Brian Gould

Brian Gould was born on November 26th, 1981 in Scottsdale, Arizona into an entrepreneurial family of retail distribution and manufacturing professionals. Gould entered the family business from a young age and spent more than a decade building a reputation as a retail professional and high-octane salesman in the health and wellness industry. During that time, he also worked closely with Amazon, helping to develop and launch the e-commerce site’s Health & Personal Care and Sports Nutrition categories.

In 2019, after several years spent working as the president of Nutritional Products International, Gould launched his own marketing and distribution brand, TruLife Distribution. Gould continues to oversee his rapidly growing company and has recently launched multiple ventures in similar vertices, including the Dietary Supplement Import Association, PRForBrands and the Brian Gould Foundation, as he continues to actively expand his burgeoning business empire.

Where did the idea for TruLife come from?

I’ve spent my entire professional life (and even some time before that started) observing brand management companies operate. I’ve seen the good, the bad, and the ugly. Regarding those last two, there are a lot of organizations that don’t know how to manage a brand six ways to Sunday.

The idea for TruLife came from years of watching brand management groups mishandle their clients. I knew there had to be a more effective way to honestly and transparently help brands build awareness and establish themselves for long-term success. That’s what we work on every day at TruLife.

What does your typical day look like and how do you make it productive?

Every day is different when you’re an entrepreneur. But in most cases, I spend my days connecting with customers and collaborating with my teams. I start by spending time in the trenches, working through upwards of a dozen pre-set Zoom meetings with prospective customers. I love the sales experience and spend as much time as I can on the front lines of my businesses.

In between those calls, I connect with my network of retail buyers. I introduce new products and discuss whatever new opportunities have arisen for their stores since we last communicated. And then, of course, I connect with my team. Every other day we have formal team meetings to go over and review potential new brands and product presentations. Apart from these, I’m constantly communicating with my individual staff members to make sure everyone is taken care of and we’re all on the same page.

Productivity is crucial for every business. It also operates under several key principles, like focus and organization. But I’ve also found it doesn’t always look the same. For myself, I always start by taking my supplements, eating a healthy meal, and giving myself some time to gain a full head of steam. Then, I do my most challenging tasks between nine and ten in the morning.

After that, I work out at lunch to stay healthy and re-energize myself for the afternoon. I end my days by going over my to-do list. This resets everything so that I know what’s ahead of me when I wake up the next day.

How do you bring ideas to life?

That’s one of the great entrepreneurial challenges, right? To perpetually bring vision and brainstorming into reality. I think my best advice here is to write down your goals and then use that concrete expression of your thoughts and ideas to visualize them.

Also, the people you surround yourself with are critical in helping you achieve your goals. If you want to bring your ideas to life, make sure to surround yourself with the right people who have the skills and mental fortitude to complement your own natural skills and ambition.

What’s one trend that excites you?

That one’s easy. Entrepreneurship is bigger now than it’s ever been before. The younger generation is embracing creativity and innovation in new and exciting ways. Every time I see a new brand or product or technology, it gets me excited. You can see the potential, and it’s exciting to think about the “what ifs.”

Add to that the growth of the U.S. market retail sector, and the sky’s the limit. That trending growth coupled with innovation gets me going whenever I think about it.

What is one habit of yours that makes you more productive as an entrepreneur?

That’s a good question. There are a lot of habits and attitudes that I find boost productivity. But if you’re looking for the most productive, I’d have to go with the ability to effectively communicate in every situation. Healthy communication — to both my team and clients, so we’re talking across the board — that’s a cornerstone of maintaining productivity and sustainable retail success.

I’ll also add that I firmly believe in the practice of underpromising and over-delivering. Expectation management has a huge effect on momentum, attitudes — the kind of stuff that can quietly make or break your productivity over time.

What advice would you give your younger self?

Always be prepared for the future. You cannot count on anyone else in your life other than yourself- even your own family to ensure your success.

Tell us something that’s true that almost nobody agrees with you on.

Drivers, telemarketers, receptionists and even lawyers will be replaced by AI within the next 15-20 years.

As an entrepreneur, what is the one thing you do over and over and recommend everyone else do?

Invest in yourself, Eat healthy, Workout, and always strive to learn new things daily.

What is one strategy that has helped you grow your business?

Network, network, network. If you have a network, always utilize those contacts to connect with the right people. If you don’t have a network yet, work on building one with the right people in your industry.

I also am a big believer in walking the walk when it comes to treating others the same way you want to be treated. Customers, non-customers, employees, acquaintances — it doesn’t matter who you’re talking about. No one wants to do business with someone that they don’t like or want to communicate with. Build real relationships. It makes a difference.

What is one failure you had as an entrepreneur, and how did you overcome it?

Letting too many variables in my career remain in the hands of others. I trusted the wrong people at times in my past, and that seriously stunted my future. It even undermined it, and I’ve had to work hard to make up for lost time.

When I started my own company three years ago, part of the goal was to take control of my own future and true destiny. Seeing the success I’ve managed to generate so quickly has only reinforced what I already knew. If you want to succeed, you can’t wait for others to do it for you. You need to take the reins and do it yourself.

What is one business idea that you’re willing to give away to our readers?

To develop an online platform where buyers and sellers can connect to directly across all categories.

What is the best $100 you recently spent? What and why?

Flowers for my wife because she is my soulmate.

What is one piece of software or a web service that helps you be productive?

There are tons of great third-party apps out there. My life runs through Monday and Pipedrive. A good organizational tool and a powerful CRM platform are absolutely essential for running a marketing and distribution brand in the retail sector.

What is the one book that you recommend our community should read and why?

“Think and Grow Rich” is an entrepreneurial favorite, but I actually would go to another one of Napoleon Hill’s magnum opi. I firmly believe that his “The Laws of Success” is one of the greatest pieces of literature ever written. If you haven’t given it a read, I highly recommend that you do. Bring a pen and paper for notes, too.

What is your favorite quote?

I wish I could remember who said it, but I’ve always loved the quote “Do not fear failure but rather fear not trying.” It’s a tenet I live by every day.

Key Learnings:

• Nothing good or worthwhile comes easy and that often the more challenging path has the greatest reward at the end of it.
• Positive relationships are the foundation of success both in your personal and business life.