A few years ago, I was using name-brand protein powders as a college athlete. I really needed the extra protein, but hated that protein shakes made me bloated.
Sick of protein powders that upset my stomach, I made my own with a short list of simple ingredients. For the first time, my protein shake did not upset my stomach.
After graduating from college, I started working as a teacher and coach. I spent my free time turning the protein powder that I was making myself, for myself, into a business. I eventually partnered with an organic granola company in Plymouth, Massachusetts, and made my first batch of drink wholesome. This was just weeks before the first case of COVID-19 was detected in the United States.
My original business plan was to spread awareness at in-person events like running races. As an athlete, I felt that my best chance of building a successful wellness business was to target other athletes. Unfortunately, however, just two weeks after I launched the business, the country shut down due to the spread of COVID-19. Overnight, seemingly all in-person events were canceled, and I was stuck at home with pallets of protein powder, and no obvious way of selling them.
To say that I felt lost is an understatement. I had absolutely no idea how I was going to make it in a virtual world with no advertising budget and no digital marketing experience. All I had was a homemade website and a quiet Facebook page.
Months went by, and my only sales were to family and friends. I still had no idea how to run an e-commerce business, and the pandemic did not seem to be going away anytime soon. Just when I was about to call quits, however, I got a second wind.
It was morning like any other. I opened my laptop to fulfill a handful of e-commerce orders, and was surprised to see a customer name that I did not recognize. After asking around, I confirmed that this person was a complete stranger, and my heart skipped a beat. Selling to a stranger might not seem like a big deal, but for a small e-commerce business like mine, it was a huge milestone.
Again, I had no idea who this customer was, how she found my website, or why she bought my protein powder, but that did not matter. I finally had a reason to believe in what I was doing. A few days later, I got another sale from a stranger, and a few days after that, 2 more. By the end of the month, I was consistently getting orders from people I did not know, and I started to think that maybe, just maybe, there was hope for drink wholesome after all.
A few months down the road, I finally figured out who these strangers were, and why they were ordering my protein powders. Basically, people with gut issues and sensitive stomachs stumbled across drink wholesome, and loved how the simple ingredients made them feel. Word quickly got around that my protein powders were easier to digest than everything else out there, and the rest is history.
Today, drink wholesome is THE gut-friendly protein powder. My simple ingredients are perfect for people with digestive diseases. They also taste much better than the heavily-processed junk that goes into most protein powders. Order samples to see for yourself.
drink wholesome is still proudly handmade in Plymouth, Massachusetts, and depending on who you are, could change your life. Give it a try, and follow my story on Instagram and Facebook and TikTok.
Jack, founder
