Gail Becker on her new gluten free frozen pizza line, Caulipower

Former PR maven Gail Becker turns entrepreneur with her new gluten-free pizza line, Caulipower

For years, as the president of strategic partnerships at the PR powerhouse agency Edelman, Gail Becker used her savvy marketing skills to help people and companies promote their brands. Now she is putting that know-how into getting the word out about her own brand—the nutritious, gluten-free frozen pizza line, Caulipower.

Although the pizzas are made without gluten, they are not being marketed as a gluten-free product. “Those so often just don’t taste great. Caulipower pizzas have a delicious taste. The first ingredient all of our products is cauliflower. Plus, there are only three grams of sugar in the entire crust—the lowest amount of any on the market.” Gail left the corporate world about a year ago after her father passed away. “He had come to this country with nothing and left with everything: a business, a home and a daughter who loved him. Not long after his death, I recognized this incredible change in me. I increasingly had less patience for things that seemed meaningless and an increasing desire for something more meaningful. I realized that I wanted to be an entrepreneur just like he was … and to try and do some good along the way,” she shares.

The inspiration for Caulipower came from her two sons, Josh, 19, and Eli, 14. Both were diagnosed with Celiac disease at a young age, and for years Gail had been buying pre-packaged, gluten-free food. “I began to notice how unhealthy it typically is for you— filled with more fat, sugar and calories. Frustrated with what I could find, I caught on to the cauliflower craze that was sweeping the internet.” Packed with vitamin C and D, cauliflower is considered by some to be a “superfood.”

One night she made a cauliflower-based pizza crust and the boys raved about it. “They asked for it again the following week and, to be honest, I said no. Making it took too much time and effort after coming home from a long day at work, but I promised them that I would buy it somewhere. I looked everywhere but couldn’t find it.”

A light bulb went off. Gail commissioned some research and began the painstaking process of creating her food line.

“We tested countless recipes to come up with the perfect cauliflower crust. I was really taken by the idea of something that was born on the internet and created because people wanted it and couldn’t find it in the marketplace.”

The line, with four different varieties of frozen pizzas, is now available at Whole Foods and Bristol Farms as well as on Amazon.

Gail is also fulfilling her mission to give back. Caulipower supports One Sun Donor, a nonprofit aimed at connecting kids to whole food. A portion of Caulipower’s proceeds goes toward helping create vegetable gardens in underserved schools across the country.

It’s been a ton of work, and Gail admits, “I’ve just really been holed up.” But she has no regrets. “I always used to tell people, the day you stop learning is the day you need to leave. I love what I’m doing now because I learn something new every day. It’s exhilarating.”

Gail’s Fitness & Health Regimen

Workout routine
I go to the gym every day—except for when I travel. I love classes with hand weights, though if I have a good idea that pops in my head mid-class, I have been known to sneak off to my phone and jot it down. If I can’t make class times work, a good session on the elliptical with empowering music does the trick. “Don’t Stop Me Now” by Queen is a particular favorite.

Diet
I try to eat a lot of vegetables and love turning favorite foods into “better for you” options—like zucchini noodles, which are a regular dinner staple. I try to avoid anything fried.

Guilty pleasure
Popcorn. There are two places that I can’t do without it. One is the movies; the other is Chicago’s O’Hare Airport. Those who have been there know precisely what I mean.

Health Goal
Living a long life is a great goal, but I want to be able to make the most out of it. I lost one parent to old age and one to illness. I have seen the difference. I want to be independent and travel the world in life 3.0. Right now, though, I’m very happy with the 2.0 version.

Fitness Goal
I would love to be able to take part in a marathon in some way—even if it’s just walking.

Sleep Routine
Sleeping has never been my superpower. I am a very early riser, usually about 4:30 to 5 a.m. In all honesty, I probably average about six hours a night, which is OK, but I would love to be able to sleep more. It’s something I am working on. There is no TV in the bedroom and when the lights go off, so does the phone.