(Ep 37) B.T.R. BAR -> Superfood protein bars with a purpose 💪

Ashley Nickelsen | Founder & CEO

Jan 05, 2021

Hey friends,

Back again with another edition of The Founder recap - this is Episode 37. If you’re new here, my goal is to give you a quick synopsis of what got me thinking from this week’s episode of The Founder Podcast in 5 minutes or less.

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Mission control:

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And who am I?

I’m Kallaway - a future founder trying to get some answers before I jump in the ball pit myself.

Let’s get it.

This Week’s Episode (Ep 37) 💪

Guest -> Ashley Nickelsen, Founder & CEO of B.T.R. Bar

Mission -> B.T.R. Bar’s mission is to end mindless snacking.

Episode available on -> Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Website

In this episode we talk with Ashley about…

🏆 What makes B.T.R. Bars better for you than all other protein bars

🌱 The positive impacts of superfoods & adaptogens

✔️ How to set focus and priorities as a solopreneur

🤝 Ideas for brand partnerships and collaborations in the food space

🤓 The importance of personalization in health and wellness

Summary 🔍

What is B.T.R. Bar and how did Ashley get started?

Ashley got her start at NYU with a background in biochemistry and public health nutrition.

About 5 years ago, both of her parents were diagnosed with rare forms of cancer. As their primary caretaker while juggling a full-time job, she found herself eating meals out of hospital cafeterias and vending machines more and more often.

For someone who dedicated her life to nutrition and food science, she knew that she was letting her own health suffer and began to notice the effects in a big way.

She wanted something with a truly clean label that could give her a functional boost throughout her busy days, but realized that even the healthiest bars on the market were full with things like natural flavors, emulsifiers and brown rice syrups.

Unfortunately, both her parents passed away a few years later, but she took their life motto – be bold, be tenacious, be resilient – and started her company in their honor.

That company is B.T.R. Bar.

Today at BTR Bar, Ashley and her team have a simple mission – end mindless snacking.

Their protein bars are the first plant based, keto friendly bars with a purpose, meaning that they are filled with specific superfoods and adaptogens to give you energy, help you recharge or relax before bed.

And when they say clean, they mean their bars are CLEAN with no gluten, dairy, soy, whey, added sugar, corn, rice, GMOs, flavors or stevia.

They’re also incredibly proud to be a female-owned business that empowers others to be bold, tenacious and resilient every single day.

Use code "Kallaway" to get 15% off B.T.R. bars today!

Here’s why I’m a fan and excited about the future for B.T.R. Bars:

B.T.R. Bars are infusing nutrition with functional benefit. They currently have three products on the market, each offering a different functional boost (sleep, energy or recovery) in addition to the core macronutrients offered. I’m incredibly bullish on this market. We’ve already seen the beverage category explode with all kinds of functional beverages, combining the core product (e.g., seltzer, soda water, coffee, tea, kombucha, etc.) with things like CBD, MCT oils and nutraceuticals to add a functional benefit. I think this category is positioned for massive upside over the next 5 years.

Ashley’s Startup Manifesto 📜

What’s a Startup Manifesto?

At the end of every episode, I ask all of my founder guests the same question:

If you had to write a Startup Manifesto with 5 of the most important key lessons or pitfalls to avoid when starting out, what would they be?

Here’s what Ashley had to say:

I operate on 50% gut / 50% data. It’s so important to be data-driven. The numbers are going to tell you about the business and will determine if you have product-market fit or brand-market fit. Sometimes, however, there’s going to be decisions you have to make quickly and you just have to go with your gut.
Don’t let perfection be the enemy of progress. Sometimes perfection can stop you from going for something. Progress is better than perfection.
Be customer-obsessed. It’s not what you want, it’s what they want. Never forget that.
Always be learning. Subscribe to everything. You can find a lot of key information that is useful to your business and personal growth if you’re subscribing to everything.
Find a founder network. It’s critical to have someone you can talk to who understands the journey and the problems you’re facing.

What Got Me Thinking From the Episode 🤔

After reflecting on my conversation with Ashley, here’s something that really got my wheels spinning:

When in doubt, persevere 👍🏽

You can have the best processes and systems in place as a founder, but sometimes, you’re just going to have to grit your teeth, bear down and get it done.

Ashley is an incredible example of grit and determination.

I can’t imagine how or what I would feel if both of my parents were diagnosed with incurable cancer.

Even the thought exercise alone sends me in a downward spiral of loss and confusion.

Ashley served as her parent’s primary caretaker for years and experienced the firsthand effects of putting vending machine snacks and hospital cafeteria food in her body.

She came up with the idea to create her own ‘super clean’ protein bar because she needed it herself. Her own body was breaking down as she watched the same happen to her parents.

When they passed away, she could have taken a stable job, but she didn’t. She wanted to be a force for positive change in the world.

Her parents always left notes in her school lunches that said, “Be bold. Be tenacious. Be resilient.”

So she gave herself no choice - starting this company in her parent’s honor was the only way forward.

That’s what entrepreneurship is all about.

As a solo-founder, she has made incredible strides. She’s formulated product, created stellar branding and packaging and seen strong adoption in the first few months of business.

If you need someone to model your drive and ambition after, it’s Ashley.

Wrapping it Up 📕

I hope you found this interesting and inspiring! If so and you want to help support our journey to bring The Founder to millions of people across the world, here’s a couple things that would be really valuable to me and the show:

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Till next time ✌️

Kallaway