wegg® showcase: Ashley Nickelsen, Founder & CEO, B.T.R. NATION

Seeing the toll my parents’ cancer journeys took on them and how their doctors, nurses, and other caretakers were craving healthier products inspired me to start B.T.R., which stands for “be Bold, Tenacious, and Resilient.” It was my parent’s mantra, and I started the business as a tribute to them. Their ethos is baked into the company.

It’s not that people don’t want “better for you,” it’s just that “better for you” is not accessible enough to consume. There’s so much garbage in the food system. Plus, good quality nutrition is not as sexy and the message is hard to convey. I’ve grown so much by trying to get our product in as many hands as possible so people can see that better for you doesn’t necessarily mean “it’s going to be gross!” or “it’s expensive.” We’re trying to bring consumers really delicious and accessible nutrition in a fun, educational way.

We face those challenges to this day, probably more than ever. We used to be mainly focused on Canada, but now we are starting to export our products in the UK and Panama. So yes, we’re growing, but it’s going to be more difficult on our partners than on us. We’re trying to provide our overseas customers with the most accessible price points as possible, knowing all that’s involved in them importing our products, and conveying the value to the end consumer so they understand why our products might be a little more expensive.

Exporting has been especially challenging this year, but it’s a high priority focus for us because there’s a ton of demand internationally. International consumers have a different palate than the American consumer. They don’t like a lot of sugar. They actually want lower sugar items and this fits perfectly into our portfolio in the UK, EU, and Australia as well. We’re just trying to make it happen at the most accessible price point for all parties involved.

I have so much advice! Where do I start? The first thing, especially when it comes to international expansion, is to ask questions. Learn as much as possible about what your partners need. What obstacles are your buyers facing internationally that you are not aware of? Is it cost? Is it demographic? Try to remove those obstacles, if you can, but know that, because of the obstacles, maybe your product is not a good fit to expand into a certain country. Try to understand what your partners need, because it’s going to be a partnership.

We have our own warehouse in California, so we do all of our shipping ourselves. The one thing I highly recommend, however, is to get a good freight broker. If you’re shipping physical goods, you need someone who’s going to get you the best quotes and be able to get you a truck at the last minute. We can literally pick up the phone or text our freight broker and say, “Hey, I need this, it’s urgent.” And he’s like, “I’m on it.” For physical goods, that’s a really important relationship to have.

Due to our current administration’s tariffs, there’s going to be lots of pain this year, so what things are most important to keep your business moving forward? That might mean you have to de-prioritize something. At B.T.R., we have so much exciting innovation coming, but that might take an extra quarter now because our priority is on retail expansion. Take it one step at a time and try not to get overwhelmed by all the priorities. Have an extreme focus on what you need from yourself and from your team at this time. And keep going.