Uploaded November 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
From professional rugby player to successful entrepreneur, Damien Fitzpatrick built a sports recovery brand trusted by elite athletes around the world.
In this interview, Damien shares how he went from the highs and lows of a professional sports career to creating Pillar Performance, a multimillion-dollar supplement company now used by Olympians and major sports teams.
Discover how he turned an untapped niche into a global opportunity, scaled distribution in Australia and the U.S., and built a brand that dominates the high-performance nutrition category.
What you’ll learn in this interview:
• How Damien transitioned from athlete to entrepreneur
• The painful injury that inspired the idea for Pillar Performance
• How he built trust and credibility in a skeptical market
• Why focusing on a niche audience first accelerated growth
• The marketing and retail strategies that fuelled their global expansion
• What founders can learn from elite athletes about resilience and mindset
• How to use brand positioning to stand out in a saturated supplements market
By the end of this episode, you’ll learn how to identify a niche, validate demand, and build a trusted brand from scratch—straight from a founder who’s lived both the athlete and entrepreneur journey.
SAVE 50% ON OMNISEND FOR 3 MONTHS
Get 50% off your first 3 months of email and SMS marketing with Omnisend with the code FOUNDR50. Just head to your.omnisend.com/foundr
to get started.
HOW WE CAN HELP YOU SCALE YOUR BUSINESS FASTER
Learn directly from 7, 8 & 9-figure founders inside Foundr+
Start your $1 trial → foundr.com/startdollartrial
PREFER A CUSTOM ROADMAP AND 1-ON-1 COACHING?
→ Starting from scratch? Apply here → foundr.com/pages/coaching-start-application
→ Already have a store? Apply here → foundr.com/pages/coaching-growth-application
CONNECT WITH NATHAN CHAN
Instagram → instagram.com/nathanchan
LinkedIn → linkedin.com/in/nathanhchan
CONNECT WITH DAMIEN FITZPATRICK
Website → https://pillarperformance.shop/
Instagram → instagram.com/damienfitzpatrick
LinkedIn → linkedin.com/in/damien-fitzpatrick-a27443114
00:00 – From Pro Athlete to Founder: The Birth of Pillar Performance
01:24 – How a Career-Ending Injury Sparked a Sports Nutrition Revolution
04:33 – The Science Behind Pillar: Bridging Pro Sports & Supplementation
07:48 – Why Magnesium Became the Hero Ingredient
10:52 – Bootstrapping vs. Raising Capital: How Damien Funded the First Batch
13:35 – Landing Australia’s Top Athletes & Building Credibility Fast
17:02 – The Strategy Behind Getting Into Chemist Warehouse & Major Retailers
20:19 – From Locker Rooms to Shopify: Building the Brand Online
24:51 – Breaking Into the U.S. Market & Partnering With the NBA & NFL
28:36 – Navigating Rapid Growth & Managing High-Performance Teams
32:44 – What Founders Can Learn From Elite Sport Discipline
37:18 – The Future of Sports Nutrition & Building a Global Brand
40:50 – Damien’s Advice for Founders on Pressure, Focus & Leadership
FOLLOW FOUNDR FOR MORE BUSINESS GROWTH STRATEGIES
YouTube → bit.ly/2uyvzdt
Website → foundr.com
Instagram → instagram.com/foundr
Facebook → facebook.com/foundr
Twitter → twitter.com/foundr
LinkedIn → linkedin.com/company/foundr
Podcast → foundr.com/podcast
From professional rugby player to successful entrepreneur, Damien Fitzpatrick built a sports recovery brand trusted by elite athletes around the world.
In this interview, Damien shares how he went from the highs and lows of a professional sports career to creating Pillar Performance, a multimillion-dollar supplement company now used by Olympians and major sports teams.
Discover how he turned an untapped niche into a global opportunity, scaled distribution in Australia and the U.S., and built a brand that dominates the high-performance nutrition category.
What you’ll learn in this interview:
• How Damien transitioned from athlete to entrepreneur
• The painful injury that inspired the idea for Pillar Performance
• How he built trust and credibility in a skeptical market
• Why focusing on a niche audience first accelerated growth
• The marketing and retail strategies that fuelled their global expansion
• What founders can learn from elite athletes about resilience and mindset
• How to use brand positioning to stand out in a saturated supplements market
By the end of this episode, you’ll learn how to identify a niche, validate demand, and build a trusted brand from scratch—straight from a founder who’s lived both the athlete and entrepreneur journey.
SAVE 50% ON OMNISEND FOR 3 MONTHS
Get 50% off your first 3 months of email and SMS marketing with Omnisend with the code FOUNDR50. Just head to your.omnisend.com/foundr
to get started.
HOW WE CAN HELP YOU SCALE YOUR BUSINESS FASTER
Learn directly from 7, 8 & 9-figure founders inside Foundr+
Start your $1 trial → foundr.com/startdollartrial
PREFER A CUSTOM ROADMAP AND 1-ON-1 COACHING?
→ Starting from scratch? Apply here → foundr.com/pages/coaching-start-application
→ Already have a store? Apply here → foundr.com/pages/coaching-growth-application
CONNECT WITH NATHAN CHAN
Instagram → instagram.com/nathanchan
LinkedIn → linkedin.com/in/nathanhchan
CONNECT WITH DAMIEN FITZPATRICK
Website → https://pillarperformance.shop/
Instagram → instagram.com/damienfitzpatrick
LinkedIn → linkedin.com/in/damien-fitzpatrick-a27443114
00:00 – From Pro Athlete to Founder: The Birth of Pillar Performance
01:24 – How a Career-Ending Injury Sparked a Sports Nutrition Revolution
04:33 – The Science Behind Pillar: Bridging Pro Sports & Supplementation
07:48 – Why Magnesium Became the Hero Ingredient
10:52 – Bootstrapping vs. Raising Capital: How Damien Funded the First Batch
13:35 – Landing Australia’s Top Athletes & Building Credibility Fast
17:02 – The Strategy Behind Getting Into Chemist Warehouse & Major Retailers
20:19 – From Locker Rooms to Shopify: Building the Brand Online
24:51 – Breaking Into the U.S. Market & Partnering With the NBA & NFL
28:36 – Navigating Rapid Growth & Managing High-Performance Teams
32:44 – What Founders Can Learn From Elite Sport Discipline
37:18 – The Future of Sports Nutrition & Building a Global Brand
40:50 – Damien’s Advice for Founders on Pressure, Focus & Leadership
FOLLOW FOUNDR FOR MORE BUSINESS GROWTH STRATEGIES
YouTube → bit.ly/2uyvzdt
Website → foundr.com
Instagram → instagram.com/foundr
Facebook → facebook.com/foundr
Twitter → twitter.com/foundr
LinkedIn → linkedin.com/company/foundr
Podcast → foundr.com/podcast
