Bucked Up Twin Co-Founders Ryan and Jeff Gardner on Their Billion-or-Bust Complement Journey

0:00 – Introductions: Assembly the Twin CEOs in Salt Lake Metropolis

Mike and Ben welcome listeners from Bucked Up headquarters in Salt Lake Metropolis, Utah, introducing similar twin brothers Ryan Gardner (CEO) and Jeff Gardner (Co-founder). The dialog begins with pleasure from their helicopter journey over Utah’s mountains the night time earlier than and a morning coaching session on the Bucked Up health club, setting the stage for an in-depth take a look at one of many complement {industry}’s most profitable model tales.

Ryan and Jeff instantly set up their complementary dynamic, with Jeff dealing with extra advertising and model growth whereas Ryan focuses on innovation and product growth. Their similar twin relationship brings distinctive benefits to enterprise partnership, although they joke about occasional disagreements that require bodily decision – a testomony to their aggressive nature and shut bond.

The setting at their spectacular Salt Lake Metropolis facility offers context for understanding the dimensions Bucked Up has achieved. From their retail retailer (housed in a former GNC location they took over throughout COVID) to their manufacturing capabilities and company places of work, the Gardner brothers have constructed a complete complement empire that extends far past easy product gross sales.

2:15 – The Web Advertising Origins: Early 2000s Digital Pioneers

Jeff explains how their journey started in 1999 after they returned from missions and entered the early web advertising world. Engaged on gross sales flooring, they shortly realized that the folks producing leads have been making the actual cash, main them to discover e-mail advertising and visitors technology when these ideas have been nonetheless of their infancy.

The brothers began by producing leads for different firms, sending visitors to web sites promoting every thing from weight reduction patches to varied well being merchandise. This was in the course of the “wild west” period of web advertising when e-mail campaigns may generate hundreds of gross sales per day and rules have been minimal. Their early success got here from being forward of the curve on digital advertising methods.

This internet online affiliate marketing expertise taught them worthwhile classes about customer support, product success, and the significance of controlling your personal enterprise operations. They watched different firms fail as a result of poor customer support or stock administration, main them to finally search possession stakes quite than simply affiliate commissions.

6:30 – The L-Arginine Area Rating: Studying the Energy of Precise Match Domains

The dialog reveals their first main enterprise breakthrough when Jeff’s father was utilizing L-Arginine for blood stress and advised they assist develop that enterprise. Inside 45 minutes of their first assembly, they’d negotiated 50% possession of the L-Arginine firm, taking up every thing from visitors technology to customer support whereas the unique proprietor centered solely on product provide.

Their success led them to find the ability of actual match domains after they discovered somebody rating #1 on Google for L-Arginine just by proudly owning LArginine.com. Ryan negotiated to buy the area for $25,000, which proved to be a game-changing funding that allowed them to promote $3-4 million price of L-Arginine yearly whereas rating #1 on Google.

This expertise taught them the significance of digital actual property and search engine marketing, ideas that will show essential because the complement {industry} developed. They nonetheless personal L-Citrulline.com and different worthwhile supplement-related domains, demonstrating their continued understanding of digital advertising fundamentals.

9:45 – The Ray Lewis Windfall: Deer Antler Spray Goes Viral

Jeff tells the unimaginable story of how they found deer antler spray by means of a Sports activities Illustrated article mentioning it was banned in skilled sports activities. They instantly bought DeerAntlerSpray.com for $6.99 from GoDaddy and organized manufacturing in Florida, anticipating modest success just like their L-Arginine enterprise.

The sport-changing second got here throughout 2013 Tremendous Bowl media week when Ray Lewis was accused of utilizing deer antler spray for restoration from a tricep harm. The brothers walked into their workplace to search out lots of of orders that saved multiplying each couple of minutes as ESPN protection drove huge visitors to their web site.

Inside a single day, they offered 2,600 bottles, beginning at $39.95 and elevating costs to $99.95 as demand continued unabated. This windfall offered the capital and confidence to broaden right into a full complement line. The success additionally led to their firm title DAS Labs, which initially stood for “Deer Antler Spray Labs” – a undeniable fact that surprises many individuals within the {industry} who assumed it had Germanic origins.

14:30 – Getting into the Pre-Exercise Market: Innovation By way of Transparency

Ryan describes their entry into pre-workouts round 2016, recognizing that the market was dominated by proprietary blends and poor-tasting formulation. Their expertise making an attempt numerous pre-workouts at commerce reveals typically resulted in uncomfortable reactions from beta-alanine and different substances they weren’t aware of, inspiring them to create one thing higher.

Bucked Up pre-workout launched on the LA Match Expo with full transparency – no proprietary blends and full scientific doses clearly displayed. Their method featured 6 grams of citrulline malate when most rivals have been utilizing a lot decrease doses or hiding their formulations fully. This transparency turned a key differentiator in a market stuffed with underdosed merchandise.

The mixture of nice style, efficient doses, and full transparency resonated with shoppers who have been uninterested in thriller formulations. In addition they maintained increased pricing to make sure sufficient margins for each retailers and their very own advertising efforts, understanding that sustainable manufacturers want worthwhile distribution companions.

20:45 – Micro-Influencer Advertising: Forward of the Curve

Jeff reveals how Bucked Up pioneered micro-influencer advertising years earlier than it turned mainstream, utilizing ambassadors with 5,000-10,000 followers quite than main celebrities. Whereas different firms centered on costly movie star endorsements, they acknowledged that smaller influencers typically delivered higher engagement charges and genuine connections with their audiences.

Their ambassador program included everybody from “exercise mothers” to health lovers of all ranges, creating an inclusive model picture quite than focusing solely on elite athletes. This strategy drew criticism from rivals who questioned their use of “common folks,” however the Gardner brothers understood that their target market wished to see genuine customers quite than unattainable health fashions.

This system grew to 500+ ambassadors posting twice month-to-month, producing 1.5 million whole followers throughout all members. This natural progress technique proved far more cost effective than conventional promoting whereas constructing real neighborhood across the Bucked Up model. Feminine ambassadors typically noticed dramatic follower progress, typically gaining 10,000+ new followers from single posts.

24:45 – Dominating Retail: The Path to #1 at GNC and Vitamin Shoppe

The dialog explores Bucked Up’s retail success, reaching #1 pre-workout standing at each GNC and Vitamin Shoppe by 2017. Based on third-party SPINS knowledge, they maintained eight merchandise within the high 10 pre-workouts, demonstrating the energy of their diversified product line and shopper loyalty.

Jeff explains the challenges of working with main retailers like Walmart, the place stress to be the most cost effective choice typically eliminates advertising budgets that drive product velocity. They discovered that sustainable retail success requires sufficient margins for each advertising and retailer profitability, even when it means increased shopper costs.

Their retail dominance got here from understanding the entire gross sales funnel – from digital advertising producing consciousness to retail execution and buyer satisfaction. The mixture of efficient merchandise, sensible pricing, and complete advertising created a self-reinforcing cycle that rivals struggled to match.

28:00 – The Beverage Evolution: Studying Distribution Networks

Ryan discusses their enlargement into power drinks beginning in late 2020, which required fully totally different enterprise fashions and distribution methods. In contrast to dietary supplements that could possibly be offered direct-to-consumer, drinks required heavy funding in distribution networks and confronted important transport prices as a result of weight and quantity.

The turning level got here when investor Gil Cassagne, former CEO of Dr Pepper, joined to assist construct correct beverage distribution. His experience revealed how little they knew about beverage advertising, resulting in partnerships with distribution networks serving comfort shops, Walmart, and specialty retailers.

This enlargement allowed the Gardner brothers to take important cash off the desk in 2021 whereas sustaining management and imaginative and prescient for the corporate’s future. They describe their present mindset as “billion or bust”, with the assets and infrastructure to pursue huge scale in each complement and beverage classes.

31:30 – The Model Past Merchandise: Tradition and Group

The dialog explores Bucked Up’s success in creating life-style model attraction past simply complement efficacy. Their attire line generates important word-of-mouth advertising, with clients selecting to put on Bucked Up gear outdoors the health club as life-style statements quite than simply exercise garments.

Ryan shares the attention-grabbing trademark problem they confronted with Bucked Up attire, resulting in inventive options like utilizing “BCKD” and incorporating BuckedUp.com into designs. The $1,500 funding within the BuckedUp.com area proved extremely worthwhile, demonstrating their continued understanding of digital model belongings.

Their retail retailer idea, housed in a former GNC location, showcases how they’ve developed past conventional complement retail. The house serves a number of capabilities – retail gross sales, model expertise, and content material creation – reflecting their multimedia strategy to model constructing.

Jeff has to depart for an vital assembly, and the opposite three proceed from right here:

34:00 – Product Innovation Partnership: The Black Ant Story

Bucked Up breaks their very own rule with Bucked Up Black Ant — their first creatine pre-workout that includes precise black ant extract used for 3000 years for energy. Plus RipFACTOR® analysis displaying 2.4x sooner energy positive aspects and CreaSol SSAT creatine enhancer. Energy you’ll be able to actually really feel.

Ryan explains how their partnership with PricePlow developed over six months, beginning with corrections to their HydroPrime labeling and evolving into complete method growth. The Black Ant pre-workout represents their first creatine-based pre-workout, addressing a notable hole of their in depth product line.

The venture started with Ryan’s imaginative and prescient for a strength-focused pre-workout that includes black ant extract, an ingredient he’d been concerned with for years. The “herb of kings” idea and ants’ unimaginable strength-to-body-weight ratio offered good advertising narratives for a strength-focused method.

PricePlow’s position concerned refining the method and figuring out complementary substances like RipFACTOR for precise energy positive aspects and Creasol SSAT for enhanced creatine uptake. We additionally dialed up the beta-alanine only a bit. The collaboration demonstrates how skilled manufacturers can profit from technical experience in creating differentiated merchandise quite than following customary {industry} formulations.

38:00 – Revolutionary Energy Components: RipFACTOR and Scientific Analysis

The dialogue reveals Black Ant’s most enjoyable element – RipFACTOR from PLT Well being Options, which delivered 2.4X larger energy positive aspects in comparison with placebo in scientific research. Extra importantly, statistically important energy enhancements appeared inside simply 14 days, offering acute advantages that buyers can really really feel.

This research-backed strategy differentiates Black Ant from conventional pre-workouts that rely totally on caffeine and pump substances. The inclusion of full-dose creatine monohydrate (5 grams) offers the inspiration, whereas RipFACTOR amplifies energy positive aspects past what creatine alone delivers.

The method additionally options Creasol SSAT containing tyrosol, which reinforces creatine uptake and offers extra advantages because the lively compound in olive oil and rhodiola rosea. Mixed with 2 grams of tyrosine, the method delivers noticeable cognitive and bodily results that buyers can really feel instantly.

Mike and Ben additionally bumped the beta-alanine as much as 4g, coinciding with the Worldwide Society for Sports activities Vitamin’s ideas to get carnosine shops saturated sooner.

Alongside a little bit of Dynamine, this can be a very experiential pre-workout complement. The RipFACTOR and CreaSol SSAT are absolute game-changers in a pre-workout.

42:30 – Premium Positioning and Market Technique

Ryan discusses Black Ant’s positioning as a premium pre-workout priced equally to Mom Bucker quite than their entry-level choices. The 40-serving container permits for versatile dosing – single scoops for day by day use or double scoops for max scientific effectiveness, offering worth flexibility for various consumer preferences.

The premium pricing displays the costly specialty substances like RipFACTOR and Creasol SSAT, that are among the many first-to-market pre-workout choices within the complement {industry}. Bucked Up’s willingness to spend money on novel substances demonstrates their dedication to innovation quite than merely copying competitor formulations.

The inventive design that includes a big black ant with Bucked Up emblem hidden within the ant’s pincers showcases their consideration to branding particulars. This design strategy maintains model consistency whereas clearly differentiating Black Ant from their deer-focused conventional branding.

45:30 – Diversified Pre-Exercise Portfolio Technique

The dialog addresses potential cannibalization considerations with Bucked Up’s in depth pre-workout line, together with the unique Bucked Up, Woke AF, BAMF, LFG, Mom Bucker, and now Black Ant. Ryan explains how every serves totally different use instances and shopper preferences, from caffeine-sensitive customers to these wanting most stimulation.

LFG Burn receives explicit reward for its MitoBurn inclusion and Nitrosigine content material (1.5 grams being equal to eight grams of citrulline malate), representing glorious worth regardless of decrease gross sales in comparison with their flagship merchandise. The range permits shoppers to decide on merchandise based mostly on coaching targets, caffeine tolerance, and particular ingredient preferences.

This portfolio strategy displays refined understanding of market segmentation, the place totally different merchandise serve totally different events quite than competing immediately. Some customers rotate between formulation based mostly on coaching depth, timing, or just selection preferences, growing general buyer lifetime worth.

48:30 – Prepared-to-Drink Pre-Exercise Improvement

Ryan shares plans for a ready-to-drink pre-workout particularly designed for health club coolers quite than competing with their powder merchandise. This strategic strategy avoids the cannibalization that affected C4 when their RTD line decreased powder gross sales, as a substitute focusing on distribution channels the place powders aren’t sensible.

The RTD growth course of entails balancing efficacy with shelf stability, style, and price constraints. Scorching-fill processing can eradicate preservatives, however formulation challenges stay important when making an attempt to ship significant ingredient doses in handy packaging.

They’ve recognized profitable fashions like Whole Battle from Redcon1 and acknowledge the significance of distribution partnerships with firms serving health club coolers. The objective is increasing market attain quite than competing with their present profitable powder enterprise.

54:30 – Protein Innovation: Gentle Carbonation Revolution

The dialog shifts to Bucked Up’s revolutionary protein drinks that includes mild carbonation and clear whey isolate. Ryan explains how they examined numerous protein varieties earlier than discovering that carbonated clear protein delivered the very best style expertise, main them to desert milk-based options fully.

With eight flavors at the moment accessible, these protein drinks style remarkably just like power drinks whereas delivering 25 grams of pure whey protein isolate – no collagen mix on this one, in contrast to a lot of the competitors. The carbonation enhances quite than detracts from the expertise, creating a novel positioning within the protein beverage market.

Gross sales have dramatically exceeded expectations, reaching over $8 million for the reason that March launch regardless of preliminary projections of solely $2 million. The Arnold Basic product innovation award validated their strategy, although they emphasize execution over being first-to-market, specializing in superior style and shopper expertise.

58:45 – Protein Dosing Philosophy and Market Positioning

Ryan discusses their resolution to make use of 25 grams of protein quite than following the 30-gram pattern, based mostly on style optimization and market evaluation. Greater protein concentrations created unpalatable astringency, whereas 25 grams offered optimum style whereas assembly shopper expectations for substantial protein content material.

The dialog explores protein absorption science, referencing research displaying efficient utilization of a lot increased protein doses than the generally cited 30-gram restrict. They acknowledge that optimum muscle protein synthesis probably happens with 35-45 gram doses all through the day, however shopper expertise and style stay paramount for industrial success.

Their strategy appeals to broad demographics quite than simply hardcore bodybuilders, with explicit success amongst GLP-1 customers who recognize the sunshine, easy-to-consume format in comparison with heavy milk-based proteins. This inclusive strategy displays their general model philosophy of serving various health ranges and targets.

1:06:30 – Superstar Partnerships and Model Constructing

Ryan shares insights from their movie star partnerships, together with collaborations with Conor McGregor and Bryson DeChambeau. Bryson’s genuine engagement and social media savvy made him notably efficient for model constructing, producing important consciousness by means of his golf content material and movie star collaborations.

The Conor McGregor partnership demonstrated each the potential and challenges of movie star endorsements. Whereas he generated $700,000 in gross sales inside days and successfully pitched retailers at commerce reveals, social media chaos finally ended the formal partnership. His genuine strategy to advertising proved extremely efficient regardless of the eventual issues.

These experiences spotlight the significance of brand name alignment and social media administration in movie star partnerships. Essentially the most profitable collaborations mix genuine product use with strategic advertising execution, requiring cautious administration of each efficiency and public communications.

1:10:30 – Market Growth and Penetration Technique

The dialogue reveals creatine’s surprisingly low family penetration of solely 4%, regardless of widespread recognition of its advantages. This statistic demonstrates important progress alternatives for the complement {industry}, notably by means of various supply strategies like gummies and ready-to-drink codecs.

Bucked Up’s technique focuses on increasing complement utilization past conventional demographics, utilizing their beverage success to introduce new shoppers to efficiency vitamin. Their SoFi Stadium partnership with the LA Rams and Chargers represents main model publicity alternatives throughout high-profile occasions.

The strategy emphasizes making dietary supplements extra accessible and interesting to mainstream shoppers quite than solely serving devoted health lovers. This market enlargement technique explains their success in comfort shops and mass retail channels the place conventional complement manufacturers battle.

1:12:30 – Peptides and Future Well being Optimization

Ryan shares his enthusiasm for peptides as the way forward for well being optimization, describing private experiences with BPC-157 and TB-500 for harm restoration. His bicep harm from pickleball healed remarkably shortly with peptide supplementation, returning to full exercise inside weeks with out surgical procedure.

The dialog explores peptides’ potential purposes for sleep, cognitive operate, muscle constructing, and growing old optimization. Ryan believes peptides characterize the way forward for customized well being optimization, although he acknowledges present “analysis functions solely” limitations and high quality management challenges.

The dialogue touches on regulatory challenges dealing with peptides, together with pharmaceutical {industry} pursuits and patent concerns. Regardless of these obstacles, they see peptides as basic instruments for extending healthspan quite than simply lifespan, enabling lively life nicely into superior age.

1:17:30 – Healthspan vs Lifespan Philosophy

The dialog concludes with philosophical discussions about growing old, muscle upkeep, and high quality of life optimization. Ryan and Jeff debate journey timing – whether or not to take pleasure in bodily actions whereas younger or save them for retirement – highlighting totally different approaches to life planning and well being preservation.

They emphasize muscle mass as “the foreign money of growing old,” noting analysis connecting leg energy with longevity and practical independence. This attitude influences their product growth philosophy, creating dietary supplements that help long-term well being quite than simply short-term efficiency.

The dialogue reinforces their perception that peptides and superior supplementation will help preserve muscle mass and bodily operate longer than earlier generations, doubtlessly enabling lively life nicely into superior age. This healthspan focus drives their innovation past conventional complement classes.