Episode 16: Omar Atia, Zero Carb Lyfe

He sold candy bars at recess when he was 7. By 31, he was the youngest plant manager in his industry. Today, Omar Atia is co-founder of Zero Carb Lyfe — a growing company famous for its chicken-crust pizza. Dana Mauriello talks to Omar about three pivotal decisions: leaving his corporate career in big food, partnering with an inventor who had the idea but needed someone who could scale it, and choosing to grow through retail, new product lines, and venture capital.What makes Omar's story stick is how methodical he was. He tested everything — the product, the co-founder chemistry, the channels, the logistics — before going all in. His advice: don't project on hope, project on data.You'll hear about the mother who called Zero Carb Lyfe's company line sobbing because her daughter with celiac disease finally got to eat pizza at a pizza party. That's the moment Omar knew they were onto something real.This Is a Thing is hosted by Dana Mauriello, Professor of Entrepreneurship at NYU Stern. Every episode features a founder of an unusual business talking about how they made their wild idea happen.New episodes weekly. Find the newsletter at nationofdoers.substack.com.