for that following week, and then I meet with all of our department heads here on Wednesdays. So that’s kind of another good internal day. And then Tuesday, Thursday, and Fridays, I try to keep as my external day. So Fridays is when I schedule a lot of office visits. Anyone who is asking for a in person meeting, I try to do that Friday. And then Tuesdays and Thursdays are very heavy with all of our different brokers or partners, you know, more so focused in on building those relationships outside of the business as well. So yeah, so that’s kind of just how I personally do it. You know, Monday, Wednesday, Friday are more internally focused here in the business. And then Tuesday, Thursdays are more external within the actual meeting side. And if someone is trying to get a schedule, and I booked them, very intentional about carrying them over to the following week. So I kind of keep those days honored. And I don’t try to mess up that rhythm.
Hannah Mitrea 16:41
Yeah, I know, you’re talking kind of like in our pre-call, you kind of mentioned about writing stuff down like really? Breaking it down. Yeah, as I was about to ask you. So when you write it down, is it physical or digital?
David Habib 16:53
Physical? Oh, yeah. I’m not a digital writer, I get a lot of satisfaction with crossing things out. So yeah, I write down everything. That’s really, really key. I actually have a notepad in my shower as well. It’s a waterproof one. And that’s a lot of my like, really good thinking. But yes, I think writing things down writing anything, whether it’s something that you have to do later, something that you have to do in a year, whatever it is, it puts it to life, when it’s on paper.
Hannah Mitrea 17:24
To do you keep like your actual schedule written down to
David Habib 17:26
the schedule is hard hand up, because I get so many zoom meetings and all of those pieces. So that’s something that I don’t write down. But if I’m trying to schedule a meeting, I will certainly put it into my planner.
Hannah Mitrea 17:39
Yeah, no, I love that. I love that you’re like crossing it off. It’s something I used to do. And then I got to like, sucked into digital world. Like, you know, Google just crosses it out for you. At the end. It’s like you don’t get that true satisfaction. So I should definitely look at you know, that do you keep all your notebooks so they like have them from the years past?
David Habib 17:59
I do. So I actually, I found this awesome company. And I know, I’m probably not supposed to advertise, but they’re called oxen, pine. And they’re off of Etsy. So actually, all of our leaders here in the company have a notebook. And they have these, these actually come out of it. So you can change your notebooks. But then they’re all like a really nice, leather bound. So a big, big fan of these notebooks, and it kind of allows you to to keep your old notebooks but still keep one master journal.
Hannah Mitrea 18:28
Yeah, that’s really cool that you have all that in there kind of to see it on and kind of like, have a satisfaction of seeing how much you’ve accomplished because you go back and look through it. So is there any other piece of your routine that you think is very crucial to like, kind of the success that you’ve created? Or is it really that writing down and planning?
David Habib 18:47
Yeah, I would say, writing down and that compartmentalizing and being very intentional about what you do each day, I think, you know, everyone’s busy, and every company, it doesn’t matter where you go, everyone’s busy. So I don’t think it’s a proper excuse whenever anyone says that they’re busy, because everyone is it’s just really just how organized you are, and how you organize that time and set clear boundaries, right. So I think that that’s something that I learned over time. It’s not something that naturally came to me running a business, you’re obviously you know, in 45 different projects and running everywhere. But that schedule has been really, really key and being very key. And on understanding, you know, what day is for external visitors? What day is for internal meetings, what days for team meetings and be organized that way I would say has been really, really helpful.
Hannah Mitrea 19:43
Yeah, I love that structure of these days for this and mistakes for that, that make it so that each week things aren’t getting missed because you carried over maybe too many external meetings into the next week. But now that you have them all on Friday, so that that’s the day that you’re leaving the office. I think that’s really cool that you do that, David So how can you kind of say like, when you look at success, how’s your routine impacted your success?
David Habib 20:06
It’s a huge piece of it, you know, it goes back to the framework and the intentions that you’ve set for yourself and making sure that I think any, you know, quote, unquote, busy person, which is all of us, you know, being very intentional about what you’re trying to accomplish, and when do you want to accomplish it? And, you know, I think that there’s so much data around writing down, you know, your tasks and goals. And I think that that’s a really big, big piece of it. But I think that that it all comes from, it doesn’t matter how smart you are, how good your work ethic is, or how structured you know, you think your calendar is, the proof is in the pudding, right? So you got to execute whatever your plan is in order to ultimately move it forward. And that’s something that, you know, I think, all good people and all good leaders are constantly learning. And we’re all you know, I think, trying to figure out better ways to optimize our schedule and be more and more efficient. But at the end of the day, it really comes down to having a solid plan. And that’s very key. And that’s a hourly plan, a daily plan, a weekly plan, monthly plan, annual plan, that’s really what’s important to drive tactical success.
Hannah Mitrea 21:18
Yeah, I love that we’re talking about planning calendars and scheduling. Like, I’m actually working on like a yearly calendar over here that I’m gonna put on my wall that’s like four foot by three foot just to really see like, what am I love that yep, that’s I love that we’re talking about that, like, just the power that’s have for you. Yes. So just kind of create that. So how would you define success?
David Habib 21:40
I think the best way I would define it is not so much inside of what you think success is, but how many people can measure their success based off of you? Right. And that’s, that’s, I think the ultimate impact is true success is when you’re able to kind of see the impact of whether it’s an organization or a business community. You know, I think that that’s where things become real, right. And that’s the responsibility that I think all of us have is, yes, we’re a business. And our goal is to grow and to succeed in the packaged foods world. But at the end of the day, we’re responsible as a business for providing for everyone’s families, for meals for rent for, you know, mortgages, car payments, college payments, all of it. So that’s a really big responsibility. And when the impact of an organization or a business can be so much greater than, you know, one person, I think that that’s what ultimate success is. So if I would have to sum that up, and that because I know that that as long as you know, it doesn’t matter how talented any conductor is, right? There’s no music without any orchestra or without, that’s what I think true success is, is the orchestra of life is you know, you can be the person in charge. But if you don’t have music around you, then it’s not worth it.
Hannah Mitrea 22:59
Yeah, I feel like kind of that positive impact that you’re having. It’s kind of I’m hearing out of that. And I couldn’t agree more, especially as a business owner and hearing you talk about the people’s lives, you’re impacting that, you know, work for your mom, Massoud is a huge part of this success. And, you know, I look at my own company as well, I constantly look at is the team we have. And, you know, especially the team, we carried through COVID with us and made sure we didn’t lay anybody off. I think looking at those things are huge successes. And so what you’re doing for your company, your team, and you know, all the kitchens, you’re cooking in every single day, thank you to success, style, I like to kind of end with two questions. And one of them is, you know, if somebody’s listening to this that really wants to create that routine for success in their life. What that one thing they need to start doing tomorrow to help them get there.
David Habib 23:52
Yes, so really helpful framework there, Hannah, that I’ve used in that I use daily is starting small, thinking big and scaling quickly. So I think you’re not going to be where you want to be tomorrow. Right. So that’s where starting small is really important is taking those those small steps towards that goal is really important thinking big, you know, being a dreamer, and kind of setting clear intentions about where you want to be and what that looks like I think is also a key part of that. And then scaling quickly, right? So that goes back to once you start to write down one thing in your journal then start to take that all your meetings right so that you’re not wondering what you were supposed to do after a meeting and that scaling quickly is really key to how you’re going to be able to accomplish your your long term goals.
Hannah Mitrea 24:42
Yeah, man, I love that. I love that kind of simple into three different ways to be able to scale think it’s really kind of hearing. Okay, think big. scale quickly. Start small. Right. Okay, in different order. But I think that’s a really good way to kind of look at it definitely starting small and just like picking that one thing, and just, you know, snowballing into the next. And then my other question is, what is that one maybe self help book, personal development book, podcast, magazine, YouTube video, what’s that thing you would recommend somebody either listen to or read next.
David Habib 25:19
So a really impactful book is called Shoe Dog by Phil Knight, his journey building Nike. And I think that’s a great book for really anyone to read, a very transparent and accurate view of what it takes to build a business and how long it takes. And you know, I think that journey and seeing it through a brand that obviously everyone knows, and probably 99% of households have in their home is really impactful because it goes from idea to concept to, obviously what what Nike is today. So that was a book, I think that really had a big impact within my personal journey.
Hannah Mitrea 25:57
Awesome. I have to look at it. Well, thank you so much, David, for joining and sharing your routine.
David Habib 26:03
Yeah. Awesome, Hannah. Thank you. I really appreciate it. Thanks for having me. And it’s an honor to be on your podcast.
Hannah Mitrea 26:10
Thank you for listening to Success Is Routine podcast. If you found value in this episode, share it with a friend. Episodes go live weekly on Sunday at 8am. During your week with the right routine, like follow and review the podcast on Apple podcast, Spotify, Amazon music, or wherever you’re listening during the Success Is Routine movement and get exclusive downloads and content from the guests go to www.successisroutine.com and follow the conversation there or on social media. Until next time, remember,
David Habib 26:40
I like to start my mornings around 6am. And that’s really my personal time to plan for the day to make sure I’ve set my clear intentions. And I come into work with the right framework and the right attitude and the right mindset. And it doesn’t matter how smart you are, how good your work ethic is or how structure you think your calendar is, the proof is in the pudding, right? So you got to execute whatever your plan is in order to ultimately move it forward. And that’s something that I think all good people and all good leaders are constantly learning. And we’re all trying to figure out better ways to optimize our schedule and be more and more efficient. But at the end of the day, it really comes down to having a solid plan true success is when you’re able to kind of see the impact. Whether it’s an organization or a business community, you know, I think that that’s where things become real, right. And that’s the responsibility that I think all of us have is yes, we’re a business and our goal is to grow and to succeed. But at the end of the day, we’re responsible as a business for providing for everyone’s families, for meals for rents, college payments, all of it. So that’s a really big responsibility and when the impact of an organization or a business can be so much greater than one person, I think that that’s what ultimate success is.
