Tom Reilly Knows the Game: VMI Sports, PEZ Collab, and Two Beverages Coming | Episode 205 скачать в хорошем качестве

Tom Reilly Knows the Game: VMI Sports, PEZ Collab, and Two Beverages Coming | Episode 205

SHOW NOTES: https://blog.priceplow.com/podcast/to... Tom Reilly, president of ‪@vmisports‬ , joins Mike and Ben for a wide-ranging conversation about what it really takes to build a supplement brand when you've seen the entire supply chain from the inside. Tom spent years in distribution -- first at UNFI, then at Lone Star Distribution where VMI was born -- before taking the brand full time in 2015. He's been running it independently ever since: no PE money, growing every year, and still very much in the middle of his unfinished business. In this episode: Tom's background in distribution and what it taught him about retail, grocery, and pricing dynamics. The VMI origin story and why it was a house brand first. His take on consumer education, supply chain transparency, and why brands shouldn't blame distributors for deals they signed. The history of K-XR, the Miami Vice flavor origin story, and how a high-stim formula found a home in grocery chains. They also cover the full PEZ collaboration: how it happened, why they went so wide with it, and which product Tom thinks deserves more attention (hint: it's a glycerol-based stim-free pre-workout with the first-ever use of Hydronox in a liquid). Mike brings up Protolyte and VMI's early use of TRAACS Albion minerals and Digisab enzymes before anyone was really talking about those things. And Tom closes out the episode with a genuine tease: two VMI canned beverages are coming in 2026, with retail placement already locked in, and he won't say much more than that. Read the full show notes: https://blog.priceplow.com/podcast/vm... VMI Sports on PricePlow: https://www.priceplow.com/vmi-sports K-XR article: https://blog.priceplow.com/supplement... Protolyte article: https://blog.priceplow.com/supplement... PEZ L-Carnitine: https://blog.priceplow.com/supplement... This episode is sponsored by Perfect Shaker -- home of the best shaker cups in the game. Check them out at https://www.priceplow.com/perfect-shaker or PerfectShaker.com. Subscribe to the PricePlow Podcast: https://blog.priceplow.com/podcast TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 - Introductions 0:30 - Tom's Background: GNC, UNFI, and Lone Star Distribution 3:00 - Building VMI from Within Lone Star (2012-2015) 7:45 - Going Full Time: The 2015 Pivot 10:30 - Business Wisdom from Distribution 13:00 - Consumer Education and Supply Chain Reality 18:00 - Vision Meets Innovation: The VMI Name 23:15 - K-XR Origins and the Miami Vice Flavor Story 25:00 - K-XR: Three Caffeines, Grocery, and High-Stim Formula 30:15 - Winning on the Grocery Shelf 33:30 - Packaging Evolution and the PEZ Aesthetic 36:00 - The PEZ Collaboration Story 41:15 - Pump & Flow: The Sleeper Hit with Hydronox 44:00 - Protolyte: Ahead of the Hydration Curve 47:30 - Acquisition, Retention, and Brand Philosophy 52:00 - Staying Independent: VMI's Long Game 54:30 - Two Canned Beverages Coming in 2026 57:30 - KXR RTD and the Beverage Category Landscape 1:01:30 - Distribution Realities of Canned Beverage 1:05:00 - Wrap-Up and What's Next Save on Supplements with PricePlow: https://www.priceplow.com?ic=5 Our latest on social media: https://www.priceplow.com/social?ic=5