The Foundr Podcast with Nathan Chan
Episode 609: From $0 to $20M in 3 Years Selling Supplements | Damien Fitzpatrick
Date: November 27, 2025
Guest: Damien Fitzpatrick, Founder of Pillar Performance
Episode Overview
In this episode, Nathan Chan sits down with Damien Fitzpatrick, a former professional rugby player whose career was cut short by repeated knee injuries. Damien channeled his personal challenges into founding Pillar Performance, a performance supplement brand that has rapidly scaled to $20M+ in annual revenue, with products sold in over 50 countries. The conversation dives deep into how adversity can fuel innovation, navigating pharmaceutical regulation, building a brand in a crowded space, and why retail wasn’t all it’s cracked up to be for their customers.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
Damien’s Rugby Career & Catalyst for Entrepreneurship
- Injury-Fueled Transition: Damien recaps his 13-year rugby career interrupted by three consecutive ACL injuries, forcing him into intense self-education about supplements and recovery protocols.
“I'm probably more well known for times spent off the field… three knee like ACL reconstructions back to back to back.” (03:15)
- Identifying a Market Gap: While finishing his MBA, Damien recognized a void in supplements: potent, pharmaceutical-grade products for athletes that didn’t exist in the mainstream market.
“There was just this huge gap in what I actually needed from my knee...and we just couldn’t find it.” (07:45)
- COVID as an Incubator: The pandemic’s interruption of professional sport gave Damien four months to focus on business planning and research, leading directly to Pillar’s conception.
“Covid hits… gave me a four month window sitting at home to just put my energy and time and thinking into something.” (09:02)
Launching a Supplement Brand from Scratch
- Product Development & Regulatory Hurdles:
- Damien targeted “inflammation and injury” first, wanting to solve these with clinical-grade micronutrition (e.g., high-strength curcumin, magnesium glycinate).
- He navigated tough requirements for TGA (Therapeutic Goods Administration) listing, facing high minimum order quantities and expensive manufacturing.
- Leveraged his athlete network to engage formulation teams and glean insider knowledge about why big brands wouldn’t push product potency.
“I went on LinkedIn...just said, hi, I’m Damien, I play X. Could we meet for a coffee? And… they basically gave me the blueprint.” (16:38)
- Raising Capital:
- Raised $1.5 million from friends and family, most of which went into manufacturing inventory.
- Candid about mistakes: would have preferred to order less stock and reserve more cash for customer acquisition.
“Majority of that money went to stock. If I had my time again, probably would have made it half, kept some further money for acquisition, you know, everything and all the mistakes.” (15:50)
- Convincing Manufacturers:
- Australia’s limited manufacturing base required persistence, vision-selling, and leveraging the “athlete effect.”
“You firstly have to almost before you sell a retail, before you sell a customer to D2C, you actually have to sell your supplier to give you a chance.” (19:49) “From a skill set perspective, almost nothing from professional sport is translatable... But soft skills—confidence, ability to speak—really helped.” (21:00)
- Australia’s limited manufacturing base required persistence, vision-selling, and leveraging the “athlete effect.”
Go-to-Market & Omnichannel Strategy
- Launching in Retail...Sort Of:
- Pillar initially pre-sold into pharmacy chains but faced immediate hurdles—products stuck in warehouse due to COVID bottlenecks, meaning great-looking revenue but no brand momentum or customer data.
- Pivoted to D2C (direct-to-consumer) to drive education and build customer relationships.
“We had a short-term win and early revenue look great...but we were getting no data, weren’t being able to build the brand…” (25:24)
- Hero Product & Viral Breakout:
- Their breakthrough was a palatable, clinical-strength powdered magnesium formulated for deep sleep and recovery.
- Reviews and user content (“magnesium in mouths” strategy) went viral as people posted biometric evidence (HRV, deep sleep) from wearables—an organic proof point.
“People started to rewrite their reviews...taking the photo of their HRV scores, of their deep sleep scores on their watch.” (35:18)
- Professional sport partnerships immediately built credibility and seeded brand advocacy.
“We were the only brand...100% informed sport certified...so we knew if we solved for that, there’s an opportunity.” (34:08)
Scaling Internationally & Channel Pivots
- Learning Where the Customer Is:
- Realized that pharmacy wasn’t the place for performance-driven customers; they wanted to buy supplements in environments linked to their passions (running, cycling, sports stores).
“They wouldn’t walk into their local pharmacy to buy it...people want to buy Pillar where they associate with the activity that they’re taking it for...” (41:05)
- Realized that pharmacy wasn’t the place for performance-driven customers; they wanted to buy supplements in environments linked to their passions (running, cycling, sports stores).
- Global Expansion & Regulation:
- Opted for rapid internationalization, establishing regulatory-compliant entities and production lines in Australia, Europe, and the US, customizing for each region’s requirements.
“In Europe...there’s six different languages on it, there’s nine different regulations... No other way around it—just painful.” (44:30)
- Opted for rapid internationalization, establishing regulatory-compliant entities and production lines in Australia, Europe, and the US, customizing for each region’s requirements.
- Omnichannel with Measurability Focus:
- Used sampling, events, and a strong D2C presence to convert trial into repeat customers.
- Emphasized the unique ability of their product to deliver quick, measurable results shown on popular fitness wearables.
Marketing: Building Trust and Cost-Neutral Customer Acquisition
- Cost-Neutral Marketing:
- Relied on event sales and podcast sponsorship, aiming to break even on direct sales while accumulating brand impressions with every interaction.
“We call it cost neutral marketing...say a podcaster cost $100. We would...get $100 worth of sales...that is how we’ve scaled it manageably without...raising a ton of money.” (48:53)
- Relied on event sales and podcast sponsorship, aiming to break even on direct sales while accumulating brand impressions with every interaction.
- Podcast and Influencer Education:
- For persuading on technical products, podcasts were far more effective than standard ad creative; leveraged both appearances and sponsorships while carefully maintaining authenticity by not overlapping the two.
“Still creative is great for brand touchpoints...But what really works is sampling and getting to events...” (47:42)
- For persuading on technical products, podcasts were far more effective than standard ad creative; leveraged both appearances and sponsorships while carefully maintaining authenticity by not overlapping the two.
Challenges, Lessons & Mindset
- Operational and Regulatory Growing Pains:
- Cash flow management and manufacturing setbacks (including $100k+ product loss on regulatory snafu) nearly derailed them.
“A container of product ceased and almost destroyed over in Europe...That was a painful reforecasting...could have been enough to sink the brand.” (54:09)
- The emotional rollercoaster of launching physical products (“sickest I’ve ever felt”).
“If I don’t deliver this product, the whole dream is dead before it even starts.” (55:22)
- Cash flow management and manufacturing setbacks (including $100k+ product loss on regulatory snafu) nearly derailed them.
- Team, Process, and Emotional Resilience:
- Recognizes the need for founders to vent—even just for 10 minutes—before diving back into problem-solving mode.
“Just give yourself that moment to feel sorry for yourself...Once it’s out of your system, go solve the problem.” (57:16)
- Argues that showing healthy emotion and honest highs/lows is vital for building buy-in when a company is early stage.
“If you are too neutral...I’m actually not sure if that’s the best place to be for early-stage business. Your team needs to feel the emotion.” (58:50)
- Recognizes the need for founders to vent—even just for 10 minutes—before diving back into problem-solving mode.
- Delaying Fun, Embracing Hard Work:
- Building the real infrastructure was “not a lot of fun” for first three years—regulations, manufacturing, planning—but it now sets up the brand for explosive growth and more enjoyable innovations.
“The first three years...I wasn’t very good at celebrating the wins...there wasn’t a lot of fun.” (59:29)
- Building the real infrastructure was “not a lot of fun” for first three years—regulations, manufacturing, planning—but it now sets up the brand for explosive growth and more enjoyable innovations.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- On perseverance:
“In anything in life...you’re the only one that can fix the problem. Once it’s out of your system, go and solve it.”
(57:16 — Damien) - On branding vs. product:
“You can’t build a brand on a bad product...but you need to spend equal parts on product and the brand...because at the end it’s my brand vs your brand.”
(62:07 — Damien) - On international scale:
“If you’re only selling to Australia, it’s a very, very small island on the pond...the [goal is] to be able to get leverage for the work that you’re doing.”
(46:11 — Nathan) - On measurable outcomes in supplements:
“The viral moment...people posting their Whoop/OURA watch data, showing this product works.”
(35:18 — Damien) - On cost-neutral customer acquisition:
“Our strategy has always been cost-neutral marketing...if we can sell enough product at an event or via podcast sponsorship to cover the spend, everything else is a bonus.”
(48:49 — Damien)
Important Timestamps & Segments
- 03:15: Damien’s injury history and shift from athlete to entrepreneur
- 07:45: Discovery of market gap during MBA/athletic career
- 11:25-18:00: Product development, fundraising, and regulatory navigation
- 22:52-28:30: Pre-selling to retail, early cash flow, and COVID’s impact on launch
- 29:03-33:49: D2C pivot, magnesium innovation, and viral customer data
- 40:40-44:30: Global expansion and regulatory complexities
- 48:44-50:27: Cost-neutral marketing, events, and podcasts
- 51:12-56:18: Funding setbacks, manufacturing disasters, and emotional strain
- 59:29-61:23: On embracing the grind and delayed gratification
- 62:00: Final advice for founders: Product and brand must grow together
Final Advice for Founders
“Spend equal parts on the product and the brand...you can’t build a brand on a bad product, but you need to invest in making people want to talk about it. At the end of the day, it’s my brand versus your brand—that’s the moat you control.”
(62:00 — Damien Fitzpatrick)
Summary
This episode is an honest, high-energy blueprint for entrepreneurs looking to disrupt stale categories—especially where regulation, science, and branding collide. Damien’s journey demonstrates how grit, adaptability, and relentless product focus (combined with smart marketing) enabled Pillar Performance to rise from an athlete’s personal pain to a global, multi-million dollar brand. Founder listeners will find actionable lessons in validating a real customer need, navigating regulatory barriers, and leveraging story-driven, measurable marketing.