I finally have an idea I'm considering: Sleeping Supplements

[DougRMR]

What's up guys. A bit of background, I started a digital marketing business that had moderate success last year. Worked some projects, had some jobs, hustled here and there. Got a full time job last December and am currently working there. I'm making good money but the long, boring hours have made it even more clear to me that an office job is NOT for me.

However, something my girlfriend said sparked some interest in me. She told me about a friend of hers who's having trouble sleeping. Suddenly, I thought about all those college students, young parents and double part time workers that can't sleep due to anxiety, work, etc. I was once in their shoes. Now, how could I solve their need? The answer to me was melatonin, which is a supplement that has helped me sleep more soundly with little to no side effects.

So I thought, could I make a supplement brand geared towards a younger audience? An audience that doesn't necessarily know about natural alternatives to sleep? I was thinking of making it a "sleeping niche", where most of our supplements and products are geared towards helping people sleep. We would sell stuff like melatonin, valerian root, incense sticks, teas, etc. I already sent out a survey that has been answered by over 70 people between the ages of 18-25 and the vast majority of them have insomnia.

So I have a few questions:

1) To anyone who has dealt with manufacturers, what should I be weary of when it comes to dealing with them? I know a lot of manufacturers ask for a huge minimum of products, so for now I'm starting with a small private label manufacturer. Other than this, I don't know how any of them work (stuff like logistics, shipping and all that.)

2) Is there a process I should go through before I even consider selling these products? Like, should I send some samples first, make a marketing campaign towards an offer...? I was thinking of sending out a week's worth of samples to a few people and see how they respond to the melatonin.

3) Is it even worth it? Would a brand that focuses solely on "sleeping cozy" geared towards young adults be able to compete towards a supplement brand that offers a huge variety? Keep in mind, for context, I live in U.S. territory in a fairly small island. So I think brand awareness on a medium (and if my budget grows, on a larger) scale is very possible.

4) To anyone out there who has built a brand, what do you think is the most important thing I should invest in in the beginning? (Ads, building a team, logo...?)

5) Am I even asking the right questions?

Thank you guys. Currently, I'm calling private label manufacturers and seeing what their status quo is, comparing prices, etc. Love this community and all the help it gives out!

 

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[jmb9286]

What's up guys. A bit of background, I started a digital marketing business that had moderate success last year. Worked some projects, had some jobs, hustled here and there. Got a full time job last December and am currently working there. I'm making good money but the long, boring hours have made it even more clear to me that an office job is NOT for me.

However, something my girlfriend said sparked some interest in me. She told me about a friend of hers who's having trouble sleeping. Suddenly, I thought about all those college students, young parents and double part time workers that can't sleep due to anxiety, work, etc. I was once in their shoes. Now, how could I solve their need? The answer to me was melatonin, which is a supplement that has helped me sleep more soundly with little to no side effects.

So I thought, could I make a supplement brand geared towards a younger audience? An audience that doesn't necessarily know about natural alternatives to sleep? I was thinking of making it a "sleeping niche", where most of our supplements and products are geared towards helping people sleep. We would sell stuff like melatonin, valerian root, incense sticks, teas, etc. I already sent out a survey that has been answered by over 70 people between the ages of 18-25 and the vast majority of them have insomnia.

So I have a few questions:

1) To anyone who has dealt with manufacturers, what should I be weary of when it comes to dealing with them? I know a lot of manufacturers ask for a huge minimum of products, so for now I'm starting with a small private label manufacturer. Other than this, I don't know how any of them work (stuff like logistics, shipping and all that.)

2) Is there a process I should go through before I even consider selling these products? Like, should I send some samples first, make a marketing campaign towards an offer...? I was thinking of sending out a week's worth of samples to a few people and see how they respond to the melatonin.

3) Is it even worth it? Would a brand that focuses solely on "sleeping cozy" geared towards young adults be able to compete towards a supplement brand that offers a huge variety? Keep in mind, for context, I live in U.S. territory in a fairly small island. So I think brand awareness on a medium (and if my budget grows, on a larger) scale is very possible.

4) To anyone out there who has built a brand, what do you think is the most important thing I should invest in in the beginning? (Ads, building a team, logo...?)

5) Am I even asking the right questions?

Thank you guys. Currently, I'm calling private label manufacturers and seeing what their status quo is, comparing prices, etc. Love this community and all the help it gives out!

Hi DougRMR,

This is my very first post on this forum, and I’m so excited to be here! I think I’ve read/listened to every single piece of content that MJ has put out in the last decade, and I have to say that my entire view of money, the world, and life has changed! So thank you MJ and thank you to everyone who contributes to this forum!

I am a competitive powerlifter, strongman/bodybuilding/fitness enthusiast, and a student of the human body and mind. Everything that has an effect on our health, well-being, energy, mood, and physical performance absolutely fascinates me, and I love to take it to the most basic, microscopic, cellular level. It’s amazing how complex something so seemingly simple can be! Everything from nutrition, rest and recovery, sleep, environmental factors, genetics, exercise, consciousness/meditation, supplementation, and even physical (anabolic steroids, HGH, insulin, peptide hormones, SARMS) and cognitive (Modafinil, nootropics, psychedelics) enhancement, interests me to no end. That being said, the market that you are entering is absolutely saturated and overrun... IF you are solely focused on supplementation. As MJ has started many times, most markets that exist ARE saturated. I’ve taken just about every sleeping supplement/drug available. It’s a huge industry and most companies know that if they promise an amazing every night, that many people will pay a lot of money to just be able to have a good night’s sleep and to wake refreshed in the morning, because that is what so many of us want desperately... just to be able to shut everything off for the night and wake refreshed in the morning! This industry is an easy money grab.

Now please take what I say for what it is worth, as I am not an a seasoned entrepreneur... I haven’t built a bunch of multimillion dollar businesses, I don’t have an established brand, and I’m not an expert marketer. What I AM though, is a decent powerlifter who has potential to be a fantastic powerlifter, a seasoned lifter who has seen and bought in to all of the gimmicks and fad supplements, a student of the human body and mind with decades of research and real-life experience and trial-and-error. In the guy who gets detailed bloodwork before starting a supplement, diet plan, or performance-enhancing drug, and then gets bloodwork again in 4 weeks, 8 weeks, and 12 weeks to judge the validity and effectiveness of said substance. So you probably don’t know me personally, but my response to you will be the same whether you’re my best friend or a complete stranger, so I hope my completely blunt and honest opinion will help you find success.

The whole point of me typing so many words in paragraphs above was to state the fact that a simple “sleep supplement” company will NEVER succeed... in the eyes of someone who has spent countless dollars on supplements and countless hours researching how to sleep better, I’ve heard of all the ingredients you speak of... they’re all standard ingredients in every cookie-cutter sleep supplement out there... and they don’t do shit for the majority of people. You can’t have a small, steady cortisol and adrenaline flow all day due to stress, eat garbage food, sit hunched over at a desk for 8 hours, come home and drink a 6-pack just to fall asleep, and expect to have a good night’s sleep and wake up refreshed because you took some melatonin and valerian root. It just doesn’t work. You’ll only get one or two sales from every customer you ever acquire if you go that route. Don’t go for the money grab... help people long term and you’ll find wealth beyond what you thought possible! Anyone in my shoes with my experience can read your question and would avoid your supplement like the plague, because they are familiar with the ingredients you listed and they know these ingredients don’t do anything if one’s habits and lifestyle don’t promote a good night’s sleep. So what is the answer? Create an entire system! Include a supplement for sure, but in order to make peoples sleep quality better, you need to have an entire ecosystem that teaches people how to reduce their daily stress, form better habits, identify macro and micronutrient deficiency and surplus and how to fix the problem, improve diet and exercise strategies, reduce exposure to toxic environmental factors, identify potential sleep disorders and when to go to a medical professional for testing and treatment ( you’d be surprised at how many of us have sleep apnea and should be on clap/bipap). You’re on the right track, but you need to think bigger than your competition. Just throwing a supplement out there will make you a few sales up front, but they won’t continue for long. As a competitive powerlifter, I’d pay thousands of dollars for something that would make my sleep quality better! Create a brand that will be known to help improve sleep quality.

Thanks for being here.

jmb9286

 

[DougRMR]

Hi DougRMR,

This is my very first post on this forum, and I’m so excited to be here! I think I’ve read/listened to every single piece of content that MJ has put out in the last decade, and I have to say that my entire view of money, the world, and life has changed! So thank you MJ and thank you to everyone who contributes to this forum!

I am a competitive powerlifter, strongman/bodybuilding/fitness enthusiast, and a student of the human body and mind. Everything that has an effect on our health, well-being, energy, mood, and physical performance absolutely fascinates me, and I love to take it to the most basic, microscopic, cellular level. It’s amazing how complex something so seemingly simple can be! Everything from nutrition, rest and recovery, sleep, environmental factors, genetics, exercise, consciousness/meditation, supplementation, and even physical (anabolic steroids, HGH, insulin, peptide hormones, SARMS) and cognitive (Modafinil, nootropics, psychedelics) enhancement, interests me to no end. That being said, the market that you are entering is absolutely saturated and overrun... IF you are solely focused on supplementation. As MJ has started many times, most markets that exist ARE saturated. I’ve taken just about every sleeping supplement/drug available. It’s a huge industry and most companies know that if they promise an amazing every night, that many people will pay a lot of money to just be able to have a good night’s sleep and to wake refreshed in the morning, because that is what so many of us want desperately... just to be able to shut everything off for the night and wake refreshed in the morning! This industry is an easy money grab.

Now please take what I say for what it is worth, as I am not an a seasoned entrepreneur... I haven’t built a bunch of multimillion dollar businesses, I don’t have an established brand, and I’m not an expert marketer. What I AM though, is a decent powerlifter who has potential to be a fantastic powerlifter, a seasoned lifter who has seen and bought in to all of the gimmicks and fad supplements, a student of the human body and mind with decades of research and real-life experience and trial-and-error. In the guy who gets detailed bloodwork before starting a supplement, diet plan, or performance-enhancing drug, and then gets bloodwork again in 4 weeks, 8 weeks, and 12 weeks to judge the validity and effectiveness of said substance. So you probably don’t know me personally, but my response to you will be the same whether you’re my best friend or a complete stranger, so I hope my completely blunt and honest opinion will help you find success.

The whole point of me typing so many words in paragraphs above was to state the fact that a simple “sleep supplement” company will NEVER succeed... in the eyes of someone who has spent countless dollars on supplements and countless hours researching how to sleep better, I’ve heard of all the ingredients you speak of... they’re all standard ingredients in every cookie-cutter sleep supplement out there... and they don’t do shit for the majority of people. You can’t have a small, steady cortisol and adrenaline flow all day due to stress, eat garbage food, sit hunched over at a desk for 8 hours, come home and drink a 6-pack just to fall asleep, and expect to have a good night’s sleep and wake up refreshed because you took some melatonin and valerian root. It just doesn’t work. You’ll only get one or two sales from every customer you ever acquire if you go that route. Don’t go for the money grab... help people long term and you’ll find wealth beyond what you thought possible! Anyone in my shoes with my experience can read your question and would avoid your supplement like the plague, because they are familiar with the ingredients you listed and they know these ingredients don’t do anything if one’s habits and lifestyle don’t promote a good night’s sleep. So what is the answer? Create an entire system! Include a supplement for sure, but in order to make peoples sleep quality better, you need to have an entire ecosystem that teaches people how to reduce their daily stress, form better habits, identify macro and micronutrient deficiency and surplus and how to fix the problem, improve diet and exercise strategies, reduce exposure to toxic environmental factors, identify potential sleep disorders and when to go to a medical professional for testing and treatment ( you’d be surprised at how many of us have sleep apnea and should be on clap/bipap). You’re on the right track, but you need to think bigger than your competition. Just throwing a supplement out there will make you a few sales up front, but they won’t continue for long. As a competitive powerlifter, I’d pay thousands of dollars for something that would make my sleep quality better! Create a brand that will be known to help improve sleep quality.

Thanks for being here.

jmb9286

Thank you for the honesty, man! This is exactly what I wanted. I never even considered the fact that most of my audience WOULDN'T have a good diet in the first place and that that would obviously affect the effectiveness. Plus, your insight into your supplement knowledge was very interesting.

Funny enough, about two years back I considered the idea of making a "system", as you're saying. It would be an entire video product (tentatively named, "Great Recovery") where I break down how I personally got out of depression, mindlessness and malaise through diet, sleep, exercise and meditation (again, targeted towards a young adult audience). I had to bring it up cause what you said was almost an echo of that. The reason I didn't go through with it was because I felt I didn't have the authority to pull it off.

Now you've made me consider it again. If you have any sort of tips for that idea as well, I'd be super grateful.

 

[Keith15203]

DougRMR,

I'm actually working on a supplement idea right now and was just coming to the forum to ask a very specific question. My pre-post research lead me to your post.

I agree with jmb9286's comments. You have to be unique and really think through what you're offering and how you are going to stand out.

I have the expertise/skill set to innovate in the supplements area to a new/unique product, which is the avenue I'm taking. (I'm an associate professor of medicinal chemistry and do research on natural products and pharmaceuticals).

Remember how MJ defines innovation in TMF - step-wise change to something new + distribution. You have to make sure there's a market for what you want to make and that it will stand out.

 

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[Christopher104]

What's up guys. A bit of background, I started a digital marketing business that had moderate success last year. Worked some projects, had some jobs, hustled here and there. Got a full time job last December and am currently working there. I'm making good money but the long, boring hours have made it even more clear to me that an office job is NOT for me.

However, something my girlfriend said sparked some interest in me. She told me about a friend of hers who's having trouble sleeping. Suddenly, I thought about all those college students, young parents and double part time workers that can't sleep due to anxiety, work, etc. I was once in their shoes. Now, how could I solve their need? The answer to me was melatonin, which is a supplement that has helped me sleep more soundly with little to no side effects.

So I thought, could I make a supplement brand geared towards a younger audience? An audience that doesn't necessarily know about natural alternatives to sleep? I was thinking of making it a "sleeping niche", where most of our supplements and products are geared towards helping people sleep. We would sell stuff like melatonin, valerian root, incense sticks, teas, etc. I already sent out a survey that has been answered by over 70 people between the ages of 18-25 and the vast majority of them have insomnia.

So I have a few questions:

1) To anyone who has dealt with manufacturers, what should I be weary of when it comes to dealing with them? I know a lot of manufacturers ask for a huge minimum of products, so for now I'm starting with a small private label manufacturer. Other than this, I don't know how any of them work (stuff like logistics, shipping and all that.)

2) Is there a process I should go through before I even consider selling these products? Like, should I send some samples first, make a marketing campaign towards an offer...? I was thinking of sending out a week's worth of samples to a few people and see how they respond to the melatonin.

3) Is it even worth it? Would a brand that focuses solely on "sleeping cozy" geared towards young adults be able to compete towards a supplement brand that offers a huge variety? Keep in mind, for context, I live in U.S. territory in a fairly small island. So I think brand awareness on a medium (and if my budget grows, on a larger) scale is very possible.

4) To anyone out there who has built a brand, what do you think is the most important thing I should invest in in the beginning? (Ads, building a team, logo...?)

5) Am I even asking the right questions?

Thank you guys. Currently, I'm calling private label manufacturers and seeing what their status quo is, comparing prices, etc. Love this community and all the help it gives out!

Before I give you my advice, I want to let you know that I have a little ways to go before I can help you with questions 1, 2, and 4. I have never built a brand, dealt with manufacturing, or even know what questions you should be asking. I have a good IDEA of what you can do but my advice would be very vague and not get you anywhere at all.

BUT...

what I CAN give you is more insight to your market need and help you take your research into a new direction. I took interest in your idea because I'm 19 and spend the late hours of night doing nothing except studying and trying to get just a little bit further ahead with my plan. However, to do this I need to drown myself in caffeine. Black coffee is always a side companion for me when I'm grinding it out at my computer.

Well turns out coffee has a lifespan of 12 hours. The first six are that high you feel from the caffeine boost and the other six are spent trying to clean out the toxic effect it can have on the body. That means if I want to get any effective sleep at all I need to stop drinking at 12pm. this will limit my learning input and my mind will be very foggy and unclear by around 4-6pm. At 8pm, I can forget any learning plans I had for that evening.

So if I want to start learning at 100% peak efficiency again, I would have to make a deal with the devil and drink another cup at 6pm. that would mean I'd get no restful sleep due to caffeine de-toxification. If I were to wake up at just 9am, it would be like only getting 3 hours of restful sleep. THIS is where your idea can come into play.

If you created a magic pill that could strengthen the body's healing process for de-toxifying caffeine, I seriously believe you could make billions upon billions. Why?

1) Because pretty much everybody in the world consumes caffeine in some form or another. Coke, Coffee, Tea, chocolate etc.

2) It would be a very easy sell. Why would I limit myself and use discipline when I can just take a pill and the negative side effects go away?

3) It could revolutionize learning and you could essentially create the worlds first "Limitless" pill by combining the caffeine pill and the detox formula into one capsule. (Yeah this has nothing to do with sleep but I'm speaking in terms of growth potential.)

If this all sounds like science fiction and like it can't be done, let me remind you that airplanes and operating systems for computers were also science fiction not so long ago. It's just gonna take some time. If you don't do it, somebody else will.

Hope this advice helps, best of luck!

 

[DougRMR]

Before I give you my advice, I want to let you know that I have a little ways to go before I can help you with questions 1, 2, and 4. I have never built a brand, dealt with manufacturing, or even know what questions you should be asking. I have a good IDEA of what you can do but my advice would be very vague and not get you anywhere at all.

BUT...

what I CAN give you is more insight to your market need and help you take your research into a new direction. I took interest in your idea because I'm 19 and spend the late hours of night doing nothing except studying and trying to get just a little bit further ahead with my plan. However, to do this I need to drown myself in caffeine. Black coffee is always a side companion for me when I'm grinding it out at my computer.

Well turns out coffee has a lifespan of 12 hours. The first six are that high you feel from the caffeine boost and the other six are spent trying to clean out the toxic effect it can have on the body. That means if I want to get any effective sleep at all I need to stop drinking at 12pm. this will limit my learning input and my mind will be very foggy and unclear by around 4-6pm. At 8pm, I can forget any learning plans I had for that evening.

So if I want to start learning at 100% peak efficiency again, I would have to make a deal with the devil and drink another cup at 6pm. that would mean I'd get no restful sleep due to caffeine de-toxification. If I were to wake up at just 9am, it would be like only getting 3 hours of restful sleep. THIS is where your idea can come into play.

If you created a magic pill that could strengthen the body's healing process for de-toxifying caffeine, I seriously believe you could make billions upon billions. Why?

1) Because pretty much everybody in the world consumes caffeine in some form or another. Coke, Coffee, Tea, chocolate etc.

2) It would be a very easy sell. Why would I limit myself and use discipline when I can just take a pill and the negative side effects go away?

3) It could revolutionize learning and you could essentially create the worlds first "Limitless" pill by combining the caffeine pill and the detox formula into one capsule. (Yeah this has nothing to do with sleep but I'm speaking in terms of growth potential.)

If this all sounds like science fiction and like it can't be done, let me remind you that airplanes and operating systems for computers were also science fiction not so long ago. It's just gonna take some time. If you don't do it, somebody else will.

Hope this advice helps, best of luck!

Damn, that is good. It does sound like science fiction but let's see if I can do something with this. Thank you for the input, man! Peace

 

[Johnny boy]

If you want to actually win the supplements game, go look at @sugarbearhair on instagram and do the same type of thing. That's a winning company right there.

 

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