DTC POD: How The Best Brands Are Built

Graham Rigby is the President and CEO of the American Herbal Products Association (AHPA), the leading trade association for the herbal products industry. With 20 years of experience across startups and industry leadership—including serving as Chief Innovation Officer at Care/of—Graham has helped shape how modern supplement brands navigate regulation, formulation, and go-to-market strategy. In this episode of DTC Pod, Graham shares what it actually takes to launch and scale a supplement brand without getting burned by regulators. He breaks down exactly where the line is between claims that sell and claims that get you in trouble, why so many founders get blindsided by FDA and FTC enforcement, and how to work with contract manufacturers when you're just starting out. Graham also gets into the real opportunity in supplements right now—why clinical trials cost 90% less than they did two decades ago, how AI is changing the formulation game, and why a $70 billion market growing at 6.5% still has plenty of room for new entrants. Plus, his take on the brands that are doing it right, from AG1 to Ritual, and what founders can learn from their playbooks. Episode brought to you by Stord - 3PL for Commerce Episode brought to you by EMF Radar - Health Starts with EMF Safety in mind Interact with other DTC experts and access our monthly fireside chats with industry leaders on DTC Pod Slack. On this episode of DTC Pod, we cover: 1. The evolution and growth of the herbal supplement industry 2. Key regulatory milestones: DSHEA, GMPs, and FDA compliance for supplements 3. What founders must do to stay compliant when launching a supplement brand 4. The distinction between pharmaceuticals, dietary supplements, and nutraceuticals 5. Marketing, claims, and the importance of substantiation 6. Emerging opportunities with clinical trials and claim innovation 7. DTC, Amazon, TikTok, and brick-and-mortar distribution channels for wellness brands 8. The practicalities and risks of supplement retail (and when to scale beyond DTC) 9. Practitioner and non-traditional channels for supplement sales 10. How Ingredient AI, Infinite Garden, and other platforms are applying AI to supplements 11. Content creators, credentialed doctors, and the new face of trusted health advice 12. The role of diagnostics, wearables, and personalization in driving supplement trends 13. Growth outlook: Why the supplement market is just getting started Timestamps 00:00 Intro to DTC POD and Graham Rigby 02:25 20 years of supplements: Startup vs. regulatory side 03:00 The exponential growth of the herbal products market 04:44 Regulatory basics: DSHEA, FDA oversight, and GMPs explained 07:14 How AHPA helps brands navigate compliance and education 08:03 Launching a supplement brand: Key compliance steps and best practices 10:00 FDA’s post-market regulatory process and founder responsibilities 13:04 Supplements vs. pharmaceuticals: Safety, claims, and approvals 17:32 Telling stories and using clinical research for marketing claims 20:00 What marketers can and cannot say: Health vs. disease claims 22:04 Substantiating claims and the importance of compliance for growth 24:31 Label vs. online claims: How rules apply to different channels 27:02 DTC vs. Amazon, TikTok, and expanding to retail and practitioner channels 30:19 The risks and rewards of brick-and-mortar expansion 35:14 AI and technology’s role in supplement industry efficiency and safety 40:47 The rise of content creators and doctors shaping supplement education 46:34 Diagnostics, wearables, and the future of personalized wellness 51:13 Supplement industry outlook and advice for emerging brands 52:25 How to connect with Graham and AHPA, and upcoming founder programs Show notes powered by Castmagic Past guests & brands on DTC Pod include Gilt, PopSugar, Glossier, MadeIN, Prose, Bala, P.volve, Ritual, Bite, Oura, Levels, General Mills, Mid Day Squares, Prose, Arrae, Olipop, Ghia, Rosaluna, Form, Uncle Studios & many more.   Additional episodes you might like: • #175 Ariel Vaisbort - How OLIPOP Runs Influencer, Community, & Affiliate Growth • #184 Jake Karls, Midday Squares - Turning Your Brand Into The Influencer With Content • #205 Kasey Stewart: Suckerz- - Powering Your Launch With 300 Million Organic Views • #219 JT Barnett: The TikTok Masterclass For Brands • #223 Lauren Kleinman: The PR & Affiliate Marketing Playbook • ​​​​#243 Kian Golzari - Source & Develop Products Like The World's Best Brands ----- Have any questions about the show or topics you'd like us to explore further? Shoot us a DM; we'd love to hear from you. Want the weekly TL;DR of tips delivered to your mailbox? Check out our newsletter here. Projects the DTC Pod team is working on: DTCetc - all our favorite brands on the internet Olivea - the extra virgin olive oil & hydroxytyrosol supplement Castmagic - AI Workspace for Content Follow us for content, clips, giveaways, & updates! DTCPod Instagram DTCPod Twitter DTCPod TikTok Graham Rigby - President & CEO of American Herbal Products Association (AHPA) Blaine Bolus - Co-Founder of Castmagic Ramon Berrios - Co-Founder of Castmagic