Nitrogen Nutrition Adds To Ownership Group Amidst Industry Challenges

Fitness Informant: Why did you start Nitrogen Nutrition?

Chandler Burner: I started Nitrogen Nutrition for one simple reason: I genuinely love this industry.

It goes all the way back to 2013 when I was in high school. At the time, I was racing ATVs in the GNCC series, traveling the East Coast, and living for competition. Around that same time, I found myself in the gym wanting to improve every aspect of my life, not just physically, but mentally as well. I wanted to perform better on the track, become more confident, and prove to myself that I was capable of making the changes necessary to improve.

For the first time in my life, I was taking something seriously enough that I wanted every competitive advantage I could get. That’s where I fell in love with supplements. I still remember the basics I started with: a pre-workout, protein powder, a multivitamin, and fish oil. Nothing crazy, just the fundamentals.

As graduation approached, I chased my dream of racing  for a few years, but I also knew I needed a backup plan. I went to college and earned a Bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science. But right before graduation, I had a moment that completely changed the direction of my life.

I was sitting at my desk staring at a tub of C4, and it hit me all at once. This wasn’t just a hobby or an interest anymore. It was my passion. I knew right then that I wasn’t going to follow the traditional path. I was going to build a supplement company from the ground up and give everything I had to it.

What still excites me today is the process. Taking an idea and turning it into a finished product is incredibly rewarding. From building a formula on paper, making sure every ingredient serves a purpose, dialing in samples, perfecting flavors, designing labels, and finally bringing that product to market, it’s something I’ll never get tired of.

At the end of the day, Nitrogen Nutrition was built because I wanted to make a positive impact on people’s lives. Supplements aren’t magic, but when combined with hard work, discipline, and consistency, they can help people become better versions of themselves. That’s what drives me every day.

My goal has always been simple: inspire, educate, and motivate people to become the best version of themselves.

Fitness Informant: As someone who was new to the industry, what is something you learned you wish you knew before you started?

Chandler Burner: The biggest thing I wish I knew before starting is just how much goes into building a brand beyond creating products.

If I could go back, I probably wouldn’t have gone quite as crazy as I did in the beginning. Most people thought I was insane for launching with 23 products, and looking back, they may have had a point.

Coming into the industry, I understood supplements. I have a degree in Exercise Science, I’ve been around fitness for years, and I’ve always been passionate about formulations. What I underestimated was everything else that comes with running a business. Marketing, operations, inventory management, cash flow, customer service, retail relationships, content creation, and building a community all require just as much attention as the products themselves.

I’m not a fitness influencer and I didn’t have a massive audience when I started. Because of that, I’ve always focused on controlling what I can control. Showing up every day, improving the brand, and refusing to cut corners. That’s just how I’m wired. If I’m going to do something, I’m putting my heart and soul into it.

One thing I’ve learned is that there are a lot of lessons in this industry that no book can teach you. You learn them through experience, making mistakes, solving problems, and figuring out what works for your brand. I’ve been fortunate to have great people around me that I can lean on for advice when things get heavy, especially Ike [Brian Ikalina], who has been a great resource throughout this journey. But at the end of the day, you still have to put in the work and navigate your own path.

We’re only a little over a year into this journey, and I know we have a long road ahead of us. The vision I have for Nitrogen Nutrition is massive, but I’ve learned that building something meaningful takes time. The goal now is simple: keep improving, keep learning, and keep moving the brand forward one day at a time.

Fitness Informant: Speaking of vision, how different was reality versus your vision?

Chandler Burner: The reality hit when all the products started showing up. I was excited, nervous, motivated, and at the same time trying to plan every move in my head.

Year one of Nitrogen was a lot of fun, but it was also a major eye-opener. I launched with 23 products, and once everything was sitting in front of me, the reality set in. We had a lot of inventory, a lot of moving pieces, and suddenly I found myself asking, “Alright, where do we go from here?”

I quickly realized this wasn’t going to be a walk in the park. Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face, and running a supplement company definitely has a way of doing that. There were challenges I never anticipated, mistakes I had to learn from, and plenty of moments where I felt like I was all over the place trying to manage everything.

But the reality never changed my vision. If anything, it strengthened it.

Now that we’re in year two, the focus has shifted toward building a stronger foundation. Improving operations, becoming more efficient, dialing in what works for us, and making sure every move supports the long-term vision of the brand.

The truth is that building a company is fun, challenging, exhausting, rewarding, and stressful all at the same time. There are days when the vision keeps me up at night. You start asking yourself questions like, “Am I doing enough?” “Am I making the right decisions?” and “What if this doesn’t work?”

What I’ve learned is that action kills doubt. Every time I take another step forward, solve another problem, or make progress toward the vision, it reminds me that I’m capable of doing this. This is what my heart is set on, and there is no going back. We’re in this for the long haul.

At Nitrogen, we talk about “Work Like A Dog”, and that’s exactly how I approach building this company. If you want something bad enough, you have to be willing to do whatever it takes to make it happen.

Fitness Informant: Nitrogen Nutrition has brought on an additional owner, why? How does this change things for Nitrogen Nutrition?

Chandler Burner: Bringing Jared on as an additional owner has been one of the biggest moves we’ve made at Nitrogen Nutrition.

Jared and I have been close for years, and from the beginning, we’ve shared the same passion for helping people improve themselves. Whether that’s through supplements, training, nutrition, or simply pushing people to become better versions of themselves, we’ve always been aligned on that mission.

What made the decision easy was that Jared understood the vision from day one. I remember talking to him about Nitrogen before there was even a logo. At that point, it was literally just a name and an idea, but he saw what I saw and believed in where it could go.

On top of that, his knowledge of supplements, bodybuilding, coaching, and the industry as a whole brings tremendous value to the brand. Since coming on, his grit, work ethic, and determination have helped push Nitrogen forward in a big way. He’s the type of person you want in your corner because you know he’s going to show up and do the work.

The biggest reason I wanted Jared involved is because building something meaningful is hard. You need people around you who share the same vision, the same standards, and the same drive to succeed. People who are willing to think big, work through adversity, and stay committed when things get tough.

I’ve always loved the saying, “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” Building Nitrogen with Jared has been the perfect example of that. We’re not focused on short-term wins. We’re focused on building something that lasts and creating a brand we’re proud of for years to come.

At the end of the day, the vision hasn’t changed. The goals haven’t changed. The standards haven’t changed. If anything, they’ve gotten stronger. Now there are two of us pushing toward the same destination, and that’s a powerful thing.

We’re just a couple of good old boys from West Virginia chasing a big dream, and we’re giving everything we’ve got to make it happen.

Fitness Informant: In an ultra competitive space where marketing beats formulations, how do you plan to compete on a go-foward basis given inflation and price constraints?

Chandler Burner: This space is ultra-competitive, without a doubt. When you really stop and think about it, you’re competing against brands with massive budgets, huge audiences, and marketing teams that can spend more in a month than some brands spend in a year.

But I’ve never been big on comparisons. I don’t spend much time worrying about what the bigger brands are doing. I’d rather focus on what Nitrogen Nutrition is doing and the paths we need to take to become more competitive every single day.

One thing you’ll learn about us is that we’re always willing to swing for the fences. We’re constantly looking at ways to improve products, improve operations, improve content, and improve the overall customer experience. Maybe Batch #1 was the test. What could Batch #2 become? That’s how we think.

A huge advantage for us is being close to the consumer. Jared owns a gym, so we have conversations with real people every day. We hear what they’re struggling with, what products they’re looking for, what’s working, and what’s not. That feedback is invaluable because it helps us make decisions based on actual consumers rather than assumptions.

I’m also the type of person who walks into GNC for an energy drink and ends up spending 30 minutes studying shelves, looking at new products, watching trends, and trying to understand where the consumer mindset is headed. I genuinely enjoy that side of the business.

As far as inflation and pricing go, we’re realistic. We know times are tough and people are paying attention to every dollar they spend. At the same time, we’ve never wanted Nitrogen to be the cheapest brand on the shelf. Our goal is to provide premium products that deliver real value. We want people to feel like when they spend their hard-earned money with us, they’re getting exactly what they paid for and then some.

At the end of the day, formulations matter, but trust matters too. We plan to compete by staying authentic, listening to our customers, continuing to improve, and delivering products we’re genuinely proud of. If we do those things consistently over time, I believe we’ll continue earning our place in this industry.