How Dan McCormick Rebranded Creatine and Built a Fast-Growing Supplement Company

Dan McCormick, founder and CEO of Create, shares his journey of repositioning creatine, often misunderstood as a steroid, into a daily nutrient, reshaping the supplement’s reputation and expanding its audience.

Author

Ben Sharf
October 11, 2024

In this week's episode of Turning Pro, we spoke with Dan McCormick, founder of Create, the company behind the first-ever creatine gummy. Dan didn’t just create a new product; he rebranded a controversial compound that has long been associated with bodybuilding and steroids into a daily supplement for the masses.

Dan’s vision for Create goes beyond the gym. His mission is to make creatine accessible to everyone, from fitness enthusiasts to older adults and women. By focusing on a single, well-executed product, Dan has grown Create into a direct-to-consumer (DTC) success story, all while navigating the challenges of working closely with family and scaling in a competitive market.

Find Season 2, Episode 17 of the Turning Pro Podcast on Apple, Spotify, or YouTube.

10 Key Lessons We Learned from Dan McCormick:

  1.  Rethink Stigmatized Products: Creatine has long been misunderstood, but Dan saw an opportunity to reposition it as a safe, everyday supplement that improves strength, recovery, and cognitive performance.

  1. Stay Focused on What Works: Dan stresses the importance of focusing on a single product to avoid dilution. By perfecting the creatine gummy, Create has found success without expanding too quickly into other supplements.

  1. Don’t Rush to Scale: Although Create is growing rapidly, Dan believes in thoughtful, intentional growth, especially in a crowded market like supplements. He advises founders to stay patient and avoid rushing into new categories.

  1. Working with Family Can Be Both Rewarding and Challenging: Dan’s fiancée joined Create full-time, bringing her expertise in finance and operations. While the arrangement has had its ups and downs, he emphasizes the importance of clear boundaries to separate work from personal life.

  1. Embrace Direct Feedback: Create’s initial product had its issues - melting gummies, taste concerns - but Dan took every piece of feedback seriously, constantly refining until the product met the market’s high expectations.

  1. Challenge Industry Assumptions: When Dan entered the supplement market, creatine was still viewed as a “gym-rat” product. By focusing on marketing it to a wider audience, including women and older adults, he expanded the potential customer base.

  1. Strategic Product Development: Rather than racing to expand into multiple product lines, Dan prioritized improving and perfecting the creatine gummy. His advice? Nail down the flagship product before considering diversification.

  1. Be Transparent but Thoughtful with Metrics: In the early days, Dan was transparent about his revenue and growth metrics, sharing openly on Twitter and LinkedIn. But as Create scaled, he pulled back, recognizing the need for discretion when stakes are higher.

  1. Leverage DTC but Embrace Omnichannel Growth: While Create started as a DTC brand, Dan highlights the importance of expanding into other channels, including Amazon and retail stores like GNC, to reach a broader audience and scale the business.

  1. Success Requires Sacrifice: Dan’s story emphasizes the sacrifices that come with building a fast-growing business. From long hours to making tough operational decisions, success doesn’t come without commitment and resilience.

Dan McCormick’s story is a testament to the power of rebranding, focus, and the importance of resilience in building a business from the ground up.

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