I drink it in – literally. I still don’t believe that something that tastes this good can be so healthy for me, even though I have been coming here for a couple of months now. Walking into the clean, open space, I head straight for the bar. I give a smile to Melissa, another regular on Friday mornings. I rely on my work and reward system to keep me on track and I made it through another week, so my reward is a trip to Downtown Nutrition.

New Friday, new flavor – with so many options on the menu, I have made it my mission to try something new each time I come in.

Downtown Nutrition has over 61 flavors of shakes and 37 teas with specials each month.

If all you are looking for is a solid recommendation for a new food option to try with an awesome ambience, then stop reading now. Go straight to Downtown Nutrition. “Do not pass Go. Do not collect $200.”

If you want to know why when life hands you a tub of protein powder, you make Fruity Pebble shakes, then settle in.

At one point or another (or at many points) we all ask ourselves: “What do I want to be when I grow up?” It’s only around high school, and even after, that we take that question seriously, that we realize it’s about what we want to do with our lives.

Growing up, Taylor never had a solid answer when asked what she wanted to be when she grew up. She knew she wanted to help people, maybe as a police officer, firefighter, or in the military. In high school, Taylor began to realize that school was not for her and looked to the military instead. Two days from signing, a new opportunity presented itself…

Taylor had been stopping into Nutrition 402 regularly and had become friends with the owner, Lexi. Not satisfied with job she had, Taylor showed initiative and, eventually, Lexi invited her onboard. Taylor eagerly learned the ropes through Lexi’s mentoring and support. Lexi not only taught Taylor important business strategies, but how to lay out a plan and take the steps necessary to actually achieve her dreams. About a year later, Taylor had earned her opportunity and recently bought Downtown Nutrition.

True to its name, each shake has at least ­27 grams of protein (making it a great meal replacement, especially for people constantly on-the-go) and is under 250 calories, but packed with 21 vitamins and minerals.

In her own words, Taylor “had always had big goals, but had never acted on them.” In buying Downtown Nutrition, she had found a way to combine her love for healthy living with her love to help people, as well as be her own boss, an idea that had always appealed to her.

Never deterred by her age, Taylor is a young professional who faces each challenge head-on. Some lessons she learns on the job through her own experiences, while others she learns from Lexi’s mentoring.

In the end, these people are the ones who help us to grow into the potential we always had. They give us the support, guidance, and opportunities we need to do the things we grew up dreaming we could, and more importantly, the things we never imagined we could. For example, owning a business like Downtown Nutrition, one that helps people lose weight, feel better, and change their lives – one birthday cake shake at a time.