TJ Dillashaw: From Fighter to Founding father of Wild Society Diet

0:00 – Introduction: Welcome TJ Dillashaw

Ben and Mike welcome TJ Dillashaw, two-time UFC Bantamweight champion, to debate his transition from skilled fighter to complement model founder with Wild Society Diet. TJ instantly demonstrates his deep understanding of the complement business, shocking the hosts together with his information of business terminology and enterprise ideas that many athlete-founded manufacturers lack.

Not like typical athlete endorsement offers the place the fighter stays behind the scenes, TJ reveals he’s actively concerned in each side of the enterprise, from formulation to retail technique. This units the stage for understanding how his 12-year UFC profession and lifelong wrestling background since age eight offered the muse for creating merchandise designed to boost efficiency and assist long-term well being.

This podcast is sponsored by Knowledgeable, whose drug-testing companies are utilized by Wild Society. To be taught extra, discover Episode #162: Olympic Degree Complement Testing: Andy Holmes Explains LGC’s Knowledgeable Sport.

3:00 – The Storage Schooling: Studying Past the Classroom

TJ shares how assembly a energy and conditioning coach basically modified his strategy to diet and supplementation. Regardless of learning medical train science in school, he realized extra on this coach’s storage than in formal schooling, significantly concerning hormone optimization and efficiency enhancement by pure means.

This pivotal relationship taught him to measure and observe biomarkers, resulting in discoveries about how particular supplementation, weight loss program methods, and coaching methodologies might naturally increase hormone ranges. TJ explains how this schooling opened his eyes to the truth that many sponsored merchandise had been really working in opposition to his objectives, containing synthetic sweeteners, synthetic flavoring, and low-quality proteins that prioritized margins over athlete well being.

The belief that he was posting about merchandise he wouldn’t personally take resulting from their poor ingredient high quality created an moral battle that might ultimately drive him towards creating his personal model. This storage schooling grew to become the muse for understanding that working with a educated coach might unlock efficiency positive factors that conventional educational studying may miss.

6:00 – From Sponsored Athlete to Model Creator

TJ describes the uncomfortable place of being paid to advertise merchandise he found had been “a bunch of bullshit” that did the other of what he needed for his efficiency. This expertise with main complement sponsors revealed the disconnect between advertising claims and precise product high quality, particularly concerning ingredient sourcing and manufacturing requirements.

His transition from athlete to entrepreneur started when he realized he might create higher merchandise than the manufacturers sponsoring him. Working with certainly one of these manufacturers towards the tip of his profession offered insider information of their enterprise practices, in the end convincing him that he might construct each higher merchandise and a extra sustainable enterprise mannequin.

The choice to launch Wild Society represented a shift from merely incomes sponsorship cash to constructing one thing with lasting function and integrity. TJ emphasizes that retirement felt like “commencement” – a chance to channel his championship-level drive into creating merchandise that aligned together with his values and efficiency requirements.

8:00 – Knowledgeable Sport Certification: Doing It Proper from Day One

TJ explains his dedication to Knowledgeable Sport and Knowledgeable Alternative certification from the very starting of Wild Society’s improvement. Having witnessed the complement business’s means to “create a bunch of shit in your storage and promote it on-line”, he needed to ascertain credibility and security requirements instantly.

The choice to spend money on third-party testing serves a number of functions: guaranteeing product high quality for shoppers, defending skilled athletes who’re prohibited from taking non-certified merchandise, and differentiating Wild Society in a crowded market. TJ notes that many manufacturers keep away from this additional expense, however he views it as important for constructing belief and serving his community {of professional} athletes and fighters.

This dedication extends past simply banned substance testing. TJ emphasizes that Knowledgeable certification supplies complete high quality assurance, from ingredient sourcing to manufacturing facility audits, making a degree of transparency that many complement corporations keep away from resulting from value concerns.

11:00 – Product Improvement: Creating What He Wished He Had

TJ reveals that each Wild Society product exists as a result of he personally needed it throughout his combating profession. This “egocentric” strategy to product improvement ensures authenticity and sensible software, moderately than chasing market tendencies or maximizing earnings by low cost elements.

His concentrate on staying present with scientific analysis drives product formulation, significantly round excessive protein diets and clear ingredient sourcing. The Caveman Eats product line exemplifies this philosophy – air-dried ribeye with simply two elements (beef and salt) that permits him to keep up his protein consumption whereas touring with out compromising on high quality.

TJ’s strategy to protein supplementation displays his understanding that whereas most of his 180 grams of each day protein comes from complete meals, strategic supplementation is critical to fulfill his objectives. This led to creating completely different protein merchandise for particular functions: concentrates for each day use, isolates for coaching, and collagen for magnificence and restoration purposes.

14:00 – The Clear Whey Revolution

The event of Wild Society’s Clear Whey Isolate got here from TJ’s first expertise with this format in 2023. His amazement at discovering a protein powder that “tasted extra like an electrolyte powder” led to creating an enhanced model with added electrolytes for complete post-workout assist.

This product combines 20 grams of protein with 520 milligrams of important electrolytes (sodium, potassium, and magnesium), addressing each protein synthesis and hydration wants in a single serving. The naturally flavored and sweetened formulation maintains Wild Society’s dedication to wash elements whereas offering a refreshing different to conventional “milky intestine bomb” protein powders.

TJ positions this product as significantly interesting to demographics that could be delay by typical protein powders, particularly ladies and health-conscious shoppers who need efficient supplementation with out the heaviness usually related to whey proteins.

16:00 – The Enterprise Partnership Evolution

TJ explains how Nathan Ring, whom he recruited from Clear Juice company, grew to become his enterprise companion after their juice retailer enterprise was crushed by COVID-19. Opening their grand opening on February fifteenth, only one month earlier than shutdown, taught them helpful classes about resilience and adaptation that they utilized to constructing Wild Society.

This partnership expanded to incorporate strategic advisors who had been impressed with their fast progress and market penetration. TJ’s strategy mirrors his combating profession technique of “surrounding myself with the very best” – recruiting top-tier coaches and advisors to maximise efficiency and decrease blind spots.

His board of advisors contains Craig Weatherup (former CEO of Pepsi), Brock Weatherup, Anthony Bucci (creator and vendor of RevZilla), and different profitable entrepreneurs who present steerage on scaling, e-commerce, and market technique. This “championship workforce” strategy applies the identical ideas that made him profitable in combating to constructing a sustainable enterprise.

TJ Dillashaw, two-time UFC Bantamweight champion turned Wild Society Diet founder — bringing Knowledgeable Sport licensed dietary supplements to athletes

Mike feedback that it is a model constructed to final and go past TJ’s likeness, noting that in TJ’s first combat with Renan Barao, there’s a MusclePharm emblem on the mat, and that model is now defunct. TJ really explains that lots of his concepts got here when he was attempting to assist MusclePharm in direction of the tip of their run, and knew he might do higher with the place the market was heading.

19:00 – Pure Market Technique: Constructing for Sprouts and Past

TJ reveals his strategic resolution to construct Wild Society for the pure retail sector from day one, particularly concentrating on Sprouts Farmers Market and Entire Meals specs. This meant formulating with out synthetic sweeteners, synthetic flavors, or different elements on these retailers’ “kill lists.”

This strategy serves a number of strategic functions: proving the enterprise mannequin works past his core UFC demographic, validating product high quality on the highest retail requirements, and demonstrating that if merchandise meet Sprouts’ necessities, “they’re ok for everybody’s pantries.” The technique additionally appeals to health-conscious shoppers who store at these premium pure retailers.

The success of this strategy is clear in Wild Society’s fast retail growth – reaching over 3,000 doorways in simply 10 months throughout Sprouts, Vitamin Shoppe, and GNC. TJ notes that his demographic isn’t usually the “soccer mothers” purchasing at Sprouts, making this success much more vital for proving broad market attraction.

22:00 – Demographic Understanding and Market Growth

TJ demonstrates refined understanding of his market positioning, acknowledging that his UFC fanbase might not align completely with pure retail consumers. His technique includes educating followers about well being and wellness ideas past simply selling merchandise, positioning himself as a trusted supply for diet recommendation and way of life optimization.

The dialogue reveals how TJ leverages his platform to advertise broader well being schooling, from coaching and restoration protocols to sleep optimization and complete meals diet. This instructional strategy builds real worth for his viewers whereas naturally main them towards merchandise that assist these way of life ideas.

His increasing retail presence in GNC and Vitamin Shoppe represents a return to his roots, as these had been the shops the place he shopped as a younger athlete. This nostalgic connection provides authenticity to the model story whereas reaching shoppers actively in search of efficiency diet merchandise.

25:00 – The Self-Price Journey and Entrepreneurial Goal

TJ opens up about how competitors offered self-worth all through his life, from youth wrestling by his UFC profession. The transition from having clear opponents and coaching camps to discovering function in entrepreneurship represents a big psychological shift that many retired athletes wrestle with.

Constructing Wild Society supplies the identical sense of function and morning motivation that championship pursuits as soon as did. TJ describes needing objectives and challenges that create the drive to “get up within the morning with a function,” just like making ready for combat camps with particular opponents and timelines.

This introspective dialogue reveals how entrepreneurship can function a wholesome outlet for aggressive drive, channeling the identical depth that made him a champion into constructing one thing lasting and significant for his household and group.

28:00 – The Longevity Protein: Innovation with Coronary heart

TJ introduces Wild Society’s most formidable product, the Longevity Protein Powder, describing it as “essentially the most clinically studied product we’ve created.” This complete formulation combines 20 grams of whey protein isolate, 10 grams of collagen protein, 5 grams of creatine, lactoferrin, urethane A, and milk globulin in a single serving.

The product was particularly created “for the love of a father” – designed for individuals who need to keep their well being and vitality to be current for his or her households so long as potential. TJ shares the non-public story of his father “Hazardous Hal,” a 67-year-old contractor who continues appearing like he’s 20 regardless of quite a few accidents and surgical procedures.

This formulation addresses a number of elements of ageing: sustaining skeletal muscle mass, supporting cognitive operate by creatine, selling joint well being through collagen, and enhancing intestine well being with lactoferrin. The product exemplifies TJ’s philosophy of making complete options moderately than requiring clients to buy a number of separate dietary supplements.

30:00 – Household Legacy and Private Tales

TJ shares heartwarming tales about his father’s wild way of life and the way “Hazardous Hal” earned his nickname by numerous accidents and adventures. From leaping off 100-foot cliffs to falling off ladders whereas doing roofing work, his father’s resilience and willpower to maintain going regardless of accidents impressed the event of merchandise supporting energetic ageing.

The Longevity Protein particularly targets the challenges TJ sees his father dealing with – issue getting up from chairs, joint ache, and the bodily toll of a long time of exhausting work and journey. By combining a number of research-backed elements, the formulation goals to handle these points comprehensively moderately than requiring a number of separate merchandise.

This private connection to product improvement demonstrates how Wild Society differs from typical complement corporations that chase market tendencies moderately than fixing actual issues skilled by the founder’s household and group.

32:00 – Wrestling Origins, Athletic Basis, and Psychological Toughness

TJ recounts how his wrestling journey started at age eight, following his father to apply and eager to take part in one thing his dad was obsessed with. This early begin in fight sports activities offered the muse for his aggressive mindset and understanding of how diet impacts efficiency.

He displays on how wrestling grew to become deeply linked to his self-worth and id, resulting in a full-ride school scholarship and ultimately his transition to MMA when he wasn’t prepared for a conventional nine-to-five profession. The choice to drop out of graduate college (the place he was learning to grow to be a doctor’s assistant) to pursue combating demonstrates his dedication to following his ardour moderately than typical paths.

This background helps clarify TJ’s deep understanding of what athletes want from supplementation, as he skilled firsthand the challenges of constructing weight, optimizing efficiency, and sustaining well being all through a demanding aggressive profession.

TJ supplies perception into his well-known UFC rivalries, explaining that whereas he “hated” the confrontational elements, these experiences constructed important psychological toughness that now serves him as an entrepreneur. The stress of coping with former teammates turned rivals, media strain, and public scrutiny ready him for the challenges of constructing a enterprise.

He describes how the strain of being champion modified his relationship with combating, shifting from pure love of the game to defending an id and chasing monetary safety. This transition from intrinsic to extrinsic motivation affected his enjoyment however offered helpful classes about dealing with strain and expectations.

The entrepreneurial parallels are clear – constructing a enterprise requires coping with fixed challenges, placing out fires, and sustaining psychological toughness when dealing with setbacks. TJ views his rivalry experiences as conditioning that ready him for the psychological calls for of entrepreneurship.

34:00 – Circulation State and Peak Efficiency

TJ shares his expertise of reaching move state throughout his first championship victory, describing how every little thing felt like “sluggish movement” just like what Michael Jordan may need skilled. As an eight-to-one underdog with no strain to win, he was in a position to benefit from the second fully with out worrying about outcomes.

The transition from combating on undercards to seeing his face on a 150-foot poster at MGM Grand created a way of amazement that allowed him to remain current and carry out optimally. This expertise of getting “nothing in your thoughts” whereas being fully engaged represents the best state that athletes try to realize.

TJ acknowledges that recreating this degree of move state is extraordinarily tough, particularly as soon as exterior pressures and expectations improve. His present problem is discovering methods to faucet into related states whereas constructing Wild Society, although he acknowledges the enterprise highs won’t ever match the depth of championship competitors.

37:00 – Coaching Evolution and Present Routine

TJ describes his transition from performance-focused coaching to what he calls “meathead exercises” designed to “look good bare.” With shoulder accidents stopping most martial arts coaching, he’s centered on constructing muscle mass that he couldn’t pursue throughout his combating profession resulting from weight chopping necessities.

Strolling round at 175-180 kilos in comparison with his combating weight of 135 (with walk-around weights of 155-160) provides him 15-20 kilos of further muscle mass. This represents a elementary shift from efficiency optimization to physique composition objectives, although he nonetheless maintains cardio for well being and wellness moderately than enjoyment.

His present strategy displays the liberty many retired athletes expertise once they can lastly prepare for aesthetics moderately than sport-specific efficiency, although he maintains the self-discipline and consistency that made him profitable as a competitor.

38:00 – Manufacturing Transparency with Actus Diet

TJ demonstrates uncommon transparency by brazenly discussing his manufacturing partnership with Actus Diet, explaining that he’s “not scared” of sharing this data as a result of his success comes from execution moderately than secrecy. He emphasizes that whereas his merchandise will be “recreated,” his dedication to small margins and prime quality creates a enterprise mannequin that’s tough for rivals to copy profitably.

His resolution to deliver digital camera crews to Actus Diet for a documentary showcases his dedication to transparency and high quality. The truth that this manufacturing is being created by the UFC demonstrates the importance of his post-fighting success and supplies helpful advertising alternatives for Wild Society.

TJ notes that not all producers can obtain Knowledgeable Sport certification resulting from facility contamination with banned substances, making Actus Diet’s capabilities significantly helpful for serving skilled athletes and health-conscious shoppers who demand third-party testing.

40:00 – Ladies’s Well being and Complement Science

TJ reveals his understanding of how supplementation advantages differ between women and men, significantly concerning osteoporosis prevention, muscle mass upkeep, and the rising analysis on creatine for girls approaching or experiencing menopause. This information influences his product improvement and advertising methods.

He shares the story of making grass-fed, grass-finished liver capsules particularly for his spouse’s anemia points, combining pure iron and copper sources with added vitamin C to boost absorption. This strategy supplies a gentler different to artificial iron dietary supplements that may trigger digestive misery.

Andy Holmes, Enterprise Improvement Supervisor for LGC Science’s Knowledgeable certification packages, comes onto the PricePlow Podcast Episode #162 and discusses the rigorous testing protocols and high quality assurance measures that make Knowledgeable Sport, Knowledgeable Alternative, and Knowledgeable Protein the worldwide gold requirements in complement certification.

TJ’s philosophy of listening to your physique’s response to supplementation resonates all through this dialogue. His recommendation to cease taking merchandise that trigger bloating or digestive points displays his sensible, results-oriented strategy to diet and supplementation.

Mike notes that their superior longevity protein contains iron transport protein lactoferrin, which was mentioned on Episode #167.

43:30 – Restoration Protocols and Infrastructure

TJ supplies a tour of his spectacular restoration setup, together with a hyperbaric chamber able to reaching 2.2 atmospheric pressures, purple gentle remedy, chilly plunge, sauna, hydrogen machine, and Normatec boots. This complete strategy to restoration displays his understanding that therapeutic occurs throughout relaxation durations moderately than simply throughout coaching.

His rationalization of how diet-induced irritation can intervene with harm restoration demonstrates refined understanding of the connection between diet and therapeutic. By minimizing inflammatory meals and supplementing strategically, he optimizes his physique’s means to get well from each exercises and surgical procedures.

The funding in a tough hyperbaric chamber represents his dedication to long-term well being and mind safety, particularly contemplating the concussion dangers related together with his combating profession. His current Pranova full-body scan revealed glorious mind well being regardless of his fight sports activities background.

47:00 – Vitality Drinks and Market Positioning

TJ discusses Wild Society’s naturally sweetened power drink that includes 100 milligrams of caffeine from natural inexperienced tea, enhanced with alpha-GPC and L-theanine for sustained power with out jitters. Whereas unsure in regards to the product’s long-term future resulting from market competitors, he created it to fulfill his personal want for a clear power choice.

The power drink market’s saturation with main gamers makes it difficult for smaller manufacturers to compete, main TJ to concentrate on merchandise the place Wild Society can set up stronger market positions. His pragmatic strategy to product line administration displays his enterprise acumen and willingness to prioritize sources successfully.

This dialogue reveals TJ’s understanding that not each product thought must grow to be a everlasting a part of the lineup, and that profitable manufacturers require strategic focus moderately than attempting to compete in each class concurrently.

50:00 – Caveman Eats: The Sudden Hero Product and Provide Chain Challenges

TJ introduces Caveman Eats, describing it as “a 20-ounce ribeye in a bag” – air-dried grass-fed, grass-finished ribeye with solely beef and salt as elements. This product delivers 95+ grams of protein in a five-ounce bag, offering the equal of a full steak in a handy, shelf-stable format.

The macronutrient profile (19 grams of protein, 8 grams of fats per serving, with 5 servings per bag) creates a extra satisfying and flavorful product than conventional lean jerky choices. The upper fats content material from ribeye supplies higher style and satiety in comparison with lean cuts usually utilized in jerky manufacturing.

TJ admits he “couldn’t imagine” how properly this product performs at retail, outselling their protein powders four-to-one at Sprouts. The success demonstrates sturdy shopper demand for handy, high-quality protein sources that align with present dietary tendencies like carnivore and high-protein consuming patterns.

TJ reveals the challenges of maintaining with Caveman Eats demand, together with being out of inventory on his web site for over two months. His current buy of 20,000 kilos of ribeye demonstrates the size required to fulfill present demand and develop into further retail channels like Amazon.

The product’s success creates each alternatives and challenges – whereas gross sales are glorious, the excessive value of premium ribeye makes stock administration and money move essential concerns. TJ’s willingness to speculate closely in stock reveals his confidence in continued progress and market demand.

This dialogue highlights the operational complexities that profitable complement corporations face when merchandise exceed expectations, requiring cautious steadiness between sustaining inventory ranges and managing working capital in a rising enterprise.

53:00 – Future Imaginative and prescient and Model Constructing

TJ emphasizes that Wild Society should “outlive” him as a founder, requiring the model to attraction to broader demographics past his UFC fanbase. His success in pure retail channels like Sprouts proves the merchandise can succeed with shoppers who might not know his combating background.

The model’s “Wild Society” identify displays his imaginative and prescient of serving anybody “eager to chase their objectives in life” moderately than being confined to conventional expectations. This inclusive positioning permits the corporate to develop past sports activities diet into common well being and wellness classes.

TJ’s documentary venture with the UFC represents helpful advertising and model constructing, showcasing the entrepreneurial journey of a retired fighter and doubtlessly inspiring different athletes to pursue enterprise ventures with the identical depth they delivered to competitors.