Dave Knapp

a lot of excess adiposity, as you talk about often, it is very hard to pull somebody back from that. And so the years that I spent in the restaurant industry and the years I spent sort of on this roller coaster of dieting was a huge contributing factor to my overweight condition and to ultimately developing type 2 diabetes.

So back in, let's say, about 2011, which I was probably about 25, 26 years old at the time, it was time to get out of the restaurant world. It was like 90 hours a week. It was horrible sleep schedules. I mean, just, you know, you'd be there at 5 o'clock in the morning some days, some nights you'd be there until 1 or 2 a.m., And I wanted to start a family with my wife.

So back in, let's say, about 2011, which I was probably about 25, 26 years old at the time, it was time to get out of the restaurant world. It was like 90 hours a week. It was horrible sleep schedules. I mean, just, you know, you'd be there at 5 o'clock in the morning some days, some nights you'd be there until 1 or 2 a.m., And I wanted to start a family with my wife.

So back in, let's say, about 2011, which I was probably about 25, 26 years old at the time, it was time to get out of the restaurant world. It was like 90 hours a week. It was horrible sleep schedules. I mean, just, you know, you'd be there at 5 o'clock in the morning some days, some nights you'd be there until 1 or 2 a.m., And I wanted to start a family with my wife.

Funny, the whole reason I got into restaurants is I was going to go into marketing and I was dating my wife at the time who has rheumatoid arthritis. And accessibility is a huge issue with the Knapp family because the one thing her parents said to me when I asked if I could marry her is they said, well, there can never be a gap. in her health insurance or she loses access to her medicine.

Funny, the whole reason I got into restaurants is I was going to go into marketing and I was dating my wife at the time who has rheumatoid arthritis. And accessibility is a huge issue with the Knapp family because the one thing her parents said to me when I asked if I could marry her is they said, well, there can never be a gap. in her health insurance or she loses access to her medicine.

Funny, the whole reason I got into restaurants is I was going to go into marketing and I was dating my wife at the time who has rheumatoid arthritis. And accessibility is a huge issue with the Knapp family because the one thing her parents said to me when I asked if I could marry her is they said, well, there can never be a gap. in her health insurance or she loses access to her medicine.

And at the time, this was a foreign world to me. As I said, the biologic she's on that keeps her arthritis at bay is $4,000 a month without insurance. And if there's ever any gap, she doesn't get that medication covered again. So this is all pre-Affordable Care Act when they could sort of drop you from coverage if there was any sort of gap. And so I was like, man, I really want to marry this girl.

And at the time, this was a foreign world to me. As I said, the biologic she's on that keeps her arthritis at bay is $4,000 a month without insurance. And if there's ever any gap, she doesn't get that medication covered again. So this is all pre-Affordable Care Act when they could sort of drop you from coverage if there was any sort of gap. And so I was like, man, I really want to marry this girl.

And at the time, this was a foreign world to me. As I said, the biologic she's on that keeps her arthritis at bay is $4,000 a month without insurance. And if there's ever any gap, she doesn't get that medication covered again. So this is all pre-Affordable Care Act when they could sort of drop you from coverage if there was any sort of gap. And so I was like, man, I really want to marry this girl.

So I better either go back to school or I better... you know, figure out a way to get good health insurance. So I went to my manager at Olive Garden. I said, hey, I'm going to go back to school. And he goes, well, do you ever think about becoming a manager at Olive Garden? And I was like, no, no, I haven't. And he's like, well, here's the deal. Here's what we pay for.

So I better either go back to school or I better... you know, figure out a way to get good health insurance. So I went to my manager at Olive Garden. I said, hey, I'm going to go back to school. And he goes, well, do you ever think about becoming a manager at Olive Garden? And I was like, no, no, I haven't. And he's like, well, here's the deal. Here's what we pay for.

So I better either go back to school or I better... you know, figure out a way to get good health insurance. So I went to my manager at Olive Garden. I said, hey, I'm going to go back to school. And he goes, well, do you ever think about becoming a manager at Olive Garden? And I was like, no, no, I haven't. And he's like, well, here's the deal. Here's what we pay for.

You know, at the time, it was like a $60,000 a year salary. So for somebody who was like 20 years old at the time, And then he's like, full benefits, 401k. I was like, wait, what about that full benefits? Is that health insurance too? He's like, yeah. And so I literally was like, I'll do it. And within a couple of weeks, asked her parents to marry her.

You know, at the time, it was like a $60,000 a year salary. So for somebody who was like 20 years old at the time, And then he's like, full benefits, 401k. I was like, wait, what about that full benefits? Is that health insurance too? He's like, yeah. And so I literally was like, I'll do it. And within a couple of weeks, asked her parents to marry her.

You know, at the time, it was like a $60,000 a year salary. So for somebody who was like 20 years old at the time, And then he's like, full benefits, 401k. I was like, wait, what about that full benefits? Is that health insurance too? He's like, yeah. And so I literally was like, I'll do it. And within a couple of weeks, asked her parents to marry her.

And then that set off the first eight years of our marriage. I worked in restaurants. and just bat this obesity snowball, this down 25 pounds, up 35 pounds, down 25 pounds, up 35 pounds. The fettuccine Alfredo probably wasn't a helpful contributing factor to that either. But I wanted to get off this roller coaster. My father had done video production in the community that we live in for 25 years.

And then that set off the first eight years of our marriage. I worked in restaurants. and just bat this obesity snowball, this down 25 pounds, up 35 pounds, down 25 pounds, up 35 pounds. The fettuccine Alfredo probably wasn't a helpful contributing factor to that either. But I wanted to get off this roller coaster. My father had done video production in the community that we live in for 25 years.

And then that set off the first eight years of our marriage. I worked in restaurants. and just bat this obesity snowball, this down 25 pounds, up 35 pounds, down 25 pounds, up 35 pounds. The fettuccine Alfredo probably wasn't a helpful contributing factor to that either. But I wanted to get off this roller coaster. My father had done video production in the community that we live in for 25 years.

And I stopped into his office one day on the way into an Olive Garden shift. And I was like, dad, you got to help me get out of this. I've got the chops to do marketing. I'm passionate about it. What's out there? So I sort of repeat this stopping into his office for a period of a couple of weeks. And he popped in one day. He's like, finally, I got something for you.