WAV Nutrition is located off the corner of West Belleview and Huff street in Winona and is selling more than smoothies. WAV Nutrition is an acronym standing for Winona active vessel.
Owner Jordan Gathje said the business is a community promoting healthy lifestyles more than just a smoothie bar.
“[We are a] personal development company and we just so happen to sell products as well,” Gathje said.
The interior of WAV nutrition features a lounge and drink counter. The drink menu features a variety of made-to-order healthy energy drinks and meal replacements. The lounge is where coaches meet with clients to discuss goals.
Gathje said the coaches work side by side with clients.
“We want people to become their best selves, and we will be with them every step of the way if that is what they want,” Gathje said.
Katie Reed is a single mother and coach in the WAV Nutrition community. Reed said that the community helped in hard times..
“WAV was there for me at some really tough times in my life. If I needed my kids watched, someone was there, if I needed help moving, a group from the community would be at my door.”
In WAV Nutrition’s community, there are quite a few coaches and almost all of them had started as a person who was receiving coaching. One of them, Jordan Frey, shared good things about Gathje and WAV Nutrition.
“WAV Nutrition is more of a family than a company,” Frey said. “And the coaches aren’t there to get you to buy a product, they are there to see you become the best you. [Gathje] didn’t ask me if I wanted to buy a product until he was working with me for about
a year.”
WAV Nutrition does not have employees, at least not in the traditional sense. Each ‘employee’ is actually their own business owner. They all take time to run the bar, but they also are taking time to work with members of their community, a lot like a life coach.
“We want people to become their best selves, and we will be with them every step of the way if that is what they want.”
After getting to sit down with Gathje and some representatives of the brand, it is probably better to call WAV Nutrition a catalyst rather than a vessel.
From the outside, WAV Nutrition’s storefront does not seem like much, it’s just a door, but the interior is clean, and bright.The menu is large and contains healthy alternatives of both energy drinks and meal replacements.
However, WAV Nutrition is more than just a smoothie bar and a fun place to hang out, there is a whole community behind the scenes. WAV Nutrition serves its members, that is the idea that they were founded on, but they also serve their greater community.
Gathje talks about how WAV Nutrition partners with local groups to show support.
“Right now we are talking to a fire department, a couple actually, to see what ways we can fundraise for them. We also do cleanups, we get big groups to do road-side cleanups.”
Gathje continues by calling back the V in WAV, “The V is for vessel, and WAV Nutrition is an acting vessel for communication and connection.”
Gathj wraps things up his mission, “My goal is to continue to serve the community [of WAV Nutrition]…when people understand that we are more just shakes, that’s when the power of change can come.”