Nutrition club opens shop off Washington’s square

Madison Rogers opened Triple MMM Nutrition in late May, located on South Marion Avenue just off Washington’s square.

The shop serves “meal replacement shakes” and colorful “tea bombs” which Rogers described as a healthy energy drink. It’s the latest distributor in the area to open its doors selling Herbalife products. The company refers to its retailers as “nutrition clubs,” although Rogers said it functioned as any other shop, free of any membership system.

“I just really like the products,” she said. “They are targeted toward weight loss and I have seen the products work for myself. And I would like to help others who would like to lose weight too.”

The 22-year-old said she saw a gap in the market, recognizing Herbalife-supplied nutrition clubs in the surrounding towns of Columbus Junction, Kalona, Mt. Pleasant and Iowa City, but missing from Washington.

Triple MMM is her effort to fill that niche.

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The store is Rogers’ first shot at owning a business, a venture she started after leaving her previous job and acquiring a small business loan. With minimal startup costs and in-demand hours limited to the mornings, she said Triple MMM’s model made it an easy enough entrepreneurial endeavor to start with.

“I honestly, at first, did not know what I was getting myself into,” she said. “I don’t need much to do this … technically, all I need is water and blenders.”

As one of the younger vendors in town, Rogers still is feeling things out. While newfound business ownership is a challenge, she said the experience was enriching.

“It’s the opportunity to do my own thing, and to grow as a person in business,” she said. “I’m being more independent, and pushing myself to realize I can do this and make it work, and working hard will pay off.”

She said her age had made it somewhat difficult to get things off the ground, however.

“I feel like a lot of people don’t understand or want to give it the time of day, because I am so young,” she said. “I think it’s just about having a conversation and getting them in the door, and realizing what it actually is.”

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Still, her intuition has paid off so far.

Rogers shared over 500 sample cups around town before opening to get the word out. Recipients helped spread that word, and she now regularly serves a market that typically falls between high school-aged buyers and others in their mid-50s.

“Things have gone really well,” she said. “I’m starting to see some customers that repeat, and even some that come every single day of the week. We’re still getting a lot of new faces.”

Comments: Kalen.McCain@southeastiowaunion.com