How Equip is Shaking Things Up In the Protein Market
When you think of protein supplements, your mind probably jumps to gym bros chugging chalky shakes. But Equip Foods is flipping that script—big time. At the helm of this transformation is Kieran Matthew, GM and partner at Equip, who took over operations three years ago and has been on a mission to build a better, more transparent supplement brand.
In this episode of Above the Fold, we dive into Kieran’s wild ride from running a student marketing agency at 19 years old to scaling an insanely successful eCommerce business.
We unpack the power of persistence, the importance of customer trust, and why Equip is staying lean while shaking up the supplement space. If you’re building a brand, growing a business, or just looking for cleaner protein, this one’s for you.
From Student Hustler to Brand Builder
Kieran didn’t plan on being an entrepreneur. When he started “university” (he’s Canadian), he thought law school was the path. But after a few cups of coffee with lawyers, he realized it wasn’t for him. Instead of sticking with a plan that didn’t excite him, he pivoted—fast.
At 19, Kieran started working with startups on campus, offering to help with marketing and sales. He had no experience, just a willingness to learn and a ton of persistence. That persistence paid off. He started seeing gaps in how brands connected with students, so he built an agency to fix it.
What started with cold emails turned into a full-scale business. Kieran spent years knocking on doors (literally and figuratively), pitching his ideas, and landing deals with some of the biggest brands out there—Pepsi, L’Oréal, Procter & Gamble, and more.
But working with massive companies came with limitations, and after six years, he was ready for something different. He didn’t just want to consult on growth strategies; he wanted to own and operate something himself.
That led him to Equip Foods, where he’s now running the show and redefining what clean supplements should look like.
Taking the Reins at Equip Foods
Kieran was introduced to Anthony Gustin, Equip’s founder, through a mutual connection, and eventually became GM of the company.
Stepping in as GM was a whole new challenge. Kieran had built and run an agency, but eCommerce was a different game. He had to figure out supply chain, demand planning, and finance—fast.
On top of that, Equip was a solid brand with loyal customers, but there was a lot of room for improvement. The website needed work, products kept going out of stock, and customer experience wasn’t where it should be.
So that’s where he started. He focused on the basics—cleaning up the website, improving inventory management, and making sure customers were actually being taken care of. Instead of trying to do everything at once, he tackled the stuff that would make an immediate impact.
That approach ended up being the foundation for Equip’s growth, and three years later, the brand is bigger and stronger than ever.
Equip’s Secret Sauce: Transparency, Quality, and a Loyal Customer Base
If you hear “beef protein,” you probably assume the target audience is hardcore gym bros. But Equip’s customer base is over 80% women—mostly in their 30s and 40s—who care about clean ingredients and how their supplements make them feel.
Equip didn’t just land in the beef protein space. The brand took the time to educate customers on why it’s a better option for people who can’t tolerate whey or don’t love plant-based alternatives.
And instead of relying on flashy marketing, Equip built trust through transparency—third-party testing, real ingredient lists, and straight-up honesty about what’s in their products (and what’s not).
That trust is what sets them apart. Their customers ask tough questions, and Equip actually has answers. They publish testing data, avoid unnecessary fillers, and make it easy for people to understand what they’re putting in their bodies.
In an industry full of hidden junk and misleading labels, that kind of honesty is a major reason why Equip keeps growing.
The Power of Organic Growth: Influencers, Affiliates, and Word of Mouth
Most brands throw money at paid ads to grow. Equip Foods took a different route. Instead of burning cash on performance marketing, they invested in trust—building relationships with influencers, affiliates, and real customers who actually use and love the products.
A big part of that growth has come from “mom-fluencers” and niche communities. These aren’t the traditional fitness influencers pushing every supplement under the sun. They’re moms recommending Equip in group chats, nutritionists suggesting it to their clients, and small but highly engaged creators making protein-packed recipes that people actually want to try.
And it’s working. Equip’s organic approach even landed them a surprise shoutout from Gwyneth Paltrow on The Skinny Confidential. No sponsorship, no outreach—just a real fan of the product.
That kind of organic reach doesn’t happen by accident. It happens when a brand focuses on quality, transparency, and giving people a reason to talk.
Innovating with Purpose: From Colostrum Gummies to Clean Coffee
Equip doesn’t launch new products just to keep up with trends, they do it because customers actually want them. That’s how they ended up leading the charge on colostrum gummies and clean coffee.
Colostrum has been having a moment in the supplement space, but most brands only offer it in powder form. Equip saw an opportunity to make it easier (and more fun) to take by creating the first-ever colostrum gummy.
It took months of testing to get the formula right without compromising on ingredient quality, but now it’s a go-to for customers like parents who are looking to boost their kids’ gut health and immunity without another powder to mix.
Then there’s clean coffee, which came straight from customer feedback. People were already blending Equip’s protein into their morning coffee, so why not make the coffee itself better? They sourced mycotoxin-free, mold-free, and pesticide-free beans from small farms in Nicaragua, creating a coffee that actually supports gut health instead of wrecking it.
Whether it’s a new format or a smarter ingredient swap, every product decision comes back to listening to customers and delivering something better than what’s already out there.
Scaling Smart: Leadership, Lean Teams, and Staying Customer-Obsessed
When Kieran took over Equip, he was a team of one handling everything from supply chain to customer service. That might sound chaotic, but it gave him a deep understanding of the business. Now that Equip has grown, building a strong team has been a priority, but they’re keeping things lean and intentional.
Unlike a lot of brands that scale fast and burn through cash, Equip is methodical about growth. They focus on profitability, not just revenue, which means doubling down on what works instead of chasing every new channel.
Staying direct-to-consumer (DTC) has been a huge part of that strategy. Selling primarily through their own site lets them own the customer experience, control product education, and actually talk to the people buying from them.
Retail is on the radar, but it’s not the priority, at least not yet. Equip wants to do it the right way, making sure they don’t lose what makes the brand different. For now, the focus is on keeping customers happy, staying profitable, and building a business that lasts.
Final Thoughts: Raising the Bar in Supplements
Equip isn’t just selling supplements—they’re setting a higher standard for what the industry should look like. No shady ingredient lists, no misleading marketing, no cutting corners. Just real food, full transparency, and products that actually do what they say they do.
That commitment to education and honesty is what makes Equip different. Customers aren’t left guessing about what they’re putting in their bodies because the brand does the work—third-party testing, clear labeling, and straight answers to tough questions.
Other brands could learn a lot from Equip’s approach. Instead of relying on hype and ad spend, they’ve built trust, listened to their customers, and focused on sustainable, profitable growth. That’s how you create a business that lasts—and actually helps people along the way.
