In this episode of the Grow A Small Business Podcast host Troy Trewin interviews Tim Rexius shares how he lost nearly everything during the GFC, delivered pizzas at night, and sanded floors to fund the launch of Rexius Nutrition. He reveals how relentless networking, smart risk-taking, and a commitment to learning helped him grow multiple businesses, including three successful gyms. Tim also explains how Omaha Protein Popcorn evolved from a struggling idea into a global brand stocked in over 30,000 stores across 16 countries. Along the way, he discusses leadership, marketing, building a strong team culture, and why entrepreneurs must remain lifelong students. This inspiring conversation is packed with lessons on resilience, growth, and creating opportunities from adversity. Why would you wait any longer to start living the lifestyle you signed up for? Balance your health, wealth, relationships and business growth. And focus your time and energy and make the most of this year. Let's get into it by clicking here. Troy delves into our guest's startup journey, their perception of success, industry reconsideration, and the pivotal stress point during business expansion. They discuss the joys of small business growth, vital entrepreneurial habits, and strategies for team building, encompassing wins, blunders, and invaluable advice. And a snapshot of the final five Grow A Small Business Questions: What do you think is the hardest thing in growing a small business? According to Tim Rexius, the hardest thing in growing a small business is access to capital. He believes many entrepreneurs have great ideas and the willingness to work hard, but securing funding is often the biggest challenge. Tim notes that borrowing money has become increasingly difficult, and when funding is available, the interest rates and repayment terms can be tough. He advises business owners to find creative ways to generate income while building their business so they can cover overhead costs and avoid making poor decisions under financial pressure. What's your favorite business book that has helped you the most? Tim Rexius says one of the business books that has helped him the most is Think Big, Shut the F Up and Work. He also credits Masters of Selling by Tony Robbins as a life-changing book that helped him understand communication, sales, and human behavior. Tim believes that learning how to sell effectively is one of the most valuable skills an entrepreneur can develop because it influences every aspect of business growth and success. Are there any great podcasts or online learning resources you'd recommend to help grow a small business? Tim Rexius shared invaluable entrepreneurial wisdom across several platforms, including his standout appearances on The Management Blueprint Podcast, The Deep Wealth Podcast, and the Phat Muscle Project Podcast, where he breaks down real-world scaling strategies and leadership frameworks. His home base at timrexius.com also offers direct access to Rexius Business Consulting, where he mentors entrepreneurs globally on franchising, retail expansion, and building strong team cultures. For broader small business growth, the Grow a Small Business Podcast hosted by Troy Trewin — the very show Tim featured on — delivers weekly deep-dives with founders tackling the same challenges. You can also follow Tim on Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn at @timothy_d_rexius for ongoing, no-BS business insights from someone who built a $50M brand from nothing. What tool or resource would you recommend to grow a small business? Tim Rexius shares that the most powerful tool for growing a small business is building genuine relationships, as he personally visited three gyms every day for three years to meet potential customers, proving that consistent human connection outperforms any paid marketing strategy. He also emphasizes leveraging social media to level the playing field, noting that a strong personal brand and winning attitude can make a C-class location just as successful as an A-class one, which he demonstrated by growing Omaha Protein Popcorn to over 30,000 stores across 16 countries. For direct mentorship and structured business guidance, Tim offers Rexius Business Consulting at timrexius.com, where he coaches entrepreneurs on scaling, franchising, and turning employees into entrepreneurial partners using his proven Entrepreneur Creation Framework. What advice would you give yourself on day one of starting out in business? Tim Rexius would tell his day-one self to stop waiting for the perfect moment and instead start hustling immediately, because delivering pizzas at night and sanding floors on weekends while building his first store taught him that grit and relentless action will always outwork privilege and perfect timing. He would also remind himself that it is far easier to turn customers into friends than friends into customers, so invest every ounce of energy into showing up, meeting people, and projecting a winning attitude — because the right mindset attracts the right opportunities. Book a 20-minute Growth Chat with Troy Trewin to see if you qualify for our upcoming course. Don't miss out on this opportunity to take your small business to new heights! Enjoyed the podcast? Please leave a review on iTunes or your preferred platform. Your feedback helps more small business owners discover our podcast and embark on their business growth journey. Quotable quotes from our special Grow A Small Business podcast guest: It's a lot easier to turn customers into friends than friends into customers — Tim Rexius You can have a C-class location but an A-class person, and still build a wildly successful business — Tim Rexius People really want to be surrounded by winners, so put on a winning attitude and watch the right opportunities find you — Tim Rexius
