Sustained energy that keeps you full for longer. That is the promise of brüst, a protein coffee drink created by entrepreneurs attending Western University. You might have seen the drinks on the shelves of Costco, or even caught a glimpse in their Dragon’s Den debut. Regardless of your introduction to the brand, it is a testament to the power of grit, drive and entrepreneurial spirit. I had the chance to speak with Josh Barr, one of the Co-Founders of brüst, about his journey into entrepreneurship. Both Barr, and his Co-Founder Amar Gupta, have devoted their career to the message of brüst, and have been successful in conveying it. So, lean back, grab a ‘cold one’ (or in this case a brüst) and join me on this journey into the mind of a Western entrepreneur.
Barr began his educational journey at Queens Commerce. After a few years in industry, mainly in sales selling various products, Barr decided to attend Ivey Business School for their renowned MBA program. It was at Ivey that Barr met his Co-Founder, Gupta. Barr appreciated the environment Ivey provided him, which connected him with his business partner and expanded his thinking on various topics. The case method at Ivey helps students learn how to problem solve, using real-world problems to do so. These are problems that you may run into everyday as an entrepreneur, and not only do you need to know how to solve them, but also understand how to implement them and think on your feet. Ivey helped Barr develop strategic thinking strategies that were useful in entrepreneurship.
Entrepreneurship can often be a tough concept with individuals who didn’t grow up with entrepreneurial families. It's a huge risk. One, that without a proper support system, can be difficult to do on your own. Coming out of an Ivey MBA program, the conventional path would be “easy”, and the common choice. A high salary job out of a top MBA program would yield predictable results – a future with a comfortable living. Entrepreneurship, in any field, is a risk that seems unnecessary, especially when a tried-and-true future is in your hands. Luckily, Barr had a safety net and support system that were prepared to help him and support him in this journey, even if the thought of an uncertain future was looming.
Western and Ivey have an amazing support system for budding entrepreneurs. Barr spoke highly of the ecosystem at Western Entrepreneurship, led by Eric Moss and his team. It was a great resource to utilize as a student that showed you the “why” of the problem that you were leading to solve. In Barr’s own journey to finding a problem, with his co-founder, he found it best to “live the why”. This mantra was to find a problem that he, and his co-founder, could relate to, and live out that purpose. When you are aligned with your entrepreneurial venture, it makes the journey a lot easier. The path as an entrepreneur is not linear. The journey has many roadblocks along the way, so it’s important to make sure you can pivot, and do so quickly. Barr found it optimal to be flexible in how you operate your business and to be ready for the challenges ahead.
brüst made a debut on Canada’s hit show, Dragons Den. Although Barr had to sign an NDA (sorry, no secret insider information here), he found the experience to be valuable. The show provided great exposure and gained valuable awareness of his product. Dragon’s Den reached out to brüst, which made the decision to appear on the show a lot easier. If your business doesn’t have a ton of holes to be poked and prodded into, Dragon’s Den could be an asset to the growth of your company.
The core consumer of brüst isn’t an athlete - it’s individuals who love coffee, want to increase their protein intake and are on the go. Although athletes do enjoy the drink, the market for this product is much broader. With 20g of protein in the cold brew drink, it allows the effects caffeine to elongate in the system – prolonging energy longer than a normal cup of coffee. Young professionals, truck drivers, doctors in medical school, the elderly, and of course athletes, are just some of the consumers that can benefit from this product. As brüst continues, Barr hopes to grow further across Canada and expand into new retailers. Of course, the largest growth will be growing internationally, starting with the United States.
As brüst is positioned in a crowded industry of beverages, they must maintain their core competitive advantage. To build a company in such a space, you need to make sure you are creating a product that is unique while scaling quickly. Most large companies are great at building brand awareness and growth but aren’t as focused on innovation. An entrepreneur should make sure their products are valuable to a market, without getting washed out.
As Barr reflects on his journey thus far, he is able to recognize the recurring benefits of the people in his life. He believes that finding a great co-founder has allowed the business to grow to the position it currently is in. Having a strong support system has allowed Barr to venture into the great unknown of entrepreneurship. To the future business owners, Barr asks the question of “why not?”. If you have an idea, take the risk. Use your free time to develop your idea, be willing to fail, and see where it goes. Who knows, you might create the next best thing.
Buy brüst products here