In this episode, Ciaran chats with Darren O’Reilly, founder & CEO of WholeSupp, on his journey from rugby and corporate life to launching a whole-food meal shake brand built on science, transparency and taste. Darren shares the grind of finding manufacturers, bootstrapping for three years, and building a challenger brand in a crowded nutrition space. Expect insight on manufacturing, omnichannel growth, hiring, partnerships, cash flow and smart funding. 🎯 Key Takeaways Problem → Product: After losing 23kg, Darren created a shake with 13 whole-food ingredients, co-developed with Dr. Brian Carson, using clinically backed doses.Trust & Quality: In a “Wild West” market, WholeSupp ensures transparency through informed-standard facilities and third-party testing.Taste Wins: 100+ sensory panels proved that nutrition only works if it tastes great.Data Focus: ~70% returning customers, 100+ monthly interviews, real-time insights and micro-influencer testing before paid growth.Omnichannel: Digital-first success now reinforced by Holland & Barrett rollout, sampling and staff training.Next Phase: Launching Ready-to-Drink (RTD) for on-the-go consumers.Lean Team: Keep fixed costs low, scale great people, and give ownership early.Funding Smart: Angels, grants, Enterprise Ireland and a fractional CFO—walked from early VC terms until metrics proved out.Email = Currency: Educational content (like VO₂ Max) outperforms hard-sell emails and drives loyalty. 🔥 Memorable Quotes “If your product doesn’t taste great, you’re in trouble.”“Email is currency. Educate first, sell second.”“We’re data nerds—every decision starts with behavior.”“Growth isn’t everything; live and breathe the numbers.”⏱️ Chapters 00:00 – Intro & mission 01:05 – Rugby to corporate life to 23kg loss sparks the idea 02:30 – 13 whole-foods and allergen-friendly formula 03:40 – Fixing the “Wild West” of supplement labelling 06:20 – Manufacturing pain: MOQs, packaging swings, 3 years to market 08:40 – Bootstrapping reality & the Shopify myth 10:00 – Launching via social proof → paid ads 11:50 – Functional nutrition and category trends 12:40 – Convenience & RTD vision 13:40 – Taste testing and customer honesty 15:40 – Data engine: high retention & feedback 17:30 – New SKU ‘Elevate’: hydration + creatine 19:10 – Defining the “healthy, active” consumer 20:10 – Team culture, first-hire lesson, and advisors 22:20 – Low fixed, flexible cost model 24:50 – Omnichannel proof: H&B rollout & activations 26:40 – Partnerships: Rugby refs, breathwork, Nadia Power 29:10 – Milestone 430k+ meals; target 500k 30:30 – Funding & CFO Val: angels, grants, EI 32:00 – Tracking metrics via StoreHero + Triple Whale 34:00 – Profitability vs growth; knowing when to scale 36:20 – Raising smart, not fast; proof before capital 37:30 – Email education wins; 3-week reorder = 80% chance of third order 39:00 – Next goal: RTD #2 in UK 🔍 Keywords: WholeSupp, whole-food nutrition, RTD, DTC, omnichannel, third-party testing, customer research, micro-influencers, retention, Enterprise Ireland, angels, challenger brand, Holland & Barrett, functional nutrition, startup funding. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
