Lovers Gonna Love

Insects are polarizing. When we set out to flip consumer perception about the revolutionary protein source that is inflect flour on its head, we knew it would be a bumpy road. However, for every piece of hate mail (check out our round-up of our favorite emails and comments from people sippin’ that haterade here, we’ve always had our amazing customers lift back us up. Here's a round-up of some of the fantastic notes that make the blood, sweat and tears we pour into the cricket revolution all worth it:

That time a customer sent us a poem:

Hey guys, I love your product, I wrote a short little poem about it. I hope you enjoy!

"It's made of what?" they said

"Crickets?! Even their heads?"

Yes indeed, I gleefully declared

As I reached in my pocket - I was prepared!

Out came an Exo, the cocoa nut kind

I urged them to keep a clear, open mind

As they chewed, a smile spread on their face

They finished it all, left not a trace

"So, my good friend," they casually said

"Have you got any more, maybe a banana bread?"

The high school student who wants to change the world:

“I am a highschool student at Saint Francis High in Mountain View. My name is Brenden Campbell. I am very pleased that I found out about you because I have been wanting to find a way to market bugs to the public. You have found a way to do this in protein bars. As my senior year starts to close and college approaches I still do not know exactly how I am going to do it, but I want to revolutionize the food industry. I am a very environmental person and I realize that our current food practices are not sustainable. A place that I think I can start is by first changing a major part of the American diet and eventually the world’s. I know that my goal may seem a little big or outlandish, but you have given me hope. I have seen the success of your cricket flour protein bars and I know that it is possible to expand this.

Imagine the possibilities if there was a fast food restaurant made of just cricket burgers, or other insects. If McDonald’s started serving cricket burgers and it became popular. In my mind, the possibilities are endless for something this massive. It is not a coincidence that people love this bar, and that they are up and coming. I know a shift is going to happen in diets and I want to help facilitate this as much as I can. Like I said though, I do not know how I would go about changing the minds of so many people.”

Moms love us:

Exo bars have been a lifesaver for me breastfeeding my infant. No one warns you about those little ones making you feel like you're starving in the middle of the night, while running errands, basically all the time! I keep Exo bars stashed everywhere and they immediate stave off the hangries without causing a sugar rush or stomach issues. I love the clean protein, nutty flavor and the fact I can support a company with ethics that match my own. I've now tried all the flavors, must say the blueberry vanilla is my favorite but not by much. They are all delicious!!

Those who eat the bars to expand their cultural horizon:

“I think it has brought me personally to be more in touch with what the rest of the world experiences. As an American I think I have access to a lot more than others in less fortunate areas of the world. Knowing that I can directly support, with my dollars a product that may benefit the people of the world, makes the world that much smaller and interesting.”

“It's just nice to know that I'm not limiting my diet to cultural norms. As an anthropologist I understand that people all over the world eat insects and a large reason we have highly developed brains is our roles is scavengers and bug eaters.”

The guy who just wanted a simple protein bar:

“I rely less on expensive free range meat in the area I live, and I don't feel guilty eating a protein bar anymore because I know how to pronounce and identify the ingredients without a Doctorate in any field of science.”

From John, who has taken our bars to the corners of the world:

“I work at a startup in the travel industry - as a result, I'm on a plane almost every other day visiting my clients across Europe. My schedule is quite erratic (I'm a team of one and we are growing fast!) and I frequently found myself with no time to eat a proper meal, or stuck on an airplane with nothing (healthy) to eat. I needed a quick, filling and nutritious snack for these times, and Exo bars were really the only thing that cut it for me. My Exo bars have since gone everywhere with me - from geysers in Iceland, all the way to Safaris in South Africa!”

Andrew, who have used Exo to better help him stick to his diet:

“In 2014, I was diagnosed with Crohns Disease. It had a pretty negative effect on my life, since I was really into riding and racing bikes. I was too sick to do much of anything, other than walk the dog. But, through diet, medication, and seeing a holistic doctor, I'm doing much better now! I'm making 2015 my comeback year, so far, so good!

The cricket flour fits in perfectly with my strict paleo diet. Other bars usually have whey protein, which I have to avoid, since I can't do dairy. I like that exo is different, and thinks outside the box (for the U.S.). I also eat epic bars occasionally, which are meat based. But, I prefer Exo bars. They seem to just digest better for me, and pack more calories and carbs.”

And the guy who just wants to be different:

“People think I'm weird. I like that.”