The PricePlow Podcast

https://blog.priceplow.com/podcast/jack-gayton-vitamin-shoppe-105 In July of 2023, The Vitamin Shoppe held their annual Wellness Summit, a corporate event where key presentations and discussions are given by employees and partnered brands, highlighting industry trends and business plans. While there, we had Jack Gayton, The Vitamin Shoppe’s Divisional Vice President of Merchandising on the podcast along with Aaron Heidebreicht, Chief Commercial Officer of Kaged (and repeat visitor to the podcast). The conversation focuses on how major retailers like The Vitamin Shoppe see the world, and what brands need to do to earn their interest, trust, and long-term business. With Aaron, we also get to hear some strategy from the brand side as well. The Vitamin Shoppe continues to make a big push in the Fit Lifestyle space (what many of us consider to be “sports nutrition” or “active nutrition”), and Jack states that they’ll continue to focus on energy drinks, functional foods, and functional beverages. This is an excellent listen for anyone interested in the major retail space of the supplement industry. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PIxky9L8Hm8 Before beginning, you can also watch this recap: View this post on Instagram A post shared by PricePlow (@priceplow) Detailed Show Notes with Jack Gayton of Vitamin Shoppe (0:00) – Introductions (2:15) – Trends from Jack’s perspective (4:30) – Has social media changed the buyer’s role? (6:45) – Sellouts are BAD for Retailers (8:45) – Stable supply chain from the brand’s perspective (10:45) – What does a buyer value hearing from a brand? More detailed show notes are coming soon! Where to Find Jack Jack Gayton on LinkedIn The Vitamin Shoppe on Instagram Where to find Aaron and Kaged Sign up for Kaged news alerts on PricePlow Follow @Kaged on Instagram Follow Aaron Heidebreicht on LinkedIn Thanks to Jack and the entire staff at The Vitamin Shoppe for having us, and thank you to Kaged for sponsoring the trip and allowing us to take part. You can return to the PricePlow Podcast — please subscribe on the platform of your choice and leave us a review!

https://blog.priceplow.com/podcast/bruce-kneller-nootropic-104 Five years in the making, it’s the return of Bruce Kneller to the PricePlow Podcast! We last saw him in in 2018 in Episode #009 where he dosed us with his new Bruce-class nootropic. Well, he’s finally back with a real update, and with some good news – the nootropic should be ready at some point in 2024. There are still a few things getting worked out, including the regulatory aspect, but it’s about “90% finished” and close enough for beta testing to begin! So during this episode, Mike and Ben try the full dose, and get to hear the backstory, science, and legal side from Bruce. They offer their “reviews” after having now taken it twice. We also then get into some other stuff, discussing “other ingredients that begin with a ‘D'”, and why this stuff can’t (or likely won’t) be made in America. You can watch this one on YouTube below, or listen on Spotify or any RSS-enabled podcast app: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ttl4N2rCPKo Detailed Show Notes with Bruce Kneller (0:00) – Re-Introductions (2:15) – Stimulants that Begin with the Letter ‘D’, and what IS a stimulant? (3:45) – Bruce describes his nootropic ingredient (5:15) – Mike gives his review of Bruce’s ingredient (6:15) – The guys try their samples (7:45) – Bruce further explains the ingredient (9:00) – Labeling and Compliance of the new ingredient (11:00) – Keeping tight control of the ingredient (14:30) – What pathways does the ingredient work on? (17:00) – Ben gives his review (19:00) – Comparisons to the sample we tested in 2018 (22:00) – Bruce won’t let Mike (or formulators) add yohimbine to it (25:00) – Formulating with the ingredient, Bruce protecting his investment (30:00) – Lessons learned from DMHA (37:45) – Steps necessary to get this to the market (42:30) – The guys want to be DOING something (43:30) – When might it be available? (48:00) – Digging deeper into the ingredients inside (51:00) – More Regulatory: Getting GRAS Affirmation? (53:15) – 3DPump Breakthrough and Full Transparency (57:00) – New challenges making money in sports nutrition (1:00:30) – Bruce’s final product (1:03:15) – Why can’t we manufacture this in the USA? (1:07:30) – Closing down As always, thanks to Bruce for allowing us to be a part of his beta-testing. Return to the PricePlow Podcast and don’t forget to subscribe on the platform of your choice and leave us a review!

https://blog.priceplow.com/podcast/michael-goodman-ftc-warning-letters-103 In April of 2023, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) unexpectedly sent warning letters to about 700 drug companies and dietary supplement brands regarding substantiation of their product claims. Their letters stated that there was no active investigation, and that “The fact that a company is on this list is NOT an indication that it has done anything wrong”, but it obviously raised a great deal of concern in both industries. To find out what was going on, and to get a general lesson in the concerns of the Federal Trade Commission, we brought on FTC subject matter expert Michael Goodman of Hudson Cook, LLP to explain the story. We retained Michael for a check-up on our website in 2018, and kept in touch because of his excellent work. In this podcast, we get a great lesson on what the FTC cares about in terms of misleading product claims, and the legal process a company will find themselves in when the agency comes knocking on their door. As for those FTC warning letters, the long story short is that they’re an unforeseen side effect of a 2021 Supreme Court decision, and were sent as a preemptive measure in case the FTC were ever to want to seek financial penalties. In four words: “The clock has started”. Check it out on YouTube (video below), Spotify, or any RSS-enabled podcast app: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l8r6nz52m2c Detailed Show Notes with FTC Legal Expert Michael Goodman of Hudson Cook, LLP (0:00) – Introductions: Michael Goodman and Hudson Cook, LLP (5:30) – How to look for misleading claims (9:15) – The FTC’s guidance for health products (13:15) – Disclosure of a paid relationship (16:15) – Enforcement of regulations (21:00) – The process of enforcement (27:00) – How often does the FTC take action on violations? (31:45) – What’s the hot topic right now with privacy? (39:45) – The Supreme Court Decision that precipitated the warning letters (46:22) – Buzzwords (50:30) – “Made in the USA” is a very actionable claim (54:00) – How to get in touch with Michael Important Links: Hudson Cook’s Website: https://www.hudsoncook.com Hudson Cook’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/hudson-cook-llp/ Michael Goodman’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-goodman-5044505/

https://blog.priceplow.com/podcast/sportlife-distribution-michael-rossman-102 On the heels of an incredibly informative Supplement Manufacturing 101 episode on the PricePlow Podcast, we graduate to Distribution 102 with Michael Rossman, CEO of SportLife Distribution. SportLife Distribution has been around for a bit less than a decade, but they’ve plugged quite a few gaps in the industry’s supply chain, servicing brick and mortar stores with a selection of over 80 brands. This enables stores to place smaller orders from multiple brands, and get them quickly thanks to SportLife’s well-placed distribution centers around the country. Supplement Distribution, Trends, and Jobs with SportLife In this episode, Michael gives us his backstory, teaches us about distribution, and explains SportLife’s business model and where it fits into the industry. We also talk about how 2020 forced major changes to the industry, and how SportLife was well-positioned to succeed at a tough time. The guys then get into trending products and brands, of course discussing energy drinks and functional foods. We leave off wanting a second episode with SportLife, but next time, we’ll talk about the hot products in various parts of the country with SportLife’s sales team. Finally, SportsLife is hiring — if you’re looking for supplement industry jobs, this is a great place to start and get your foot in the door! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E37Tfqx32B8 Detailed Show Notes with Michael Rossman of SportLife Distribution (0:00) – Introduction to today’s episode (3:30) – How did Michael get started? (7:00) – Distribution: The benefit to the retailer and the brand. (13:00) – How to get into the energy drink space? (17:15) – How to work with a distributor? (20:45) – Navigating Market Changes (23:15) – Working with retailers (26:15) – Cycles of growth and distribution. (29:00) – Direct to consumer has replaced mass distribution. (34:00) – Distribution is a valuable asset (39:15) – Distribution centers and the nuts and bolts behind the scenes (43:00) – Payment terms for specialty gyms (46:00) – Cool trends in the industry (52:00) – Leveraging distribution to increase sales (54:45) – Economic outlook for sports nutrition Thanks again Michael! Return to the PricePlow Podcast and please subscribe and leave a review on the platform of your choice.

https://blog.priceplow.com/podcast/lief-labs-supplement-manufacturing-101 Over the years, PricePlow has continually become more interested in supplement manufacturing, as it is the cornerstone basis of the entire industry. Good manufacturing quality and testing leads to safe, high-quality products for end consumer. In Episode #068, we interviewed Matt Karich of Soul Performance Nutrition, who took us through his exhaustive process of finding a high-quality manufacturer that produce supplements that would pass rigorous tests and become BSCG Certified. It turns out, the manufacturer he ended up with was none other than Lief Labs. So we began to talk more frequently with Lief Labs (and their sister subsidiary ingredient development business, Lief Raws), learning how they differentiate themselves from the rest of the supplement manufacturers out there. We’ve continually emphasized that dietary supplements are regulated (see Episode #100 with Dan Fabricant of the Natural Products Assocation), but what manufacturer takes these laws with the utmost seriousness? What manufacturer can provide additional services to help inexperienced operators make high-quality products? Manufacturing 101 with Meg Ligot of Lief Labs An answer to both of those questions is Lief. So we brought Meg Ligot, Senior Product Development Manager at Lief Labs, to bring us through Supplement Manufacturing 101. It’s an informative and fun episode, and does a great job showcasing how Lief does things right. We also talk a bit about Lief Raws, flashing back to their unique Biozomal Caffeine product that we covered in the past. It’s all covered below, and you can watch on YouTube or listen through Spotify or any RSS-capable podcast app: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RtVQnv_uUY4 Detailed Show Notes: Manufacturing 101 at Lief Labs with Meg Ligot (0:00) – Introduction (3:30) – How Lief Works With Their Customers (6:00) – Example of the process with Lief as a new brand owner (8:15) – NSF Certification and Continuing the Formulation Process (12:00) – How the costs break down (15:40) – Prop 65 Warning and Legal Requirements (19:40) – Product minimums and what they can do (21:30) – Flavoring and sampling (26:00) – Masking ingredient tastes that may not be pleasant (28:40) – Natural vs. artificial flavors (30:15) – Flavor is picked, what’s next? (35:00) – Meg’s background (43:00) – Next steps for product (50:15) – Finally, manufacturing! (58:00) – The manufacturing process (1:01:30) – What if something goes wrong? (1:03:30) – Are common ingredients always in stock? (1:05:40) – Ensuring the product contains what it says it does (1:11:15) – Testing is complete, the product is ready to be shipped! (1:13:45) – Now we know Lief Labs, but what is Lief Raws? (1:18:39) – Lief Raws makes function based ingredients too (1:21:00) – Tablet manufacturing at Lief Labs (1:24:50) – How Lief brings ingredients in Important Links LiefLabs.com…<… Read more on the PricePlow Blog

https://blog.priceplow.com/podcast/dan-fabricant-npa-2023-washington-dc For Episode 100 of the PricePlow Podcast, Ben and Mike flew to Washington D.C. for the Natural Products Association’s annual DC Fly-In Day on June 7, 2023. Fly-in days, also known as “lobby days”, bring individuals together to advocate with legislators and other officials on behalf of their shared interests. So this was the day where members of the NPA could meet with their elected representatives on Capitol Hill to discuss matters of importance in terms of public policy geared towards the dietary supplement industry. Episode 100: Dan Fabricant of the NPA in Washington, DC It was only fitting, then, to schedule Episode 100 with Dan Fabricant, CEO of the Natural Products Association (NPA). This is the country’s largest and oldest nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting the natural products industry — it was founded in 1936 and has over 700 members. In this podcast, we discuss why we should be involved in politics when it has become so off-putting the past decade or so, discuss what the FDA and industry both need to be doing better, and dig into this year’s hot topics, which includes the battle against the FDA for NMN. The trip was spectacular — we’ll include some videos at the bottom of this article. We were able to meet with congressmen and senators from New Jersey (Ben’s district) and Oklahoma (Mike’s home). Have a say — or someone else will do so for you The most major point to get across is this: If you’re not talking to your legislators, then someone else is. There’s only so much oxygen in DC, and every industry needs to fight for theirs. Now let’s get into it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QVhtNGUqfKI As a reminder, Dan was previously on the PricePlow Podcast in Episode #067, describing how the NPA fought Dick Durbin’s 2022 Mandatory Product Listing Bill (described as “MPL” below). Ben had also joined in the fight in Trenton, NJ to prevent them from forcing stores to sell supplements from behind-the-counter (see coverage here and here on Instagram). These are both referenced below: Detailed Show Notes with Dan Fabricant of NPA (0:00) – Hot Start: We need to support our tribe (1:30) – Introduction and the Disenfranchisement with Politics (3:15) – We have to show up (4:30) – What is the NPA? (7:30) – Non-Profit 101 – How is NPA Run? (9:15) – Not Just Federal: Challenges in States (10:10) – Will uninformed legislators ever understand creatine?! (12:30) – Performance Supplements Lead the Way in this Industry (14:00) – Should the dietary supplement community discuss supplements for children (16:00) – The four pillars of the dietary supplement industry’s regulatory framework (23:00) – Dan’s Background at the FDA (24:00) – Dan vs. USPLabs (28:45) – What can be a dietary supplement? (32:30) – Botanicals and Constituents of Botanicals (35:15) – Foods and supplements cannot intoxicate (38:00) – New Dietary Ingredient Notifications (NDIN) (39:30) – Congress vs. the FDA – Is this a power game? (41:30) – Black eyes on the supplement industry (45:00) … Read more on the PricePlow Blog

https://blog.priceplow.com/podcast/ryan-deluca-bodybuilding-black-box-vr-099 On Memorial Day of 2023, we had a fantastic podcast with Ryan DeLuca, the original founder and 17-year CEO of Bodybuilding.com… and current founder and CEO of Black Box VR, a virtual reality physical fitness company that’s bringing an immersive, gamified workout experience to franchise gym locations. Ryan DeLuca: Tech and fitness industry pioneer Ryan is someone who’s constantly been ahead of the curve — for example, he pioneered running a “dotcom” early (when others claimed the Internet was a fad), foresaw the rise of dietary supplements, quickly realized the importance of quality content, and built an online community before social media was a thing. So when Ryan sees a big shift, we take note, and you should too. In this conversation, we talk about the genesis of Bodybuilding.com, which was really a technology company just as much as a fitness and content platform. We get into his core mission, its consistent decade-plus upward trajectory, challenges through growth, and Ryan’s selling of the site in 2015. What to do after Bodybuilding.com? Meet Black Box VR But what next? At the end of his tenure at Bodybuilding.com, Ryan started playing with virtual reality, and became very interested in the space. He lasted six months into “retirement”, then founded Black Box VR, built to revolutionize the way people work out. Through gamification, Black Box VR can give you the best 30 minute workout you’ll ever have. Ryan explains the technology, their franchise business model, and how he sees the future of this space. He makes for an impressive argument for his business and the technology at large, and it’s an incredible episode. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YCMA8qUGTFg Detailed Show Notes with Ryan DeLuca (0:00) – Introductions, Filmed on Memorial Day 2023 (1:00) – The Beginnings of Bodybuilding.com (4:00) – Building a mission-based company (6:00) – Ryan DeLuca: Visionary and Pioneer (9:00) – Using tools to achieve the mission (11:30) – Content is King (14:30) – DeLuca is a Tech Founder – How to Prioritize (16:30) – Running a tech company in the fitness world (20:00) – The stigma of bodybuilding (22:00) – Core values of Bodybuilding.com (24:00) – The trajectory of Bodybuilding.com’s Growth (26:45) – Transitioning out of Bodybuilding.com (29:15) – Were there alternatives to selling? (30:30) – You sold a business. What next? (32:30) – Tuesday’s here. What do you do on Tuesday? (35:30) – The genesis of Black Box VR (39:00) – How does Black Box VR technology work? (42:45) – How will the Black Box VR business expand? (43:30) – Getting gamified into harder workouts (45:30) – How much exercise choice does the player get? (47:45) – Business models: Franchise vs. Working with Other Hardware (49:30) – More workout questions (51:30) – Black Box VR’s Target Demographics (53:30) – Other aspects of training (55:00) – Motivating users and competing with the couch (57:00) – Cooperative workouts in the future? (58:00) – Franchise model questions (1:00:00) – Franchise support questions (1:04:30) – Rya… Read more on the PricePlow Blog

https://blog.priceplow.com/podcast/nate-frazier-ken-huntly-gnc-2023-098 At the 2023 GNC Franchise Convention, Team PricePlow was a guest of Kaged’s, and Ben had a quick moment to talk with Nate Frazier (Chief Operating Officer) and Ken Huntly (VP of Sports Nutrition) to talk about GNC’s partnerships and strategies in 2023 and beyond. This is a continuation of Episode #097 with Kaged’s Aaron Heidebreicht, where the men explore why a premium brand like Kaged needs to partner with GNC. In this episode, Nate explains GNC’s emergence from the murky time period of 2020 through 2022, which faced challenge after challenge. They discuss the retailer’s focus on education, and how they’ve improved their sales culture to ensure quality customer experiences. Ken then discusses what he’s looking for in new sports nutrition brands, and why Kaged checks every box, which paves the way for Kaged’s late summer 2023 launch of 27 new SKUs into GNC. The focus then shifts to Beyond Raw, the highly-innovative brand owned and run by GNC that ensures quality, standout ingredients inside. Finally, GNC is approaching its 90th birthday, and is planning to be here another 90 years, so their strategy has to maintain a long-term outlook. This includes some expansion into product categories like longevity, and not just sports and diet that the retailer is so well-known for. Listen and subscribe on your favorite podcast app or watch below on YouTube – we have much more incredible content coming: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yyGuERKaOrQ This is Part 2 of 2 episodes at the 2023 GNC Franchise Convention, where Team PricePlow attended as a guest of Kaged. Part 1 can be found in Episode #097, but is not required to understand this episode. (0:00) – Introductions (0:30) – Why GNC? (2:10) – GNC emerges from the chaos of 2020/2021 (5:10) – Live Well (5:45) – GNC’s Selling Culture (9:20) – Education in the Supplement Industry (12:00) – Partnerships: What does GNC look for in a partner? (13:15) – Innovation (16:15) – What does GNC want the industry to see? (18:45) – Safety in Dietary Supplements (21:15) – GNC’s importance in the industry Thanks to Kaged and GNC for having Team PricePlow at the 2023 Franchise Convention! This was part 2 of 2 – if you haven’t done so already, head back to Episode #097 with Aaron Heidebreicht and Darin Decker of Kaged. Subscribe to the PricePlow Podcast on the podcast app of your choice.

https://blog.priceplow.com/podcast/kaged-gnc-aaron-heidebreicht-darin-decker-097 In May of 2023, Kaged brought Team PricePlow to GNC’s annual Franchise Convention in Las Vegas, NV. This is a closed show (as in not consumer facing) that provides an incredible opportunity for brands to showcase their latest product offerings and sales to GNC Franchisees. At the show, Kaged — a brand with little official presence at GNC — made a massive splash, showcasing 27 new SKUs that are coming to the retailer. They teased new functional food products and an Elite product line with upgraded ingredients just for GNC. Kaged is coming to GNC… with 27 new SKUs In part 1 of a 2-part series, Ben sat down with Kaged’s Chief Commercial Officer Aaron Heidebreicht and VP of Sales Darin Decker to discuss this massive launch, tease some new products, and to explain many of the recent shifts at Kaged — and their plan moving forward. In part 2, which will be posted in Episode #098, Ben and Aaron later sat down with GNC’s Nate Frazier (Chief Operating Officer) and Ken Huntly (VP of Sports Nutrition) to explore the retailer’s role in these operations and where they are going this decade, especially with respect to their sales strategies. Both of these episodes are must-listens for anyone interested in the business of the dietary supplement industry. Kaged provides the groundwork for how a premium brand can do things the right way, and a lot of it comes down to the right partnerships. To listen, find the PricePlow Podcast on your favorite podcast app (some links are below) or watch the video on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUee8G_6T_Y This is Part 1 of 2 episodes at the 2023 GNC Franchise Convention: (0:00) – Introductions – at the 2023 GNC Franchise Convention (1:40) – How did Kaged get here at GNC? (4:00) – The importance of education (8:00) – 27 New SKUs coming to GNC (11:30) – Kaged Functional Foods – Protein Bar and Crumb Cakes (18:45) – Kaged’s Partnerships: The adults in the room (23:30) – The Kaged Rebrand and New Female Customers (24:50) – Kris Gethin out: Changes in Identity and Direction (32:00) – Kaged Expansion: New Hires and Strategy (38:00) – Closing Down, Aaron knows everyone Thanks to Kaged for bringing Team PricePlow to the 2023 Franchise Convention! This was part 1 of 2 – if you haven’t done so already, head over to Episode #098 with Nate Frazier and Ken Huntly of GNC. Finally, subscribe to the PricePlow Podcast on the podcast app of your choice – we have more heavy-hitting episodes coming.

https://blog.priceplow.com/podcast/konlan-paul-landon-suggs-inspired-nutraceuticals-096 Konlan James Paul of V1 Nutra and Landon Suggs of V1 Nutra) and Landon Suggs (Inspired Nutraceuticals join the PricePlow Podcast to talk about KJ Paul’s new role at Inspired! Listen below, watch it on YouTube, or find the PricePlow Podcast on the podcast app of your choice below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxpOWURZXSg Show Notes with Konlan Paul and Landon Suggs: Talking Inspired Nutraceuticals and V1 Nutra (0:00) – Introductions (1:40) – Collaboration in the Industry (2:40) – Konlan and Landon Meeting Up (4:30) – Content Creators and Giving Back to Brands (7:07) – Ben Reflects On Content Creation In The Past (11:08) – UGC Low Budget Content and Tik Tok (13:15) – How KJ Got Started (16:45) – Working at a Contract Manufacturing Facility (17:55) – Konlan Leaving NutraCap Labs (21:40) – Functional Foods (25:25) – The Philosophy Behind Inspired (27:40) – Why We’re Here (35:35) – What is Konlan’s Role? (38:42) – Wholesale for V1? (40:00) – What Kind of Content Will We See with Konlan for Inspired? (46:00) – Inspired Nutra is Special (48:25) – What’s Happening for Inspired Going Forward? (51:55) – Budget Pre-Workouts (54:40) – DTC to Brick and Mortar (1:00:40) – “Dress For The Job You Want” (1:03:40) – Do What It Takes to Produce Good Content (1:06:40) – Plan For Inspired (1:19:12) – Pre and Pump Combo (1:22:00) – Supplement Awards (1:25:15) – V1 New Branding (1:27:50) – Up Big DTC Lately (1:33:10) – KJ on DTC and Retail (1:34:00) – Brands and What Goes Wrong (1:38:53) – V1 Drops and Future Useful Links Inspired Nutraceuticals on PricePlow V1 Nutra on PricePlow @InspiredNutra on Instagram @V1Nutra on Instagram @Ph4d3 (Landon) on Instagram @Konlan.James on Instagram @JKPerformanceNutrition on TikTok Thanks for joining – subscribe to the PricePlow Podcast on the podcast app of your choice!