How I Built This – Advice Line with Randy Hetrick of TRX

Podcast: How I Built This with Guy Raz
Host: Guy Raz
Guest: Randy Hetrick, Founder of TRX
Date: September 25, 2025
Format: Advice Line – Listeners call in with business challenges, seeking advice from Guy Raz and a successful founder.

Episode Overview

This episode centers on live business advice from Randy Hetrick, the innovative founder of TRX, the renowned suspension training system. Guy Raz and Randy field real-world questions from entrepreneurs at pivotal stages in their entrepreneurial journeys, covering growth, funding, retail launch, and navigating investor relationships. Randy’s story—selling TRX, launching a new venture, and then reacquiring TRX—sets the stage for a masterclass on resilience, strategic focus, and scaling sustainably.

Featured Guest: Randy Hetrick

• Background: Ex-Navy SEAL, creator of TRX, serial entrepreneur.
• Recent Journey: Sold TRX in 2019 to private equity, briefly left, started Outfit (mobile fitness gyms), bought TRX back in a turnaround deal.
• Approach: Passionate about the fitness space and supporting veterans; focused on organic, profitable growth and authentic partnerships.

Key Themes & Discussion Points

Randy’s Post-2017 Ride: From Exit to Buyback

• Recap: Brief on founding TRX “accidentally” while grounded in Southeast Asia as a Navy SEAL, using a jiu-jitsu belt for training.
• Life Since: Sold majority stake to private equity in 2019 (“not a match made in heaven”), started Outfit (mobile, outdoor fitness franchise), then reacquired TRX with a partner, turning around the business.
• Quote:

  “I ended up with a turnaround and a startup, which is almost more fun than one guy should have. But it’s been an incredible ride and TRX is doing great again.”
  (Randy Hetrick, 06:59)

Current Fitness Market and Advice on Breaking Through Noise

• Challenge: Massive product saturation, expensive customer acquisition, crowded Amazon/social channels.
• Strategy: Can’t just “buy” attention anymore; focus on authentic influencer relationships and equity partnerships.
• Quote:

  “Getting good authority, authentic influencers on board…can be a relatively inexpensive way to do it. You’re going to pay some equity…but if you pick the right partner…you get somebody who will be excited about the business.”
  (Randy Hetrick, 09:20)

Caller 1: Paige Tse, Benny (Naturopathic Energy Drink)

[Segment begins at 10:29]

Business: Wellness-focused, low-caffeine energy drink, formulated by a naturopath; founded in Canada.

Paige’s Milestone Question

• Context: Benny started with a $25,000 bank loan, profitable, selling in 1,000 stores across Canada. Has a major upcoming national launch with Target (US).
• Ask: How to set up Benny for success at Target outside of the obvious finance and supply chain concerns?

Detailed Advice

• Be Ready for Scale and Retail Risks

  • Understand Big Box Terms: Know “put rights”—retailers can return unsold product. Ensure you can withstand this risk.
  • Operational Readiness: Have retail-experienced advisors, not just enthusiastic investors.
  • Quote:

    “…the put rights are the thing that you want to really make sure that you understand. …In our case…had I not passed [Costco] up for that reason, there would have never been a TRX.”
    (Randy Hetrick, 17:07)

• Laser-Focused Targeting

  • Don’t Try to Appeal to Everyone: Build a tribe, lean into your existing “caffeine conscious” and women-centric audience.

  • Collaboration Suggestions: Seek event and brand collaborations—fitness studios, women’s wellness, etc.

  • Quote:

    “You really do kind of have to focus in. …Versus a shotgun where you’re spreading [resources] so thinly that they don’t really make an impression on anyone.”
    (Randy Hetrick, 22:09)

  • Own Your Identity:

    “Normally my advice is, you really want to appeal to everybody…But in this case, I think it makes a lot of sense for you to lean into that [women-centered branding].”
    (Guy Raz, 21:48)

• Leverage Advisors:
  Smart Sweets’ Tara Bosch cited as a great fit as an advisor on scale and retail.

Caller 2: Kerry Jones, Peaked Pies (Australian Bakery Franchise)

[Segment begins at 28:41]

Business: Australian savory meat pies, flagship cafes in Whistler, franchise model, seeking strategic investment.

Kerry’s Growth & Investment Question

• Ask: What smart questions should we ask strategic investors? How can we vet their claims of added value or “synergy”?

Detailed Advice

• Be Wary of “Strategic” Investors

  • Go Beyond the Pitch: Many promise operational insight but don’t deliver. Most investors are hands-off unless they intend to take an operational role.
  • Domain Experience Matters: Seek investors or advisors who have “deep expertise in a pretty narrow field of business. …Franchising, Food. Franchising.”
  • Quote:

    “I’d be very careful expecting too much from your investor unless…you really get the right one, which…turns out to be hard to do.”
    (Randy Hetrick, 34:47)

• Consider Team Hires vs. ‘Strategic’ Money

  • Operators trump Investors: You can often hire operators/consultants with equity rather than relying solely on investors for hands-on help.
  • Semi-retired franchise experts: Seek out people with credible, hands-on franchise growth experience—these people may take equity for day-to-day help.

• Do Your Diligence

  • Ask for Referrals: If someone turns you down, ask for feedback and suggestions on who else might be interested.
  • Quote:

    “Even if somebody passes, by the way, ask them…find out…what is it that you don’t like? …You’re going to come away…with some really useful intel.”
    (Randy Hetrick, 41:33)

Caller 3: Catherine Perry, Adapt Apparel (Adaptive Clothing)

[Segment begins at 44:49]

Business: Functional, dignified clothing for people with disabilities, aging, or medical challenges. Focus on stylish, non-institutional designs.

Catherine’s Scaling Question

• Ask: Are we spreading ourselves too thin by pursuing DTC, healthcare, and B2B (clinics, hospitals, care), or does this “hybrid” model give us a competitive edge?

Detailed Advice

• Early-Stage: Follow Traction and Learn

  • Emphasize Where Demand Exists: For now, prioritize institutional and clinical sales channels—the most immediate source of customers.
  • Be Cautious About Retail: New brands can get “burned” by retail if they don’t already have strong sell-through and advocates.
  • Quote:

    “Don’t rush too fast to worry about retail or broadening your target. I’d actually try to find the real spot where you’re hitting the target and…focus on that, learn from them, make some mistakes in a forgiving environment.”
    (Randy Hetrick, 53:23)

• Build Advocacy Before Retail Expansion

  • Find Evangelists: Seek “advocacy”—customers or professionals who become passionate promoters.
  • Brand Distinction: Unique story and logo (her mother’s thumbprint) create authenticity; leverage this for trust and recognition.

• Patience Is Key

  “You’re brand new. …It’s really, really important to find your advocacy early…because when you think about retail, it’s pretty easy to sell in. But what you really got to focus on…is sell through.”
  (Randy Hetrick, 53:46)

Memorable Quotes & Insights

• “The things that always do the best are the things that start by solving a problem. …If you can solve a problem…and the broader held that problem is, the faster the adoption…”
  (Randy Hetrick, 55:13)

• On Moving Fast:

  “Be a little more patient, do not…get profitable as early as possible and stay profitable and make decisions from a mindset that, you know, I want to try to maintain profitability.”
  (Randy Hetrick’s advice to his younger self, 56:34)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Randy Hetrick’s update and founder journey: 04:22–08:44
• Advice for launching new products/brands in a noisy market: 08:44–10:24
• Caller 1 (Paige – Benny Energy Drink): 10:29–24:54
• Caller 2 (Kerry – Peaked Pies): 28:41–42:18
• Caller 3 (Catherine – Adapt Apparel): 44:49–54:33
• Randy’s “What I’d tell my younger self” insight: 56:34–58:01

Tone and Atmosphere

Friendly, candid, and deeply experienced—the episode is loaded with practical, hard-won wisdom. Randy’s humility about his own stumbles adds relatability, and Guy’s curiosity brings focus to big decisions and psychological pressures. Callers are passionate and mission-driven, reflecting the optimistic, resourceful spirit of up-and-coming entrepreneurs.

Notable Moments

• Randy’s “Costco Fork In The Road” Story: A timely warning for young consumer brands about the risks of early big box deals. (17:07)
• Guy’s Advice to Benny: Double down on “women-owned,” wellness-oriented positioning rather than generic energy drink marketing. (21:48)
• Peaked Pies’ Room for Diligence: Not all “smart money” is smart—thorough vetting is mandatory. (41:33)
• Adapt Apparel’s Logo Story: The human (and branding) touch—her mother’s thumbprint as the logo. (51:45)

Actionable Takeaways

• Focus like a laser; early-stage brands win by dominating micro-niches.
• Choose capital partners by operational fit and real track record, not just money.
• Be wary of retail expansion until you’ve proven sell-through and advocacy.
• Profitability buys you options and peace of mind—prioritize it over hypergrowth.

This episode is required listening (or reading) for founders navigating growth bottlenecks, major launches, and the sometimes perilous path to scale. The blend of tactical advice, lived experience, and direct engagement with real founders makes it a standout masterclass in entrepreneurship.