Sporting a white lab coat and hair net, CEO and President Shasha Navazesh, really blends in as he mixes the dough and tosses the loaves in and out of the oven. Shasha is definitely not your typical CEO. On any given day he arrives at the plant at 4:30 a.m. – more than four hours before the office opens – to begin mixing ingredients to be baked, packed and prepared to ship that day.
“For me baking requires creativity and precision,” shares Navazesh, who uses the precious hours of the early morning to make adjustments to his formulas. “I want to ensure every day runs smoothly and we continue to provide healthy and tasty foods to our customers.” Nothing if not flexible, this creature of habit regularly connects with customers to ensure their nutritional needs are continuously met. The once perfected snaps have been under the microscope and now include prebiotic and probiotic cultures to enhance digestibility. In fact, you’ll get more probiotics into your system than you would with several servings of yogurt!
That’s not the only reason why Shasha doesn’t opt for the snooze button. While large corporations provide training programs using textbook manuals, Shasha provides hands-on instruction with new hires by demonstrating the proper techniques to blend each unique flavour. He also checks in with production staff between two manufacturing plants every day to provide support and obtain feedback.
“You don’t have to be on Undercover Boss to learn about changes that need to be made to
run more efficiently.” Shasha asks the question many CEO’s shy away from: How can we be better? “Checking in with my staff allows me to identify areas that need improvement. I welcome their opinions and suggestions. It’s great for team building.” I’m sure his customers will agree. Aspiring to become better is never a bad thing.
At 8:30 a.m. the day officially begins. Shasha is ready to start the day when it’s already begun.