When Charles Mattocks, aka “The Poor Chef,” discovered that he was a diabetic, more than his eating habits changed. Mattocks was inspired to extend his brand with a new website, TheDiabeticYou.com dedicated to diabetes awareness and a sugar-free, gluten-free and low in net carbs candy bar, Charles Bar. Now he is using his national platform with appearances on “The Dr. Oz show” to educate the public about diabetes with a forthcoming diabetes testing mall tour across the United States. Rolling out spoke with Mattocks about his brand’s transformation.
What has been the benefit of transitioning into a new area of your brand by utilizing your main area of expertise, which is food?
It was important for me to put out a product that not only helped take me and my brand to the next level, but that was healthy for those with diabetes or just people who didn’t want the sugar. I also realized that I had to reinvent myself as an expert. There are scores of chefs but marketing and branding yourself is key to really taking what you’re doing to the next level and [ensuring] longevity. Rachel Ray is not the best cook but her brand is what any chef would dream of having.
What is the most important factor when it comes to establishing a viable business model based on medical issues?
One thing I feel is very important for any business model is to establish yourself. We have spent the last 11 months finding out who’s who in diabetes as well as letting them know who we are. I also have to establish that we know what we’re talking about when it comes to this disease and create our own platform.
There are always new political and medical developments that can affect your focus on diabetes. How has staying abreast of these issues helped build your brand?
I am always online or reading up on the latest and the greatest in diabetes. I stay updated because I have to know what companies to target for sponsorship and what companies have new products that I would love to team up with. There are also some key political issues coming up that may affect patients and pharmaceutical companies. This needs to be something you can speak about and share with others.
