Before we get into my thoughts on the Bubs Naturals Collagen Protein, I’d like to provide you with the back story of how it all started and why you should try this, especially if you’re over 40. The following is an excerpt from a conversation I had with the owner of Bubs Naturals.
Glen and I grew up together in Winchester MA. We moved out to Utah together and were roommates on and off throughout our lives. He joined the Navy and a few years later we both were living in San Diego. Towards the end we were roommates when the whole Benghazi shit show went down. I’m the executor of his estate. Lets just say that Brandon and I’ve been through a lot with all of that. After Glen passed his sister and I (and a few friends from high school) started the GDMF as a way to honor Glens memory, his sacrifice, and his never ending quest for self improvement. As Glen struggled with the transition from the SEAL’s to civilian life we wanted the foundation to help in that transition through educational scholarships (with a touch of recreation thrown in for good measure).
http://www. glendohertyfoundation.org/
BUBS was started after a confluence of events earlier this year. First, I had the unique experience of doing a podcast with Evan an JT, the founders of Black Rifle Coffee company back in April about the charity world. In it we talked about some of the problems facing the charity space and how to ‘institutionalize’ giving. As I sit on the board of directors of the Glen Doherty Memorial Foundation charitable giving is a common topic for us. Little did I know that that early talk with the Black Rifle guys would become one of a few sparks for BUBS.
Second, my wife introduced me to collagen peptides as a way to recover from all the exercise we do, and as a tool with pursuing ’the fountain of youth’ as it helps with joints, gut health, hair, skin, and nails to name a few benefits (‘you’re not getting any younger’ she said). Side note, Glen and I as two guys in our 40’s often talked about the ‘Fountain of Youth’ and how to keep young physically through plenty of exercise and recreation (mentally we were always kids).
Then my future business partner TJ remarked on the effectiveness of collagen from his experience and that it was a growing category in the health and wellness industry. That sparked a napkin math conversation around starting a company and our mutual commitment to ‘paying it forward’. As I mentioned above, I have watched a small charity struggle with the cycle of charitable giving and fundraising and how business could do more to give back to different causes. Separately, TJ had aspirations to join the Navy and had those dreams cut short due to a car accident. Since he couldn’t serve he’s always wanted to help that community.
We agreed that charitable giving had to be a foundation of BUBS. That mantra lead to our 10% rule giving 10% of EVERY sale of all products to charity. We did research on the best in class certified ‘B’ corps like Patagonia and other charitable companies like Toms Shoes and figured we could blow their model out of the water. Ditto for the supplement space. We are doing what NO other company in this space is doing by dedicating this much of our bottom line to helping others.
Well, what better way to start on that than with the Glen Doherty Memorial Foundation. As Glens call sign was BUB, the company really named itself. We ran the numbers and figured out that we could in fact give 10% of every sale to charity, we would just have to run a tight ship. BUBS isn’t about getting rich, its about living a rich life.
The product we launched with is all about self improvement and geared around the ‘Fountain of Youth’. All future products will have to measure up to BUBS standards of excellence, quality, and self improvement.
We’re proud to give 10% of EVERY sale to charity. It’s not easy but we’re not worried about that.
I’m turned 45 this year and really like to run and hike on a regular basis, which means I need to be more cognizant of my body and take care of my joints and muscles. After being introduced to Bubs Naturals Collagen Protein and hearing Sean’s story, I had to give it a try and let me tell you I was immediately impressed.
Bubs Naturals Collagen protein comes unflavored so that you can mix it in the beverage of your choice. I was told I could mix it in water, coffee and all types of juices. I’ve heard other companies claim you could mix their protein in coffee, but when I tried it became very clumpy no matter how much I tried to stir it in. So needless to say the first beverage I chose to mix Bubs Naturals into was my morning cup of coffee. I stirred it in for maybe 10 seconds and to my surprise, it was 100% dissolved (no clumps and no residue). I proceeded to drink my cup of coffee and I am happy to report it did not alter the taste at all or the texture. When I was finished there was absolutely no residue. I can confidently say that Bubs Naturals is hands down the best protein I’ve used to date. I have also used it in water and have had the same results.
I take 1 scoop in my morning cup of coffee and 1 scoop in a bottle of water after my runs. I decided to put this stuff to the test (from a recovery standpoint) and was equally impressed. I decided to run 4 to 5 miles a day for 7 days straight, using Bubs Naturals as my recovery protein after each run. Although I felt a little soreness in my quads in the evenings I never had any joint pain or discomfort while running. I’ve also noticed that the quality of my sleep has gone up and I feel more refreshed in the mornings. Well done guys!
