By Sheldon Baker03.02.22
With a passion for customer experience and building high-performance teams, Michelle Martin continues to influence the ever-changing space around her as the recently appointed president and COO of Cypress Systems, Inc. Martin keeps her finger on the pulse of changing economies, expanding expenses, advancing technologies, and evolving mindsets. Her role at Cypress allows her to exercise these levers and more. Her background started in marketing and expanded into a variety of industries, bringing a unique strength to her position. The opportunity to work in the nutritional industry with Cypress has married her experiences, passions, and long-standing fascination with personal health and wellness. Martin is most fulfilled when making the world a better place. Whatever the medium, health, wellness, service, or design, improving the world completes her. Finding that fulfillment professionally and personally fuels her purpose-driven life, a measurement of true success she models for her two adult sons, Austin, and Zane.
Health E-Insights: What was your biggest challenge entering the nutraceutical industry?
Martin: My timing. There are always challenges and big learning curves when entering a new industry, but my timing greatly compounded the challenges. Supply chain issues, skyrocketing costs, and the safety of our team have all been added obstacles to work through in an already challenging time.
Health E-Insights: Cypress has invested in science. Are more studies on the horizon?
Martin: Yes. Woven into our brand is our commitment to science. With the introduction of our new chelated mineral line, new studies will be a part of our future. You asked about our investment in science. In addition to studies, part of our commitment to science is validating and standardizing our ingredients. Confidence in our ingredients is a top priority for our brand.
Health E-Insights: Are all of your ingredient offerings related to nutritional yeast?
Martin: No. All of our ingredients are high-quality, superior forms of minerals but not all are bound to yeast. We recently launched a full line of chelated minerals to offer the same exceptional quality across more minerals which cannot organically bind to yeast.
Health E-Insights: What are your plans for company growth?
Martin: We have many exciting things ahead. The challenge is selecting which ones to focus on first. We are looking at a new ingredient that has never been on the market and has a wonderful social impact component. In addition, we have some condition-specific ingredients on the horizon and new focuses, globally.
Health E-Insights: As president, what keeps you up at night?
Martin: Staffing for growth during the great resignation. We have a phenomenal team, and they are my top priority. Finding candidates that fit our company culture, possess the core competencies of the role, a passion for customer service, and a purpose-driven mindset are crucial elements for new hires.
Health E-Insights: Which is most important to your organization: mission, core values, or vision?
Martin: Our core values would top the list. Our vision and mission can evolve, but our core values are the foundation which we stand on.
Health E-Insights: How does Cypress give back to the community or to society?
Martin: Cypress is a purpose-driven brand. We fund several non-profit causes around the world. Almost all include aid to children and maternal health. Our most considerable support goes to Wings of Hope Rescue Home in Nairobi, Africa. They serve underage girls that are impregnated under dire circumstances. Typically, the families ostracize the pregnant girl out of shame and financial hardship. Wings of Hope takes the girls in and gives them medical care throughout their pregnancy and the first two years of the children's life. In addition, the girls remain in school and learn how to care for their new child. Cypress has been sponsoring the home for years, and we are in the process of starting a campaign so they can build a more extensive facility to serve more women and children.
Health E-Insights: What motivates you in your new position?
Martin: The opportunity to live out my passion and my purpose every day. I have been a passionate, self-taught novice regarding health and an avid consumer of supplements for over 30 years. It has been fulfilling, and at times surprising, to work in the industry of which I have been a customer for so long. My purpose is what brought me to Cypress. I met Paul Willis, our founder and CEO, through a non-profit I was working with. Cypress is a purpose-driven brand, and my personal experience with mission work in a third-world country helped me better understand the purpose-driven work Cypress is doing in the world. I loved bringing my blend of non-profit work and for-profit experience to a for-profit, purpose-driven brand. Empowering working women is also my purpose. I have been part of the leadership team for a local women's organization. I have profoundly benefited from mentors in my career, and I want to share that with others. A group of nutritional industry leaders and I have begun working together to form an organization that will address some of the disparities of women in the supply and nutraceutical space. We are planning to launch in 2022.
Health E-Insights: What is one thing about yourself most people don't know or would find surprising?
Martin: I love a slow and sleepy morning which always includes coffee and a dash of my latest curiosity. I blend various ingredients to superfood which is my coffee. My latest creation is adaptogens with multiple mushrooms, spices, collagen, and fiber. Add in frothed almond milk and a sprinkle of cinnamon and I have the perfect concoction to start my day.
Health E-Insights: Do you have a favorite weekend activity?
Martin: I love many weekend activities, but the one that has consumed most of my weekends is renovating properties. So far, I have eight properties I have renovated. I love studying the home's architecture and modernizing it while staying true to the uniqueness of its time period. As a result, I have worked on a variety of styles. Some include a 60's mid-century modern, contemporary beach house, 1920's California Spanish, and my current project, a 1935 Tudor.
Sheldon Baker is CEO of Baker Dillon Group LLC and has created numerous nutraceutical brand marketing communications and public relations campaigns for well-known supplement and food industry companies. For Health E-Insights interview consideration or brand marketing consulting, contact him at SBaker@BakerDillon.com.
Health E-Insights: What was your biggest challenge entering the nutraceutical industry?
Martin: My timing. There are always challenges and big learning curves when entering a new industry, but my timing greatly compounded the challenges. Supply chain issues, skyrocketing costs, and the safety of our team have all been added obstacles to work through in an already challenging time.
Health E-Insights: Cypress has invested in science. Are more studies on the horizon?
Martin: Yes. Woven into our brand is our commitment to science. With the introduction of our new chelated mineral line, new studies will be a part of our future. You asked about our investment in science. In addition to studies, part of our commitment to science is validating and standardizing our ingredients. Confidence in our ingredients is a top priority for our brand.
Health E-Insights: Are all of your ingredient offerings related to nutritional yeast?
Martin: No. All of our ingredients are high-quality, superior forms of minerals but not all are bound to yeast. We recently launched a full line of chelated minerals to offer the same exceptional quality across more minerals which cannot organically bind to yeast.
Health E-Insights: What are your plans for company growth?
Martin: We have many exciting things ahead. The challenge is selecting which ones to focus on first. We are looking at a new ingredient that has never been on the market and has a wonderful social impact component. In addition, we have some condition-specific ingredients on the horizon and new focuses, globally.
Health E-Insights: As president, what keeps you up at night?
Martin: Staffing for growth during the great resignation. We have a phenomenal team, and they are my top priority. Finding candidates that fit our company culture, possess the core competencies of the role, a passion for customer service, and a purpose-driven mindset are crucial elements for new hires.
Health E-Insights: Which is most important to your organization: mission, core values, or vision?
Martin: Our core values would top the list. Our vision and mission can evolve, but our core values are the foundation which we stand on.
Health E-Insights: How does Cypress give back to the community or to society?
Martin: Cypress is a purpose-driven brand. We fund several non-profit causes around the world. Almost all include aid to children and maternal health. Our most considerable support goes to Wings of Hope Rescue Home in Nairobi, Africa. They serve underage girls that are impregnated under dire circumstances. Typically, the families ostracize the pregnant girl out of shame and financial hardship. Wings of Hope takes the girls in and gives them medical care throughout their pregnancy and the first two years of the children's life. In addition, the girls remain in school and learn how to care for their new child. Cypress has been sponsoring the home for years, and we are in the process of starting a campaign so they can build a more extensive facility to serve more women and children.
Health E-Insights: What motivates you in your new position?
Martin: The opportunity to live out my passion and my purpose every day. I have been a passionate, self-taught novice regarding health and an avid consumer of supplements for over 30 years. It has been fulfilling, and at times surprising, to work in the industry of which I have been a customer for so long. My purpose is what brought me to Cypress. I met Paul Willis, our founder and CEO, through a non-profit I was working with. Cypress is a purpose-driven brand, and my personal experience with mission work in a third-world country helped me better understand the purpose-driven work Cypress is doing in the world. I loved bringing my blend of non-profit work and for-profit experience to a for-profit, purpose-driven brand. Empowering working women is also my purpose. I have been part of the leadership team for a local women's organization. I have profoundly benefited from mentors in my career, and I want to share that with others. A group of nutritional industry leaders and I have begun working together to form an organization that will address some of the disparities of women in the supply and nutraceutical space. We are planning to launch in 2022.
Health E-Insights: What is one thing about yourself most people don't know or would find surprising?
Martin: I love a slow and sleepy morning which always includes coffee and a dash of my latest curiosity. I blend various ingredients to superfood which is my coffee. My latest creation is adaptogens with multiple mushrooms, spices, collagen, and fiber. Add in frothed almond milk and a sprinkle of cinnamon and I have the perfect concoction to start my day.
Health E-Insights: Do you have a favorite weekend activity?
Martin: I love many weekend activities, but the one that has consumed most of my weekends is renovating properties. So far, I have eight properties I have renovated. I love studying the home's architecture and modernizing it while staying true to the uniqueness of its time period. As a result, I have worked on a variety of styles. Some include a 60's mid-century modern, contemporary beach house, 1920's California Spanish, and my current project, a 1935 Tudor.
Sheldon Baker is CEO of Baker Dillon Group LLC and has created numerous nutraceutical brand marketing communications and public relations campaigns for well-known supplement and food industry companies. For Health E-Insights interview consideration or brand marketing consulting, contact him at SBaker@BakerDillon.com.
