You'd think every corner of the market has been uncovered in the supplement industry already. But the truth is that half of the population—the female half—has historically been under-represented on the shelf, when they were represented at all. NLA for Her was created five years ago to give a new choice to women embracing the challenge of getting stronger and taking control of their physiques.
The company's vision was compelling enough to attract the attention of top female fitness icons, including IFBB figure pro Jessie Hilgenberg and fitness model Lais DeLeon, who between them have dedicated online followings numbering in the hundreds of thousands. With these recognizable faces and physiques in its corner, the company quickly skyrocketed to success.
Bodybuilding.com spoke with co-founder Justin Matoesian about the company's road to success and where they hope it takes them.
How did your company get started?
NLA for Her started in January 2013 with a mission that still remains at the heart of our company today: to provide high-quality sports supplements for women of all fitness levels at an affordable price. We noticed back then that there were no dedicated women's sports-supplement lines. Women were often either forced to use weaker plant-based supplements, or use men's supplements that were often over-dosed and hard to digest.
We partnered up with Jessie Hilgenberg, and together, we took the time to truly listen to every complaint women had about the current supplements available to them. We created NLA for Her after listening to what women really wanted in their supplements.
Can you tell us about your background in the fitness industry?
Myself and my best friend and business partner, Kevin Gundersen, started NLA immediately upon graduating from the University of Southern California. I was a collegiate track and field athlete, and I have always been obsessed with fitness and nutrition. I haven't missed more than one day of working out since I was a 13-year-old prepping for high school football.
But besides being longtime sports-supplement consumers, Kevin and I are students of the industry. We are constantly studying what ingredients are most beneficial for performance and results. I love all things fitness and am honored that I get to wake up each day, collaborate with some of the top female fitness icons, and create quality supplements for women! Kevin and I share the same vision and work ethic, and it has helped grow NLA for Her into the largest women's sports-supplement company in the world.
Our first athlete and the face of NLA for Her, Jessie Hilgenberg, has been a true godsend to our company. Jessie's intelligence about fitness and nutrition is unrivaled! She has helped us develop all of our supplements, and without her, we would not be the brand we are today.
What are your top products?
NLA for Her has a complete line of sports supplements for women, ranging from fat burners to gluten-free proteins. Our bestselling supplement is our Shred Her fat burner, the top fat burner formulated for women on Bodybuilding.com.
Her Aminos BCAAs is an amazing supplement and one of our best sellers as well. Her Aminos was also nominated for women's supplement of the year in the Bodybuilding.com Supplement Awards two years in a row.
Uplift, our pre-workout, is a top seller as well because it comes in three delicious flavors, it is creatine-free and sugar-free, and contains just enough stimulants to give you a wonderful sustained energy without that dreaded crash or jittery feeling.
Our other top-selling supplement on Bodybuilding.com is our gluten-free, lactose-free, sugar-free whey isolate protein, Her Whey, which was also nominated for women's supplement of the year by Bodybuilding.com.
Do you have any new products you'd like to tell us about?
Our new Pro Series line will feature an improved, more powerful MAX version of our pre-workout Uplift and fat burner Shred Her. We also are proud to launch our new NLA Naturals line. The first product introduction will be our plant-based, non-GMO, naturally sweetened Vegan Protein in a delicious vanilla chai latte flavor. The NLA Naturals line will serve both women and men.
What do you feel are the best and worst parts of being in the supplement industry?
Hands down, the best part about being in the supplement industry is the satisfaction you feel when you hear your customers are experiencing wonderful results from your supplements. From our products helping beginners lose weight to our supplements fueling experienced NPC and IFBB athletes during their preps and competitions, it is truly rewarding to know you are producing a product that helps people change their lives for the better.
Another wonderful thing about the fitness industry is waking up each day knowing your whole life revolves around health and fitness. To me, a life without health and fitness is not worth living. I am also blessed to be able to work with such amazing athletes such as Jessie Hilgenberg, Lais DeLeon, Amy Updike, and all of our other Team NLA athletes.
As for the worse part, without a doubt it is disassembling stinky drink dispensers caked in protein after fitness expos!
Why should new customers give your products a shot?
NLA for Her supplements speak for themselves. All of our supplements are sugar-free, gluten-free, creatine-free, and were created with a woman's true supplement needs taken into account. We were the first exclusive women's sports-supplement company and have been consistently producing quality supplements since January 2013.
Our manufacturing process is under strict quality-control regulations to ensure every NLA supplement is created to the highest quality standards. For the past two years, NLA for Her has received multiple nominations at the Bodybuilding.com Supplement Awards, showing that customers agree NLA for Her is the best supplement choice for women.
If a customer could only buy one product, which one would you recommend?
If I had to recommend one to start out with, it would be our Uplift pre-workout. Uplift is great for giving you energy and focus to make the most of your workouts. If you are tired and making excuses not to work out, try it and you'll leave the gym in shock over how amazing your workout was!