Getting Savage with Robert Sikes

If you’ve ever wondered about the inner workings of all things Savage, this is your chance to hear it straight from me, Robert Sikes, owner of the Savage brand.

Nikole Reuter is a student at the University of Houston and her entrepreneurship professor tasked her with interviewing an entrepreneur she admires and looks up to, and I am humbled that she reached out to me.  I suggested we turn the interview into a podcast, and I’m delighted to share this episode with you. I hope you find it valuable and enlightening. 

What we discussed: 

• My background interest in entrepreneurship and experience watching family members build their businesses (3:03)
• Attempting to create a source of passive income and how finally discovering the books of Gary Vaynerchuk became the catalyst for playing the long game in business (6:34)
• Why passion is the key to creating a successful, fulfilling business (7:55)
• How my success as a ketogenic bodybuilder gave me credibility in a very niche market (10:55)
• The invaluable feedback we’ve received from loyal customers the past few years and how we’ve used it to improve our product and business (15:31)
• How the uniqueness of the keto brick gives us a competitive advantage over other bar manufacturers and our passion for quality sets us apart from mass-marketed nutrition companies (17:57)
• The pros and cons of using a co-packer and why we chose to keep all Keto Brick production in-house (22:32)
• The people, especially my ride-or-die Crystal, who were helpful and influential when we were starting our production of the Keto Brick (24:33)
• Early days pulling all-nighters and burning the candle at both ends and when we realized it was time to make the move to be closer to the business (26:47)
• Problems we encountered in the beginning, including packaging and ingredients sourcing and pricing (28:22)
• Drastic changes and growth we have witnessed from the beginnings of the business while the core pillars remain the same (30:06)
• How the business is organized as a main umbrella company with several DBA’s registered below that, and the multiple business ideas I have in the works currently (31:47)
• Work-life balance and how it’s important to build a business that fits well with your personal life (34:44)
• The joy I’ve gotten from seeing Crystal evolve with the business (36:23)
• What sets us apart from other businesses (38:45)
• The important role that mindset plays in life and business (44:21)
• My opinion on what is great about our business from a consumer perspective (45:32)
• The gratitude I feel towards my customers and audience and how they are the backbone of the Savage brand (47:43)
• Future business goals and the possible barriers I see (48:44)
• Strengths and weaknesses in my leadership team (51:29)
• The hardest decision I’ve had to make for the business (55:19)
• What I spend most of my time on within the company (57:58)
• The advice I’d give to someone considering a path to entrepreneurship (1:00:10)

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