Today we’d like to introduce you to Brian Shotwell.
Brian, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Having a blue collar upbringing has instilled in me “hardwork”. Hard work defined for me is showing up. A day in and day out and putting in the work, whatever that may be. It may mean training, it may mean being a dad, it may mean being the best husband, wife, brother, friend you can be.
Finding my way through the strength and conditioning world over the past decade has meant lots of research and experimenting. From ruck marches, running, powerlifting, bodybuilding, CrossFit, Olympic weightlifting, counting macros, keto and everything in between. I like figuring it all out. Through that experimenting, I’ve gained a love for helping other people live their best lives through fitness, nutrition, and lifestyle.
That love for helping people is the core root of creating a clean protein supplement that is for EVERYONE. I wanted something my daughter can drink without worrying about ingredients that were overly processed with a ton of artificial sweeteners. I want to show people from all walks of life that protein can be for everyone. That’s why our protein is called “it’s just protein” simple ingredients for everyone.
As a US Army veteran. I’ve had battle buddies take their own lives after coming home from war. Seeing the effects of PTS (Post-traumatic stress) on hundreds of thousands of active duty, retired and US military veterans made me want to get into action. That’s why we are on a mission to stop veteran suicide rates by donating 10% of our profits to organizations we believe in and that are on a mission to lower that suicide rate. I’m proud to have served and proud to still serve the active duty and veteran community.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Definitely not a smooth road, but what road in life is worth traveling if you don’t stop at some detours along the way? Fear almost consumed me from the beginning-fear that people won’t like it, fear that the product won’t be perfect, fear of rejection. There were nights where I wouldn’t sleep because production was behind or our website was down.
Funny(now) story….we did a pre-order on our first production run to raise the capital to begin manufacturing; promising a hard delivery date with not a lot of wiggle room. Two days before production began, our manufacturer sent one last “final” sample for approval. Through that vetting process, we found out there was sugar in that batch so we stayed up for 48 hours working to fix the problem and get the actual final batch approved in time to meet the delivery deadline we set for ourselves.
Standing up for your core values definitely won’t be the smooth road all the time but wow is it worth it.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
Our company is a clean supplement company that specializes in clean protein powder. We’re known for the simplicity of our branding and ingredient list. Its name is “It’s Just Protein” because we want to break down that wall that people may have about protein powder.
We stand out for a few reasons we’re no carbs, no sugar, no soy and have 24g of protein. I’m proud of being able to provide a product that truly helps people; from the grandmother to the high performing athlete. People that haven’t been able to drink protein shakes & smoothies because of stomach discomfort have taken ours with no problem and have seen amazing results because of it.
They think I’m most proud of is the community we’re creating with people from all walks of life. That community has allowed us to reach Veteran organizations that are helping lower the veteran suicide rate.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
Success is happiness. Let that sink in. Success is not some random number that pops up when you check your bank account. That’s a hard truth for a lot of people but I define success as being truly happy with all aspects of my life. Setting goals that help define that happiness has been helpful. Some markers that are helpful for me personally are:
-time spent with family
-traveling and showing my daughter the world
-taking my wife on dates and connecting on a deep level
-giving part of myself and helping active duty service members and veterans
Contact Info:
- Website: www.honeybeardtraining.com
- Phone: 2144779658
- Email: brian@honeybeardtraining.com
- Instagram: @honeybeardtraining
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/honeybeardtraining
Image Credit:
Dean Xu
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