This Entrepreneur Wants to End the Stigma of Men's Health Products Green Lumber CEO Brett Hales is hoping a sense of humor and an all-natural supplement can help guys alleviate issues in the bedroom.
By Dan Bova
In this ongoing series, we are sharing advice, tips and insights from real entrepreneurs who are out there doing business battle on a daily basis. (Answers have been edited and condensed for clarity.)
Who are you and what is your business?
I'm Brett Hales, CEO of Green Lumber. We deliver plant-based all-natural male arousal supplements directly to customers' front doors in discreet packages. Our goal is to remove the social stigma around men's health products. Green Lumber is a confident, relaxed and humorous brand, so our customers and their partners can feel comfortable knowing that if anyone finds out, the only laugh will be over our branding and packaging.
Green Lumber's logo leaves nothing to the imagination!
What inspired Green Lumber's creation?
Often, professional success goes hand-in-hand with the lack of a love life, due to the anxiety, stress and depression that comes with professional achievement. I wasn't satisfied! I wanted a better way to live. Many doctors are quick to prescribe an erectile dysfunction drug, which is not only overkill but is a complete hassle with office visits, prescriptions, headaches and hangovers. Eighteen months ago I was introduced to this all-natural, proprietary, plant-based capsule that solved my problem, gave me none of the side effects, and none of the hassles. A close friend had given me a sample at lunch one day, and I didn't really take it seriously. Two months later when I took the product, I felt 20 years younger. I was so inspired by it that I decided to build a company around it.
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What was your first step?
I began to research and study the other products in the space and it became very clear to me that there was an opening in the market for Green Lumber. I haven't looked back. There aren't many people who are willing to discuss this issue and I believe Green Lumber can change that. It's accessible, affordable and it works. Any man can take use it to have better sex. The purpose of Green Lumber isn't to jump-start a dead battery; rather, it is more like a Formula One pit stop.
What was your biggest challenge and how did you overcome it?
Government approval processes are painstakingly slow. We wanted to do this right, and we found out that they don't move at our pace. We just had to accept that. We would never want any client to ever experience an interruption in service or any kind of hiccup so we crossed every "t" and dotted every "i." We refused to launch Green Lumber until we could guarantee our customers would not have to suffer through our growing pains.
What does the word "entrepreneur" mean to you?
An entrepreneur identifies problems and creates scalable solutions that drive value into the lives of their customers and achieves profitability levels that are sustainable for their teams and their investors.
Related: Use This Green Beret Morning Routine to Feel Energized All Day
What trait do you most rely on when making decisions?
After data and conversations with people much smarter than I have all been exhausted, I tend to rely on gut instinct -- probably as a result of painful lessons learned over the years. Ultimately, my decisions come from failing enough times and learning how to continually get back up and keep going.
Do you have a favorite saying or quote that keeps you motivated?
Chris Hardwick said, "No human ever became interesting by not failing. The more you fail and recover and improve, the better you are as a person. Ever meet someone who's always had everything work out for them with zero struggle? They usually have the depth of a puddle. Or they don't exist."
