Carter Musselman has had an impressive career with even more impressive results. In his time with Fooda, he’s helped rebuild the company’s presence in Texas, taken on new challenges, and helped fellow employees grow their careers. The most remarkable thing about him, however, is how much he loves what he does. It’s clear from the way he talks about his work that he’s found his calling.
“I wake up every day energized and excited to work. No two days are the same, and there’s always a new project, something to figure out and make an impact on. I love that.”
For the majority of his career, Musselman had been working in the restaurant industry before eventually transitioning into franchise sales. As he worked in these roles, however, he felt like something was missing.
“I didn’t necessarily love that industry,” he admitted. His day-to-day work felt stagnant. He worked long, irregular hours, yet it didn’t seem to be taking him anywhere new. Everything was built on routines, and there was little room for growth or problem-solving. This dissatisfaction eventually led him to seek out new opportunities. That’s when he found Fooda.
In 2021, Fooda was still recovering from the pandemic. The company had been forced to downsize, and they were down to just a handful of clients in Dallas, most of whom were in the healthcare industry. They needed someone who could help rebuild their Dallas portfolio while simultaneously maintaining relationships with their existing clients. They chose Musselman for the job.
His previous roles had given him experience in restaurant management, sales, and account management. These three areas of expertise, he says, provided the perfect skillset for someone coming into Fooda’s operations world.
But he didn’t just take on this new role because it matched his skillset. He was intrigued by the business model, and the prospect of moving into a new, but related, market. On top of that, the opportunity gave him the ability to maintain better work-life balance and the chance to help build something new.
The biggest reason he took the position, though, was the leadership team. “I know you’re supposed to sell yourself to the company in the interview process, but they sold me. Everyone I talked to was thoughtful and engaged, which continues to be the case today.”
Although the prospect of taking over Fooda’s operations in Dallas was exciting, it was immediately clear that Musselman had his work cut out for him, and he hit the ground running on day one. He worked with existing clients to address any concerns they may have had and make their programs better. On his third week with the company, they launched a fully employer-paid account with a major organization, serving over 1,000 meals per day. Although it was a heavy lift, Musselman views it as a positive turning point. “I think it put some wind in our sails as we were trying to relaunch things in Texas,” he said.
From there, operations in Dallas picked up quickly. Eventually they were able to expand to other cities, from San Antonio to Austin to other major metropolitan areas across Texas. As the teams grew, Musselman was asked to oversee them. In July 2022, he became the director of operations for the entire state.
Building out these markets required him to go above and beyond, taking on projects outside the normal scope of his role, doing whatever it took to make clients happy. This, he says, is one of the best parts of his job. Musselman enjoys working with clients to find mutually beneficial solutions, and he’s proud every time they’re happy with the results.
In addition to building relationships with new clients, Musselman had to grow his teams in order to continue to scale. Most of the cities he was overseeing teams with limited headcounts. To maintain operations, he became solely responsible for hiring, training, and managing new team members.
Out of everything Musselman has done in his time at Fooda, he values working with his new team members the most. He’s gotten the chance to help several people grow their careers, watching them move from hourly part-time jobs into salaried positions and leadership roles.
“That’s the thing I love,” he said. “It’s a big part of the reason that I want our company to be successful, because I really care about the people that work with us, and everybody’s looking for a better future.”
In 2025, Musselman was promoted to Regional Vice President, where he continues to lead Fooda's growth across Texas. Now, things are very different from when he first started. “There’s a much larger community than when it was just a scrappy group of hungry people eager to succeed,” he said.
Still, even as Fooda has picked up speed, one thing has remained the same: the company culture. That drive to succeed is still present, and it’s only gotten stronger as he’s continued to build out his teams.
“Our teams are full of intelligent go-getters, and they all have a startup mentality. They’re easy to talk to, easy to reach out to, and you can always get a helping hand when you need it,” he says. Musselman believes that this collaborative approach is the key to Fooda’s growth, and it’s one he helped cultivate.
The whole time he’s been at Fooda, Musselman has maintained the same philosophy: If everyone is doing their best to learn and grow, the company will grow alongside them.
Musselman extends this sentiment to everyone he interacts with. He strives to make them all feel respected and appreciated, and he believes that everyone contributes something valuable to the company. “You have to be able to communicate to a receptionist the same way you would communicate with the CEO,” he said. He believes it’s important to be able to effectively communicate with anyone, and he cites this approach as one of his greatest strengths.
This is a value he’s seen reflected in the entire company. He values the creativity and adaptability that Fooda’s teams bring to the table, and he believes those qualities are reflected in Fooda’s workplace food solutions.
“Good people work for our company, which makes us a good company,” he says.
Since he started five years ago, Fooda has seen significant growth. The company is still continuing to scale, and his faith in Fooda’s people makes him confident that this momentum will only continue to pick up.
