Ep. 008: On Launching a Nutritional Beverage — The Will Brown Interview

Product Launch Rebel

Listen as William Brown describes how he was inspired to improve the nutrition of cancer patients. Hear about his challenges of raising capital, marketing with small budgets, and convincing a manufacturer to produce his new product idea.

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Podcast Timeline:

0:48 – Introduction to Will Brown, CEO and Co-Founder of Trovita Health Science.

2:53 – William describes his company’s mission and products, and how he intends to change the paradigm of clinical nutrition.

4:20 – Our guest describes the size of his company, and his distribution channels

6:20 – William describes how his assumptions changed about his product, and how the product’s selling proposition evolved and became a hallmark for marketing.

7:54 – William talks about how he and his founders came up with the business idea and where the inspiration came from.

10:13 – The “Tell Me How” Segment of the Podcast

10:30 – Our guest addresses how he raised money to start this capital-intensive business.

12:19 – William expresses what he thinks is his company’s big opportunity and how that was described in the business plan

15:47 – Our guest describes his obstacles to raising money and recommends that to “focus is key.”

17:30 – William talks about what it feels like to ask for money from family, friends and venture capitalists. “I remember the fear.” “Most nervous I’ve ever been.” “Adrenaline rush.”

18:50 – William shares his experiences of seeking a manufacturer for his product. He describes the challenges to get the support from the manufacturer.

22:55 – Our guest describes how the company came up with the beverage formula.

25:38 – Our guest talks about his biggest lesson in selling to retailers, including jumping too quickly into the retail distribution model.

28:53 – William describes his experience and challenges of setting the company’s pricing strategy.

30:37 – William talks about creating awareness and demand for the product with small marketing budgets.

33:31 – “Let’s Get Personal” Segment of the Podcast

34:05 – Our guest talks about how it took him 2 to 3 years to get the company going. “It took a long time and a lot of effort.”

34:50 – William talks about how patients inspired him most to start the company, and how he needed to get a better product to the market.

36:19 – Our guest talks about why he thinks he’s a creator and why it was his destiny to launch his company.

37:00 – William describes his biggest joy of starting the company, and what has made him most proud.

38:35 – Our guest describes his biggest frustration of raising capital, and how it has diverted his attention from growing the business, spending time with customers and creating products.

39:54 – William talks about his experiences with self doubt, and how he’s “experienced every high and every low” and how it’s a “weekly roller-coaster ride.”

41:43 – Our guest talks about how being a first-time entrepreneur has changed him.

42:33 – William describes what he’s learned most about himself since being an entrepreneur.

43:50 – William shares who has been most influential to him, and why.

45:40 – Our guest shares his last key bit of advice to budding entrepreneurs: “just be a bulldog and maintain that tenacity.” “That level of tenacity is required.”