Launching a supplement brand: first steps

Graham Rigby is the President and CEO of the American Herbal Products Association (AHPA), the leading trade association for the herbal products industry. With 20 years of experience across startups and industry leadership—including serving as Chief Innovation Officer at Care/of—Graham has helped shape how modern supplement brands navigate regulation, formulation, and go-to-market strategy.

In this episode of DTC Pod, Graham shares what it actually takes to launch and scale a supplement brand without getting burned by regulators. He breaks down exactly where the line is between claims that sell and claims that get you in trouble, why so many founders get blindsided by FDA and FTC enforcement, and how to work with contract manufacturers when you're just starting out. Graham also gets into the real opportunity in supplements right now—why clinical trials cost 90% less than they did two decades ago, how AI is changing the formulation game, and why a $70 billion market growing at 6.5% still has plenty of room for new entrants. Plus, his take on the brands that are doing it right, from AG1 to Ritual, and what founders can learn from their playbooks.

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On this episode of DTC Pod, we cover:
1. The evolution and growth of the herbal supplement industry
2. Key regulatory milestones: DSHEA, GMPs, and FDA compliance for supplements
3. What founders must do to stay compliant when launching a supplement brand
4. The distinction between pharmaceuticals, dietary supplements, and nutraceuticals
5. Marketing, claims, and the importance of substantiation
6. Emerging opportunities with clinical trials and claim innovation
7. DTC, Amazon, TikTok, and brick-and-mortar distribution channels for wellness brands
8. The practicalities and risks of supplement retail (and when to scale beyond DTC)
9. Practitioner and non-traditional channels for supplement sales
10. How Ingredient AI, Infinite Garden, and other platforms are applying AI to supplements
11. Content creators, credentialed doctors, and the new face of trusted health advice
12. The role of diagnostics, wearables, and personalization in driving supplement trends
13. Growth outlook: Why the supplement market is just getting started

Timestamps
00:00 Intro to DTC POD and Graham Rigby
02:25 20 years of supplements: Startup vs. regulatory side
03:00 The exponential growth of the herbal products market
04:44 Regulatory basics: DSHEA, FDA oversight, and GMPs explained
07:14 How AHPA helps brands navigate compliance and education
08:03 Launching a supplement brand: Key compliance steps and best practices
10:00 FDA’s post-market regulatory process and founder responsibilities
13:04 Supplements vs. pharmaceuticals: Safety, claims, and approvals
17:32 Telling stories and using clinical research for marketing claims
20:00 What marketers can and cannot say: Health vs. disease claims
22:04 Substantiating claims and the importance of compliance for growth
24:31 Label vs. online claims: How rules apply to different channels
27:02 DTC vs. Amazon, TikTok, and expanding to retail and practitioner channels
30:19 The risks and rewards of brick-and-mortar expansion
35:14 AI and technology’s role in supplement industry efficiency and safety
40:47 The rise of content creators and doctors shaping supplement education
46:34 Diagnostics, wearables, and the future of personalized wellness
51:13 Supplement industry outlook and advice for emerging brands
52:25 How to connect with Graham and AHPA, and upcoming founder programs

Show notes powered by Castmagic

Past guests & brands on DTC Pod include Gilt, PopSugar, Glossier, MadeIN, Prose, Bala, P.volve, Ritual, Bite, Oura, Levels, General Mills, Mid Day Squares, Prose, Arrae, Olipop, Ghia, Rosaluna, Form, Uncle Studios & many more.  

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Graham Rigby - President & CEO of American Herbal Products Association (AHPA)
Blaine Bolus - Co-Founder of Castmagic
Ramon Berrios - Co-Founder of Castmagic