Bucked Up CEO Ryan Gardner on Building a $300 Million Brand From a Utah Farm
Bucked Up CEO Ryan Gardner sits down to talk about building a $300M+ supplement and beverage empire from scratch — from farm boy roots and affiliate marketing to 100,000+ retail locations, influencer campaigns with Conor McGregor and Bryson DeChambeau, and what's next for one of the largest independent drink brands in the country.
Episode 002: Building Bucked Up
Bucked Up CEO Ryan Gardner joins Cody and Ben in Utah to share the full story behind one of the fastest-growing independent beverage and supplement brands in the country — from growing up on a farm in Clearfield, Utah, to doing over $300 million in revenue with 100% distribution nationwide.
Topics Covered
- Growing up on a Utah farm and the work ethic that shaped Bucked Up
- From affiliate marketing and driving traffic to building their own brand
- The vision: becoming a household name like Red Bull or Monster
- Innovation philosophy — doing things nobody else is doing
- Influencer marketing: Conor McGregor, Bryson DeChambeau, Danny Duncan, and the power of micro influencers
- Launching lightly carbonated protein drinks and selling 1.2M cans in 6 days on TikTok
- Building a nationwide distribution network without a strategic partner
- Trademark ingredients vs. generics and why they matter for marketing
- The importance of flavor as the #1 driver of beverage success
- Community, family, and giving back in Utah
- What's next: RTD pre-workouts, a microplastics detox product, and the future of longevity
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