Innovative product is whey cool
WHEN ADAM PHILLIPS FELL ILL, HE KNEW HIS PARTY LIFESTYLE AND POOR NUTRITION WERE THE CAUSE. HE HAS SINCE DEVELOPED A CLEAN PROTEIN POWDER THAT IS GARNERING PLENTY OF INTEREST, WRITES JANESSA EKERT
When Adam Phillips fell ill, he knew his party lifestyle and poor nutrition were the cause. He has since developed a clean protein powder that is garnering plenty of interest.
The entrepreneur began researching natural supplements and came across a grass-fed concept.
“Once I realised what I wanted to do with my life I realised there was a large gap in the marketplace for an Australian grass-fed whey protein,” he said.
Since launching his product in March 2016, Mr Phillips said the response, especially in Cairns, had been amazing.
ADAM Phillips was living a party lifestyle supported by a FIFO career, but six years ago it all came crashing down.
He lost 12kg in 48 hours while on site in Indonesia.
“From this point I knew the life I was living wasn’t sustainable,” Mr Phillips said.
“My fingernails went black and I knew then I never wanted to go back there again.”
He was forced to immediately change his lifestyle and turned towards clean eating.
“I knew nothing about nutrition but I knew I couldn’t eat this food on-site or live that lifestyle any more,” he said.
Mr Phillips started bringing five weeks of food from Australia into Indonesia every trip so he could prepare his own meals.
“My luggage would be all food, nothing else. At times my luggage had to get approved by the airline manager as it was 55kg,” he said.
“I never had a kitchen onsite, all I had was a small rice cooker and used this to cook everything. If you need to make something work, you do whatever it takes.
“I was forced into this position and it was the best thing that ever happened to me.”
Something clicked and it prompted a self-development journey that resulted in the creation of a grass-fed whey protein powder and his subsequent business, Life Grip Sup- plements. Mr Phillips said he began using supplements to enhance his clean diet and exercise, but found that a lot of the protein powders available contained sugars and artificial ingredients.
“That just didn’t make sense to me,” he said.
“If people are eating a clean wholefood diet, their supplements need to be clean also.”
So he began researching natural supplements and came across a grass-fed concept.
“At that time the only grassfed powders were all out of New Zealand,” he said.
“Once I realised what I wanted to do with my life I realised there was a large gap in the marketplace for an Australian grass-fed whey protein.”
He began developing his product, which launched in March 2016.
Mr Phillips said the response, especially in Cairns, had been amazing.
He said his product was now stocked across more than 50 stores throughout Australia and there was interest from Japan and Singapore after delegates attended a trade expo hosted in Cairns earlier this month.
“The international buyers
I KNEW THE LIFE I WAS LIVING WASN’T SUSTAINABLE. I KNEW NOTHING ABOUT NUTRITION BUT I KNEW I COULDN’T EAT THIS FOOD ON-SITE OR LIVE THAT LIFESTYLE ANY MORE ADAM PHILLIPS
from Singapore and Japan were just as interested in me and my story behind the Life Grip brand,” he said.
“Buyers from Singapore are very interested and currently conducting research to see where it will fit into the market.
“I have been invited to the Singapore warehouse (IM Holdings) once the first order has been made and am really looking forward to it.”
Mr Phillips said his products would also be showcased to more international buyers at the Commonwealth Games on April 5 by Trade and Invest- ment Queensland. He said he was also in the process of launching more products and an online nutrition course. He said he was still blown away by how far his brand had come in just two years.
“I actually created my mission statement before I even developed the product and it was all based around mental health,” he said.
Life Grip’s mission statement is: Improve mental health and prevent disease, through nutrition, meditation and active lifestyles.
“What I found is you can’t do one or the other,” he said.
“The first thing I noticed was the energy and mental clarity that came from eating a clean whole-food diet. I was sleeping better, I was handling stress better, I was handling challenges better, my outlook on the world changed.” And Mr Phillips said his focus was impact over profit.
He now leads a drastically different life from his former partying self.
He has completed a half Ironman event, is a yoga and meditation instructor, personal trainer, fully licensed skydiver and free diver.
“I’ve done all this stuff as a result of not going clubbing and partying with my mates,” he said.
“One thing I was always taught was if you do the right thing doors will continue to open.”
ONCE I REALISED WHAT I WANTED TO DO WITH MY LIFE I REALISED THERE WAS A LARGE GAP IN THE MARKETPLACE FOR AN AUSTRALIAN GRASS-FED WHEY PROTEIN ADAM PHILLIPS