Women in Health: A Bold New Approach to Ending Hunger

Intro: Broadcasting live from the Business RadioX Studios, it’s time for Women In Motion. Brought to you by WBEC-West. Join forces. Succeed together. Now, here’s your host.

Lee Kantor: Lee Kantor here, another episode of Women In Motion, and this is going to be a good one. But before we get started, it’s important to recognize our sponsor, WBEC-West. Without them, we couldn’t be sharing these important stories. Today on Women In Motion, we have Jenny Buettner, and she is the CEO of Buettner Global Services Corp. And this month, remember we are highlighting women in Health, so I am so excited to be talking to Jenny about her work. Welcome, Jenny.

Jenny Buettner: Hi. Nice to see you. How are you?

Lee Kantor: I am doing well. I’m so excited to learn what you’re up to. Tell us about Buettner Global Services. How are you serving folks?

Jenny Buettner: So, Buettner Global Services has been in the food service industry for the last five years, supporting food banks and shelters and major distributors across the country and helping with food insecurity.

Lee Kantor: So, what’s your backstory? How’d you get involved in this line of work?

Jenny Buettner: Oh, okay. So, this is my backstory. It’s very interesting, considering I did not come from the food industry. My background has been in fashion, and I was in fashion for 12 years, designed and patented fashion solution products, and have been in manufacturing for quite some time. And COVID happened. Everything came to a complete standstill with fashion, you know, the fashion shows, weddings, whatnot, everything just kind of stopped. And I overheard a conversation with Sysco mentioning that they needed food and helping with the MREs, Meals, Ready-to-Eat, for different food banks and shelters across the country and that they had been contracted for. And since they did not have the capability to do small-scale retail, shelf-stable food, everything they did was in large portions like six, ten cans, 20-pound bags of pasta, they needed assistance in finding smaller quantities of food.

Jenny Buettner: So, I overheard a conversation that this is what they’re looking for, and I said I can help you because I’ve been working in that space. And then let me tell you how I worked in that space. So in the fashion world, I made, manufactured my products that I patented, and I sold them into high-end costuming, wardrobing and boutiques across the country. And then I knocked myself off and also brought myself, bifurcated the company and brought myself into discount chains like Dollar Tree, 99 Only, and so forth. So that manufacturing and that scale increased exponentially by being able to go from 600 high-end boutique stores and costume and wardrobing to now, you know, another 30,000 stores across the country by going into the discount retail area.

Jenny Buettner: So, that’s my manufacturing background, being able to perform for all of those different categories. And so, initially I heard that they needed assistance. I told them that I worked with these discount retailers. They asked me if I can assist them through that process. So it got me into the food business. And then I started working directly with manufacturing or different manufacturing companies to assist us in that purchasing.

Jenny Buettner: So, as I started to see the food start to – so, people starting to get food fatigue, you know, with a lot of these food programs. It’s the same food over and over and over again. And you start to see that people who are receiving this do become fatigued with the choices that are presented to them. The choices are not always the healthiest that the government provides to them. And so, I started seeing that there was a need to provide healthier choices to our community. And that’s how I got started.

Lee Kantor: Can you talk a little bit – you kind of went over it pretty quickly, but I’m really curious about the point of you knocking yourself off. And that’s – I find that most companies are afraid to do something like that. I mean, I can only think of Netflix as one of the few that have successfully knocked themselves off to be, you know, a major pivot, but still kind of within the same industry. Can you talk about the thought process there and the steps you took to knock yourself off so you can expand your presence?

Jenny Buettner: Sure, sure. So in that fashion world, my initial products that I patented were designed to go into, like I said, high-end costume and wardrobing, into fashion boutiques, and so forth. And so once I accomplished that, I went that is very limiting. You know, you’re stuck now with just a specific demographic where I really wanted to be able to provide my products to the masses.

Jenny Buettner: And so I created a secondary brand, and I brought it to Dollar Tree and to 99 Only and Dollar General, and like I said, I bifurcated the company and created another network of opportunities for my products that just didn’t sit in a high-end level. So by doing that, I was really able to expand the brand. And that brand is Shibue Couture, and that brand has been doing exceptionally well and still does today.

Lee Kantor: Now, what was – can you just walk us through what was the thought process like? Did you hit a point where it’s like, hey, there’s no – this market’s not big enough for our dreams? We’re going to have to do something. Can you talk about how you went to that point? Because that – I don’t know if everybody would make that same step that you took to, you know, go into a different, you know, whole market, you know, knocking yourself off like you did. Can you talk about kind of the thought process, the trade-offs that you were debating about doing it?

Jenny Buettner: Well, as long as I was not interfering with my high-end brand, then I was okay. And that’s really what I was looking for. I wanted to make sure that – the thought process behind it is how do I be able to increase my manufacturing capability, bring prices down, and hit a wider market? And I was not able to hit a wider market just by sitting alone in a high-end retail, especially with fashion solution products. And that’s what my company, you know, it’s still my company today, Shibue, is that Shibue was designed for fashion solutions, so things that you can’t see, which is – we went from food to fashion. But the whole basis for Shibue was to look flawless underneath the clothing that you’re wearing, without showing panty lines and bra straps and so forth and so on. So that was the concept all behind Shibue, and I felt like there was a much broader audience than just in your high-end retail, that there was a need across, you know, all walks of life.

Jenny Buettner: So by providing those products to the discount chains, you know, I felt like I was giving somebody else a high-end product but at a better offering. And also, I was able to increase my capability of manufacturing at a higher level.

Lee Kantor: And then by building those relationships with those other outlets, that kind of made sense with the food side of the business. Now, you had access to a variety of markets that your food could get distributed into.

Jenny Buettner: That’s right. So it really was when the change of the guard happened. So I went from providing them as a, you know, as manufacturer my products to saying, hey, I need to buy your products for this need. And so, I did. I became, you know, I switched hats and came out to them and said, look, I need to be able to buy these products for Meals, Ready-to-Eat, and I need to be able to buy them at a better price. And I need them immediately. And you have access to it right now, and I need it right now because that’s what happened in COVID. You know, all of a sudden everything was cut off immediately and people were, you know, without a job, without food; there was only so many people that were designated to be – what was the word that they used? We were –

Lee Kantor: The essential.

Jenny Buettner: Essential. We were essential, yeah, you know, who was an essential worker, who wasn’t an essential worker. And so, you know, everybody was pretty much cut off from the food chain or, you know, financing, you know, having money to be able to go out and buy food. So we were picking up the pieces along the lines with some of the retailers that I had relationships with.

Jenny Buettner: And then, as I was utilizing those relationships, I was also creating new relationships in the food industry and started calling and knocking on doors and, you know, reaching out to people who were very seasoned in the industry and that were also needing help. And I became an integral part of sourcing for not only Sysco, but, you know, various other high-end distribution companies and, you know, food banks and shelters. So, we became very essential very quickly.

Lee Kantor: Now, is there any advice you could share for other people when they’re trying to elevate themselves from a vendor to a partner? How did you build the relationships in such a way that that made sense for both parties?

Jenny Buettner: That’s interesting because it wasn’t super easy in the beginning. You know, this industry and the – I could say that about industry, every industry, every industry has it seems to be your good old boys or, you know, people who have been in the business for so long that, you know, they’re an anchor there. And me coming in as somebody brand new saying, look, I want to buy half a million dollars worth of your product. They’re, who are you? You know, how do we know you’re going to pay us? How do – you know. It was – it was quite a challenge. It really was.

Jenny Buettner: I mean, there was, you know, deals that I was making all. You know, I will go ahead and I will confirm that I will buy X amount over this amount of time and really started building up relationships and showing that there were benefits and they could trust me in the business. And that was the biggest part. You know, you have a lot of people, I think, who come to some of these businesses, and they’re looking to make the quick buck and then escape. That wasn’t my plan. My plan was to go in and make a presence and then grow my presence.

Jenny Buettner: Because if I was going to step into something like this, it wasn’t going to be a one-shot wonder. I was going to make something of this, and this is what we’ve done. And as a result, now we are expanding into the way we assist people who are having food security issues or even basic need issues.

Jenny Buettner: That’s become a huge thing as well, as we start to see emergencies happen all across our country. One of the things that we’ve developed and we’re deploying now is our containers with not only Meals, Ready-to-Eat but your basic necessities of aspirins and, you know, laundry detergent and toothpaste and toothbrushes and things like that. All in vending, in vending machines. So that’s a whole nother thing. You and I could talk for hours about some of these programs that we have, but it’s really been expanding the way that we are implementing our food choices and healthier choices to the end user. So we can avoid the food fatigue, avoid the food waste, the labor shortage, and so forth, and really making a meaningful impact.

Lee Kantor: Now, how are you deciding how and when to innovate? Like is – I guess I would imagine in something like vending, you’re getting pretty instant data about, “Okay, this is selling, this is not selling. Let’s do more of this. Less of this.” Is it something that you are from the top down, you’re saying, hey, we need more of this? Or is it from the bottom up, where the people are like, hey, you know, if we had more of this, you’d sell more of this?

Jenny Buettner: So, this is a new program that we’ve just piloted, and we’re just doing it right now in California, in Orange County. And the way that the program works is that our vending is all powered by our wishes platform, which is another exciting thing I could share with you.

Jenny Buettner: It is a platform that you can go in and make a donation and specify it to family members, friends, people who have stories, like a GoFundMe. But the difference is, is when you give your $100 donation and you say, I want it to go to the fire victims and I wanted to go to basic essentials, that money goes into that pool. And then the minute that money is spent, you know exactly where that money was spent and who spent it. So, you know, not a full name and whatnot if it was gone into a pool but you’ll know exactly that data.

Jenny Buettner: And today nobody has that kind of data on donations. And so if you went in and said, I want $500 to go to my son who’s going to college, and I want him to only spend it on food because, you know, we want to be able to track what my son’s spending, now you have that donation and that when your son goes to spend that money on our vending machines, you know exactly where that money’s been spent.

Jenny Buettner: So what we’ve seen and what we’ve uncovered in the last 4 or 5 years during our work with food banks and donations and fundraisers and so forth, that there’s no transparency. When you give that money, you don’t know where that money has gone. You don’t know if it’s gone to food. You don’t know if it’s gone to liquor. You don’t know, you know, or even if the story is that you’ve been told has been properly vetted. You know, I can tell you stories like Scamanda, right, on Netflix today where people were donating and that was a complete farce. Well, everything that we’re doing through our wishes platform and through our Serv-Vending program, you know exactly where every penny has been spent through the donation process. And the data is remarkable. Just the data that we’re able to provide is remarkable.

Jenny Buettner: And we really feel that that’s going to be super meaningful as we move through our pilot and then move across the country with our vending program, because not only are we going to be able to provide – not only are we going to be able to provide, you know, detailed data of how the money is being spent, the food choices that people are making but we’re also going to be able to provide healthy food that is either specific to people’s health requirements, you know, low sodium, gluten-free, that type of thing, high protein, low carbs, healthy, good food that is all locally sourced. And that’s been – you know, this whole program that we’re developed out right now is all about community, working with local, local companies and really being able to provide a missing link in what is going on in today’s world for food security.

Lee Kantor: Now, are you partnering with organizations, school systems, or is it individual people?

Jenny Buettner: No, right now we’re partnering with campuses because we’re recognizing that on – especially on a lot of our, you know, college campuses that there’s a huge insecurity of food for, you know, some of these students that are on campus. We’ve determined just on one campus alone, I won’t mention it, but here in Orange County, the one campus alone, there’s 19,000 students enrolled in the school, but there are 5000 who go without a meal a day.

Jenny Buettner: And so, with our wishes program and with the donations that we’re able to put up into that pool, they’re able to go and utilize our wish card through our Serv-Vending program and utilize that money to be able to buy food, laundry detergent, just necessities, you know, school pen, paper, you know, and you’re starting to really understand where money is being spent and how it’s being and how – and be able to take that data and derive the information that’s necessary for us to be able to take this and pilot it across the U.S.

Lee Kantor: Now, why was it important for you to become part of the WBEC-West community? How did that come about?

Jenny Buettner: So when I started working with Sysco, the amount of projects and, you know, sales that we were doing with them across the country, they asked, they said, “Are you certified through WBENC?” And I said, “No.” And I really didn’t know much about WBENC at the time. And they said, “You know, you really need to get on with WBENC. We would like you to be a WBE.” And I said, “Sure, no problem.” So we signed up with WBENC, and I’ve been thrilled that we’ve been a partner with WBENC because they have been instrumental in really a lot of connections throughout, you know, throughout the country.

Lee Kantor: So, what do you need more of right now? Do you need more strategic partnerships? Do you need more talent, more funding? What –

Jenny Buettner: All of the above, actually, because this particular program that we’re going into is not a small program. You know, FEMA is having a little bit of a challenge today. And I think what we’ve got going on today, nobody is being able to provide the type of data that we can provide. And so growing out this platform and bringing it across the country to all the different schools and campuses and shelters is where we’re going.

Lee Kantor: So if somebody wants to learn more, have a more substantive conversation with you or somebody on the team, what is the best way to connect? What is the website?

Jenny Buettner: So, the best way to connect with me right now is jenny@bgs-corp.com. They would be able to reach out to me on my email. And our website is bgs-corp.com. They’d be able to reach out, check out our website there. But that is my what you called me on regarding my food business. Right? This is what we do.

Jenny Buettner: But one of our – it’s our – you know, a subsidiary is our Serv-Vend, which is what we’re pushing out there for the food insecurity across the campuses across the U.S. So, that is the launch of this one. And like I said, our first pilot is going on here in Orange County, and we’re really excited to be able to provide that data and show how we’re making an impact, because today people are, you know, feeling like their donation is making an impact, but they really don’t know what kind of impact that donation is making.

Lee Kantor: Now, the Serv-Vend, does that have its own coordinates? Do you have a website for that? Or is that –

Jenny Buettner: Yes. That’s actually – it was up yesterday and then we just took it down to add all the menus. And so that’s going to be back up on, I think, on Friday. So it’s being all developed out.

Lee Kantor: And then who’s the ideal candidate for Serv-Vend?

Jenny Buettner: So, the ideal candidate is again it’s shelters, campuses, airports, you know, gymnasiums and really doesn’t – there’s no limitations to where our vending machines can go.

Lee Kantor: All right.

Jenny Buettner: In order for somebody to be able to utilize our vending machine, they can use it with their regular card. Or if you are somebody who is having a difficult time and going through a challenging experience, you can go on to our wishes platform, and you can get assigned. You can go in and tell your story. You get assigned a number and then people can donate either up to your story like a GoFundMe, or what they could do is go into a pool like they’re, you know, they can say, you know, I’m in the fire zone and I need help because of whatever. And that money will go into that pool, and where they can go ahead and swipe their wishes card because now they’ll have a wishes ID on their phone, and they’ll be able to use that at any one of our 76,000 retailers.

Lee Kantor: And they can use that just like money.

Jenny Buettner: And they use it just like money. And the good thing about it is, again, they get to go utilize it for what it’s been designated on or designated for, right? So, you know, if I’m donating it and I want it to go to food or I wanted to go to gas or I wanted to go to insurance, the minute somebody goes and they swipes it, I’m going to know where my money was spent as the donor.

Lee Kantor: What an amazing story, Jenny. Such rewarding work. You must sleep well at night knowing the impact you’re making.

Jenny Buettner: Thank you. Well, we are really excited about this program. We’re really excited about being able to make an impact and help people because there is such a need today as we start to see, you know, every time we turn around, there’s something else going on, where we really feel we can help people.

Lee Kantor: Well, thank you so much for sharing your story today. You’re doing important work, and we appreciate you.

Jenny Buettner: Well, I appreciate you having me on and love to share more as we start to grow this program across the U.S.

Lee Kantor: Sounds good. Well, thank you again. This is Lee Kantor. We’ll see you all next time on Women In Motion.