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How This Supplement Brand Scaled to $100M in 3 Years (Faster Than Athletic Greens)
Max Sturtevant
July 14, 2025
The Inbox Newsletter
Hey it’s Max from The Inbox Newsletter.
Athletic Greens took over a decade to hit $100M/year.
This direct competitor did it in under three years.
Here's a peek inside their ultra-optimized funnel and how you can steal their playbook.
Key Takeaways:
The brand uses a high-converting quiz-style pop-up to drive list growth and get the most out of their ads
Their strong welcome offer (52% OFF) is heavily integrated into both email and SMS funnels for maximum conversion.
They aggressively follow up with 2+ emails and 1 SMS per day during a 4-day purchase window.
Every email is optimized for clarity, urgency, and product education with a consistent CTA.
SMS texts include infographics and direct comparisons to competitors to build trust and urgency.
The Brand
The brand we’re talking about today is Grüns.
They sell a daily gummy which is supposed to be a replacement for Athletic Greens’ powder.
They grew from NOTHING to over $100M/yr in under 3 years by using this funnel I’m exposing to you today.
(This newsletter is summarizing the above resources)
Funnel Step 1: Get Traffic (Meta Ads)
Gruns isn’t dabbling in ads.
They’re flooding Meta with over 1,200 currently live ads…
From UGC testimonials to quick-hit static creatives.
They mostly rely on UGC style videos which typically convert the best. The problem is these ads are expensive and tough to organize.
They also use a ton of static ads which are cheap to test and easy to scale with AI.
Each ad is hyper-specific, driving traffic to its own dedicated landing page or listicle based on the user’s interest: gut health, weight loss, fiber, etc.
Step 2: Targeted Listicles & Landing Pages
Groons doesn’t send traffic to a generic homepage...
They route their ad traffic to custom-built landers focusing on singular benefits of their product to give a customized customer journey:
This lets them match ad messaging with on-page content, a conversion-rate multiplier most brands ignore.
But their landers don’t stop there…
Step 3: The High-Converting Email/SMS Pop-Up Form
The pop-up form is their key to becoming profitable.
On each page, they have an email/sms pop-up form to get the most info out of their traffic possible.
Website conversion rates can be as low as 1-2%.
Whereas pop-up form conversion rates can be as high as 20%.
They understand not everybody will buy on the spot and need education over time to eventually purchase (this is where they recuperate all of their ad spend)
They use a VERY strong offer of 52% OFF (which is already available across their site).
They fire the form roughly 4-6 seconds upon page load. They don’t fire instantly to avoid people bouncing, but don’t wait too long so they can get as much traffic as possible.
They use a question-based form, which works SUPER well in 2025/2026. It feels custom to the user and low barrier to entry (they don’t know they have to enter their email right off the bat.)
They will then tag each user who answers to understand and personalize messaging down the line on what the customer is looking for.
They separate email / sms in different steps which helps conversion rates as well.
It’s clear they put A LOT of effort into this form and their email / sms strategies.
This thing is a masterclass in opt-in psychology which allows them to get more out of their ad-spend.
Pop-Up Form Steps
Step 4: The 4-Day Conversion Blitz
Upon someone entering their email / sms in the pop-up form, Gruns goes crazy with sending.
They send 1-2 educational messages every day across both channels.
Why so aggressive?
When someone first enters their information this is the HOTTEST THEY WILL EVER BE.
They would rather OVERSEND and convert as many people as possible in this high-conversion window... rather than risk sending too little, the customer loses interest, and goes with a competitor.
All emails are high converting:
MASSIVE buttons
Buttons at the top of every email
Buttons throughout the email
Strong educational graphics
Reminding of 52% OFF offer every email
SMS in the welcome flow are long, educational, and contain infographics.
They target AG1 users and clearly explain why they are the better option.
Every message they send has some kind of offer... (don’t be afraid to discount and remind of your offers!).
Email Welcome Flow (1-2 Emails Daily for 4+ days):
Each email is clear, design-heavy, and button-loaded.
Every email mentions the 52% offer at the top.
They use infographics, product education, and social proof (in every send).
Buttons at the top, middle, and bottom ensure click coverage.
SMS Welcome Flow (Also Daily):
Day 1 = offer + contact card humor
Day 2-5 = product education, us vs them comparisons, testimonials
Heavy on infographics early, then shift to plain text (to save SMS costs)
View All Emails and SMS Here: https://www.figma.com/design/aKCbCQJVoYpuQDCI6ossFU/Gruns-Funnel?node-id=0-1&t=nYV2uVWBubhVyOGA-1
Step 5: Daily Campaigns & Long-Term Retention
Once you're in the funnel, you're in. They keep up the engagement:
Daily or every-other-day campaigns
Offer always front and center
Minimalist SMS with no images to save costs
Subscription-only deals (smart move — gets recurring revenue)
They send A LOT of emails lol.
Why This All Works
Most brands bleed money because they chase cold traffic and hope it converts.
Gruns built a system that warms, nurtures, and closes at scale:
High-volume traffic from Meta ads ensures they’re always top of funnel.
Tailored landing pages match ad intent — increasing time on site and lowering bounce.
Multi-step pop-ups multiply opt-ins, turning bouncers into subscribers.
Aggressive, value-packed email & SMS flows convert leads during their hottest window.
Consistent daily follow-ups keep the brand top of mind while reinforcing benefits and urgency.
It’s not just about more traffic. It’s about capturing more of the traffic you already pay for — and squeezing every dollar out of it.
That’s how you grow faster, profit more, and outpace giants.
If you run a 7-9 figure ecommerce brand and want an email / sms system as bulletproof as theirs… book a free email strategy consultation, book a call here »
Reply to this email if you have any questions or further content you want covered.
Cheers,
Max
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