Meet Jason Winn, Founder and President of Bonk Breaker, a nutrition company setting out to help fuel the athletic goals and healthy lifestyles of amateurs and pros alike. We spent the day with Jason catching up on family, wellness, and why he is happiest when he is on the move.
Meet Jason Winn, Founder and President of Bonk Breaker
Classic Jacket in Wilkes
Everyday Tee in Dark Navy
London in Parkland
What does an average day in your world look like?
- 5:30 am – early wake up because I like the silence. I’ll get to pressing things for work and east coast customers (we do a ton of work with NFL teams, NCAA, NBA, and MLB). Espresso and peanut butter toast while I make lunches for the kids (Everest 11yrs, Isla 9yrs, Easton 7yrs).
- 6:20 am – out the door for a 2-mile run with our 2yr old, Red Mearl Aussi Shepard “Whiskey” to get the mind right. That’s 7 days a week, Whiskey does NOT take days off!
- Get back, wake up the crew and get fancy coffee made for Jess (my wife), breakfasts for the kids and we’re off to school.
- Then to work. Jess is the early stages of starting a business and I’m in a lot of Zoom meetings.
- For exercise, Tues/Thurs I train with a group of my great friends and athletes at a facility called Proactive Performance. One hour on the dot, and we are all better people, parents, leaders, followers on these two days of the week. Other days, I take Whiskey for a walk mid-day.
- Afternoons are school pick-ups, coaching my son’s soccer team and taking the girls to dance.
- Dinner, homework, play with neighborhood friends, then hit the hay! As a family, we go pretty hard but also have a lot of fun!
Classic Jacket in Wilkes
Everyday Tee in Dark Navy
London in Parkland
What is your daily uniform?
My Citizens denim jeans, Citizens T or a long-sleeve button-up flannel or denim. It’s not uncommon to wear a Canadian tux at least a twice per week. And boots, either Wolverine 1000 Mile or Shoe the Bear.
What led you to create a nutrition company?
I played football in college, then I had started competing in triathlons. I needed nutrition but found the products on the market to be pretty unappetizing. The bars were dense and hard to eat without swigging down water with every bite. The gels weren’t satisfying.
I had an a-ha! moment that PB&J had the perfect sports nutrition, like a bar and gel smashed together. And of course, I would make it taste good! After some failures and then some successes, my mom and I created Bonk Breaker in 2005 with our original PB&J Real Food Energy Bar, which is still our best seller.
Tell us a little bit about Bonk Breaker Nutrition - the name, the products, the company ethos?
In endurance sports, “to bonk” is when you hit the wall. You run out of energy – your legs get heavy, turn to jelly, cramp, you get dizzy. My products “break the bonk”: they give athletes the nutrition they need so they don’t bonk. But even more than that, I want my products to help all levels of athletes achieve their goals – and have fun at the same time!
Crewneck Sweatshirt in Evening Sand
London in Cloud River
What is your daily uniform?
My Citizens denim jeans, Citizens T or a long-sleeve button-up flannel or denim. It’s not uncommon to wear a Canadian tux at least a twice per week. And boots, either Wolverine 1000 Mile or Shoe the Bear.
What led you to create a nutrition company?
I played football in college, then I had started competing in triathlons. I needed nutrition but found the products on the market to be pretty unappetizing. The bars were dense and hard to eat without swigging down water with every bite. The gels weren’t satisfying.
I had an a-ha! moment that PB&J had the perfect sports nutrition, like a bar and gel smashed together. And of course, I would make it taste good! After some failures and then some successes, my mom and I created Bonk Breaker in 2005 with our original PB&J Real Food Energy Bar, which is still our best seller.
Tell us a little bit about Bonk Breaker Nutrition - the name, the products, the company ethos?
In endurance sports, “to bonk” is when you hit the wall. You run out of energy – your legs get heavy, turn to jelly, cramp, you get dizzy. My products “break the bonk”: they give athletes the nutrition they need so they don’t bonk. But even more than that, I want my products to help all levels of athletes achieve their goals – and have fun at the same time!
Crewneck Sweatshirt in Evening Sand
London in Cloud River
Everyday Tee in Black
Gage in Eventide
"Building this company has been tough, but [my family] made it through together. With the tough, there’s also the good – I don’t take any of it for granted. "
Everyday Tee in Black
Gage in Eventide
Why are real, quality ingredients important to your products/the foods athletes consume?
I’m all about real food – endless fruits and veggies, quality meats, keep fast food to a minimum (but I won’t deny it – In & Out is a once a month go-to for us). Why would I want to eat something full of junk while exercising? That never made sense to me and just doesn’t feel good. So when I started creating my energy and protein bars, I wanted to be sure the ingredients were real and easy to digest, but also enjoyable to eat. That’s why I’ve got flavors like PB&J, Cookies & Cream, Salted Caramel and Apple Pie.
Now there is so much great research coming out about the gut and brain connection, that what you eat can dictate your mood and mental health, or at least play a significant role. At the end of the day, if you eat good, you feel good. Everything is much more enjoyable, and the hard things are more tolerable when you feel good.
LEFT:
Everyday Tee in Charcoal
London in Sycamore
RIGHT:
Everyday Tee in White
London in Parkland
What gets you up in the morning?
My kids and my wife and the good moments in all the madness, my espresso, my runs with my dog, Whiskey. Building this company has been tough, but we’ve made it through together. With the tough, there’s also the good – I don’t take any of it for granted.
We've heard of "runners high" - what is it that keeps you going when competing in a Triathlon or Ironman? What keeps you coming back?
The “runner’s high” is real! Personally, I am so much happier when I am moving (running, walking, doing, training) – you can ride that wave all day! Moving is also an active meditation. It’s amazing, all of the problems, feelings and other things I figure out while I’m running, biking or walking. Once the high kicks in, I can handle the things that were overwhelming and get my head clear. Let’s call it the “Runner’s Drug”, but the catch is: you have to earn it! The more consistent you are, the better it gets.
Of all your athletic ventures, which are you most proud of completing?
I would have to say RAAM (Race Across America). It’s a bike race from Oceanside, California to Annapolis, Maryland. I was fortunate enough to join a 4-person team including 3 living legends and good friends: Laird Hamilton (Legendary Big Wave Surfer), Tim Commerford (Bass Player for Rage Against the Machine), and Don “The Wildman” Wildman (Founder of Bally’s Fitness, 9 X IRONMAN, 100% bad ass).
We started 36 hours before the race start with a 24-hour stand-up paddle from Paradise Cove (Malibu, CA) to Oceanside, CA. We then started the bike race the following day, and it made an IRONMAN seem like just a training session. Being on that journey with Laird, Tim, Wildman, and the crew was life changing; I still pull from those memories and inspirational moments daily.
What is the best advice you've ever received?
I have 3 mantras I live by:
At the end of the day, your reputation is all you got. You can’t outrun a bad reputation and it’s near impossible to fix. Do the right thing to the best of your knowledge/ intentions.
The best thing we can do for this world is raise kids to have empathy and a strong work ethic.
Anything with real value doesn’t come easy, and if it does come easy, it ain’t worth a damn. You have to do the work!
When do you feel the strongest?
When I’m getting after it! Whether that’s at work, with my kids, on the trails – it’s all about putting the effort in and seeing the results! I am fortunate enough to be part of a GREAT work team that pushes each other every day for all the right reasons.
Where do you feel most at peace?
When I’m with my family on the beach or playing outside. They keep me sane, they make me laugh, they help me remember what it’s all about. Loving my family, spending time with friends, keeping it real!