Not even 3 weeks out of the gate, this ground breaking startup is making waves in a big way. We recently had the chance to speak with Kevin Martino, CEO of “Dollar Shots Club”, a supplement lifestyle brand that is going after its share of the ever popular subscription-delivery business model and massively growing energy drink market.
His exciting new business is changing the way we think of energy drinks as well as other daily nutrient supplements. One can say he may be going after the leading multi-hour energy drink maker and the smart-nutrient market all at the same time, and this is what caught our attention. Oh and when we say Smart-Nutrients, how about 5-HTP, DMAE, GABA and others… Think ahead of the game, in a big way as you read on to our interview.
Q. Kevin, can you tell me a little about your background before Dollar Shots Club?
A. I’ve been in sales, account management, and customer service since I was a kid and always love serving people and growing projects… and here I am! I’ve worked in both start-up environments and large corporations. However, I most embrace start-up feel and the challenges that come along with any new businesses.
I’m a problem solver who thrives on uncertainty and uncovering better ways of doing things to drive both efficiency and performance. I find most careers are “process oriented”. Which means if you don’t drop the ball, things will continually perform as expected as long as you fulfill your job’s responsibilities. Start-ups are more “action-oriented”, meaning that one must think outside the box and absorb other tasks and responsibilities in order to drive success. This also requires a lot of flexibility and the ability to proactively adapt quickly to more efficient processes and business strategies as they arise.
All of these experiences leading up to this point were crucial learning opportunities, which were both applicable to future endeavors as well as necessary stepping-stones on the path to Dollar Shots Club. My work ethic, experience, and education, coupled with a relentlessly resourceful mindset and a passion for all things minimalistic/ efficiency driven, allow me to make success happen wherever I choose to apply myself.
Q. What was the inspiration to create Dollar Shots Club?
A. Great question! It’s simple really… in college I used to down 5 Hour, Rockstar, Monster, RedBull, or be running late and have to stop at Starbucks or another coffee shop in order to get through a grueling full-time work schedule and eighteen plus units of class. At $3-$5 bucks a day (or more) really starts to add up on a college students budget or really any hardworking professional.
The only way to mitigate that cost was to go somewhere like Costco and buy these products in bulk. However, most people (especially in LA) don’t have a ton of room in their apartment or dorm for a giant case-load of the same product and if I ran out, the cycle would repeat all over again. Plus, these shots tasted nasty and the bulk packs were all the same flavor…48 days of the same exact product gets old real quick. Dollar Shots Club solves all of these problems by delivering better tasting shots right to your door in different quantities to suit our consumers needs- Starting at just $1 each per month.
And aside from cost, the more important factor amongst my generation of 27-37 Energy drinkers, I worry about the contents of what is in all of our competitors. See we are transparent in listing all of our ingredients, nutrients and supplements. Whereas the very large Soda Corporations have all but purchased almost every major Energy maker out there or came out with their own. We all know the damage soda causes to our bodies, we can only imagine what can come from those large portioned energy drinks. Creating our own formulation, knowing where we source our product and constant creation and R&D allows our product to truly be considered the Supplement Shot Lifestyle Brand. Just watch where we go next.
Q. Can you tell me a little about the product line you offer?
And how is it different?
A. Most caffeinated products purchased from coffee shops will run you $4-$5, you’ll also take time to wait in line with everyone else trying to get their fix. Stopping by the convenience store for a product similar to ours will run you $3-$4 and typically taste disgusting.
We solve both problems by keeping your schedule and bank account in mind. Dollar Shots Club delivers better tasting, more effective energy shots (as well as a variety of other nutrients and supplements) right to your door. No hassle. No lines. No extra expenses. Just pure taste, effectiveness, and convenience!
Currently, we offer a regular strength energy called “Pure Energy: Berry Blitz” and an extra strength energy called “Extra Energy: GrapenessXS”. These are comparable to other “multi-hour energy” products on the market- just more affordable and better tasting.
We also have a relaxation shot called, “Pure Relaxation: Orange-Mango Meditation” which helps you unwind after a long day, or counteract the effects of our energy products so you can feel refreshed starting your next day.
