EPISODE · Mar 11, 2026 · 29 MIN
#236 How He Built a Global Snack Brand With Protein Popcorn
from High Voltage Business Builders Podcast · host Neil Twa
Building a consumer product brand isn’t straightforward.Most overnight successes take years of testing, failure, and persistence before the market finally responds.Tim Rexius shares the entrepreneurial journey behind Omaha Protein Popcorn and how a small product idea eventually grew into a rapidly expanding global snack brand. From opening nutrition stores and launching gyms to experimenting with hundreds of product batches, Tim explains the real process of building a brand in the health and wellness industry.What began as a simple goal to create a healthier snack for his family turned into a business now distributed internationally and sold in thousands of retail locations. Tim breaks down the lessons he learned about product development, branding, distribution, and understanding who your real customers are..In This Episode, We Cover✅ Building a Product From a Simple ProblemTim explains how the idea for protein popcorn came from trying to find a snack his family would actually eat. After more than 600 product tests, he created a snack that delivered both taste and nutrition.✅ Why Product-Market Fit MattersFor years the product struggled to gain traction in the bodybuilding and fitness market. The breakthrough came when the brand repositioned toward mainstream consumers and grocery store buyers.✅ The Power of Branding and PackagingA simple lesson from a snack industry expert changed everything. Once the packaging clearly communicated “protein popcorn,” customer interest skyrocketed and the product began scaling rapidly.✅ Distribution vs Direct-to-Consumer GrowthTim explains why physical product brands must focus heavily on distribution, especially through grocery stores and convenience stores, while still building direct-to-consumer channels for brand awareness.✅ Lessons From Scaling a Consumer Product BrandFrom retail buyers and international distribution to AI-driven sales prospecting, Tim shares the strategies he’s using to scale Omaha Protein Popcorn globally.📍 Chapters03:00 Leaving a Corporate Career to Start a Nutrition Store05:30 Creating the First Protein Popcorn Product08:00 Early Struggles and Product Development Challenges12:30 Expanding Into Retail and Grocery Distribution15:00 Scaling the Brand Internationally18:00 Distribution Strategies for Consumer Products21:00 Using AI and Data to Find Retail Buyers24:00 The Future of Omaha Protein Popcorn and Exit Plans🔗 Connect with Tim Rexius on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/timothy-rexius-2968422b and visit hs website: https://timrexius.com https://www.omahaproteinpopcorn.com Follow Neil: 🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/neiltwa/ 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/neiltwa/ 📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/neiltwa/ 🐦 X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/voltagefba 🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@fbabusinessbuilders🎧 Like This Episode?✅ Subscribe for weekly conversations with real founders✅ Share this with a brand owner or marketer in your network ✅ Drop a review to help others discover the show
What this episode covers
Building a consumer product brand isn’t straightforward.Most overnight successes take years of testing, failure, and persistence before the market finally responds.Tim Rexius shares the entrepreneurial journey behind Omaha Protein Popcorn and how a small product idea eventually grew into a rapidly expanding global snack brand. From opening nutrition stores and launching gyms to experimenting with hundreds of product batches, Tim explains the real process of building a brand in the health and wellness industry.What began as a simple goal to create a healthier snack for his family turned into a business now distributed internationally and sold in thousands of retail locations. Tim breaks down the lessons he learned about product development, branding, distribution, and understanding who your real customers are..In This Episode, We Cover✅ Building a Product From a Simple ProblemTim explains how the idea for protein popcorn came from trying to find a snack his family would actually eat. After more than 600 product tests, he created a snack that delivered both taste and nutrition.✅ Why Product-Market Fit MattersFor years the product struggled to gain traction in the bodybuilding and fitness market. The breakthrough came when the brand repositioned toward mainstream consumers and grocery store buyers.✅ The Power of Branding and PackagingA simple lesson from a snack industry expert changed everything. Once the packaging clearly communicated “protein popcorn,” customer interest skyrocketed and the product began scaling rapidly.✅ Distribution vs Direct-to-Consumer GrowthTim explains why physical product brands must focus heavily on distribution, especially through grocery stores and convenience stores, while still building direct-to-consumer channels for brand awareness.✅ Lessons From Scaling a Consumer Product BrandFrom retail buyers and international distribution to AI-driven sales prospecting, Tim shares the strategies he’s using to scale Omaha Protein Popcorn globally.📍 Chapters03:00 Leaving a Corporate Career to Start a Nutrition Store05:30 Creating the First Protein Popcorn Product08:00 Early Struggles and Product Development Challenges12:30 Expanding Into Retail and Grocery Distribution15:00 Scaling the Brand Internationally18:00 Distribution Strategies for Consumer Products21:00 Using AI and Data to Find Retail Buyers24:00 The Future of Omaha Protein Popcorn and Exit Plans🔗 Connect with Tim Rexius on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/timothy-rexius-2968422b and visit hs website: https://timrexius.com https://www.omahaproteinpopcorn.com Follow Neil: 🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/neiltwa/ 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/neiltwa/ 📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/neiltwa/ 🐦 X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/voltagefba 🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@fbabusinessbuilders🎧 Like This Episode?✅ Subscribe for weekly conversations with real founders✅ Share this with a brand owner or marketer in your network ✅ Drop a review to help others discover the show
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#236 How He Built a Global Snack Brand With Protein Popcorn
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