When COVID hit, most supplement retailers were scaling back. Alex Frekey went the other way, turning a stalled retail business into his thriving DTC brand, Performance Supplements.

In this episode, Alex shares how he launched his first product run of just 144 bottles from his own savings, sold out in 30 days, and slowly built the company into a full-scale supplement line with national reach. He talks to Andrew about the early challenges — sourcing ingredients, finding the right contract manufacturers, and juggling a full-time medical sales career — and how finding the right space and community at Portal helped him finally scale.

We get into:

The real cost of scaling a supplement brand from retail to e-commerce

Navigating minimum order quantities and manufacturing pitfalls

How he landed SBA funding to fuel growth

The value of building community and finding partners who share your vision

Why “creating the best product” beats chasing margins every time

Follow Performance Supplements and try their products: 

Website: performance-supp.com

Instagram: @PerformanceStrong, @Performance_Supps

Follow Portal and explore our flexible warehousing options: 

Website: join-portal.com 

Instagram: @portalwarehousing

YouTube: @JoinPortal

Wild Rye Baking Co. didn’t become a national brand overnight. Founder Sarah Chisholm joins Andrew to talk about the messy middle of CPG business building – testing recipes, managing production, and wondering if the risk was worth it – and the turning points that pushed her baking mix company into major retailers like Crate & Barrel.

If you’re a founder scaling a product brand, this conversation offers a real look at what it takes to grow from e-commerce to national retail, and why community, persistence, and focus matter more than the flashier stuff.

In this episode, Sarah and Andrew discuss:

The chaotic first day of business that proved demand for Sarah’s products was real

The real, behind-the-scenes process of how Sarah caught the attention of Crate & Barrel – and capitalized on it! 

Why keeping her team small and intentional has been the best decision

The doubts every founder faces when scaling and how Sarah pushes through

Follow Wild Rye and try their baking mixes: 

Website: wildryebaking.com

Instagram: @wildryebaking

Follow Portal and explore our flexible warehousing options: 

Website: join-portal.com 

Instagram: @portalwarehousing

YouTube: @JoinPortal