Housemates, 28, make $10MILLION in a year by selling healthy workout supplements loved by celebrities - after a battle with chronic fatigue inspired them to start a company
- Caleb Marshall was diagnosed with chronic fatigue in 2011 after feeling drowsy
- He claims the illness is a result of being given antibiotics to fight acne as a teen
- The Sydneysider and his housemate Black Mackenzie turned to a wholefood diet
- They noticed there was no 'cool' health food brand in 2016 so launched their own
- Tropeaka made $1.35million during their 72-hour New Year's sale in 2019
Housemates who couldn't find any 'cool' health food brands on the market developed their own natural workout supplements that turned over $10million in 2019.
Caleb Marshall, 28, was diagnosed with chronic fatigue in 2011, which he claims is the result of taking antibiotics for five years to cure his teenage acne.
It left his gut and immune system compromised so he turned to wholefoods that didn't contain dairy, wheat, gluten and refined sugars to try and re-balance his body - and he saw an instant improvement.
During this time Caleb, from Sydney, was shopping at health food shops for superfood supplies, joined by his 28-year-old housemate Blake Mackenzie, but neither of them were inspired by the 'hippie' outlook of the stores.
Caleb Marshall (left) and Blake Mackenzie (right) were less than enthused by the brand on offer at their local 'hippie' health food store
So in 2016 the pair launched their own refreshing health brand targeted at young people, which they called Tropeaka (pictured), with a five-star health rating and minimalist packaging
So in 2016 the pair launched their own refreshing health brand targeted at young people, which they called Tropeaka, with a five-star health rating and minimalist packaging.
They invested $120,000 to set Tropeaka in motion, sending packages of their protein-enriched powders to influencers to market online - which they did so free of charge, just because they liked it.
This set in motion the start of their success story, which saw the friends record a $10million turnover in the last financial year - $1.35million alone during a 72-hour New Year sale.
'Young customers are looking to express their core values through the products they purchase,' Caleb said.
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They invested $120,000 to set Tropeaka in motion, sending packages of their protein-enriched powders to influencers to market online (Katie Lolas pictured)
'Our customers can seamlessly let everyone know about the products they buy, showing their online social circles that they care about health and fitness,' Caleb said
Tropeaka's lean protein powder is $42
'Our customers can seamlessly let everyone know about the products they buy, showing their online social circles that they care about health and fitness.
'This makes getting the word out there much easier than via a traditional retail model and has allowed us to expand our business into global markets without a physical retail footprint.'
Since Tropeaka first began with a 'lean protein' powder ($42) the brand has gone on to create an 'immunity' supplement ($34), coconut water powder ($29), acai powder ($34), as well as packages containing maca, goji berry, cacao and camu.
Each product is placed inside an aesthetically pleasing black pouch with a different coloured circle on it, so you can easily identify which powder does what.
'Being the first on the market to combine two key consumer needs by making "health foods cool and gym supplements healthy" has been a major point of Tropeaka's enormous success,' Caleb said (Dara Hayes pictured)
There are no artificial sweeteners or preservatives in their products - instead they use natural flavourings to make them enjoyable - so they can be enjoyed by all
'Being the first on the market to combine two key consumer needs by making "health foods cool and gym supplements healthy" has been a major point of Tropeaka's enormous success,' Caleb said.
There are no artificial sweeteners or preservatives in their products - instead they use natural flavourings to make them enjoyable - so they can be enjoyed by all.
While Caleb has long since cured his fatigue issues the men are continually learning more about the wholefoods industry to give their customers the most up to date information.
Tropeaka is available in 50 countries and in an online capacity only. You can find the products here.
