If you have experience in fitness, health, and nutrition, you have probably heard of Jocko Fuel the sports nutrition brand by Jocko Willink the retired Navy Seal Officer, Bestselling Author, and top podcaster. With its energy drinks and supplements line it prides itself on providing Clean Fuel with premium ingredients without compromising on the product or process.
While the benefits of such products are worth mentioning on their own, the man behind the juice, or energy drink, in this case, has truly grabbed our attention. Brian Littlefield serves as the Chief Product Officer at Jocko Fuel. He is responsible for creating high-quality products with efficacious formulas, but how he got there is just as impressive as what he's accomplished since the company's inception six years ago.
Growing up Brian was deeply impacted when tragedy struck his family and his closest brother Ryan was diagnosed with childhood cancer. Being only 6 years old this left a massive impression on him while he witnessed his brother's battle.
"I remember my brother's struggle with the side effects from the chemo, the trips back and forth to Boston 3 hours one way. It was awful but he was a warrior". Brian recalled. Although the prognosis was very poor, he watched his brother overcome cancer with treatment and a relentless commitment to an anti-cancer diet.
Brian continued, "This was really my first glimpse at the science of lifestyle intervention. I trace my origins to my interest in the field to those moments. My brother was committed to eating healthy and finding the foods that would promote his wellness, and it worked, he didn't just survive he thrived in life". This fueled Brian's interest in health sciences in a big way. He would continue to take an interest and excel in his science-related courses in grade school.
After leaving his home state of Maine for college in Ohio his passion for health and nutrition continued to draw his attention and he elected to take biology and other related classes in business school as his electives. "Everyone thought I would pursue a career in the sciences, however, I've always been drawn to business," Brian stated.
At the same time, his passion was fueling his personal journey. Having lived unhealthy for a number of years Brian would as he calls it "Find the path again" he would go on to lose over 100 lbs on his personal wellness journey applying the things he had learned over the years. After a long day of classes and studying, Brian would spend his free time studying anything he could about nutraceuticals, nutrition, and overall health-related topics. This led him down the path of becoming his own test subject and his apartment would turn into a science lab as he started blending ingredients together to create his own formulas.
Having earned his black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Brian became an instructor shortly after graduation helping run the academy. During this time, he partnered with the owner to open a small supplement store where he could curate products for their students and fighters, eventually opening to the public.
This was the stepping stone Brian needed to combine the two things he cared most about - business and nutrition. During the three years operating the shop, Brian was able to interact with the supplement industry, getting to know the inner workings of the industry and really understanding the ingredients most brands relied on.
With his understanding of science, his knowledge of business, and the discipline gained from his Jiu -Jitsu practice, Brian embarked on another venture when he moved back to Maine joining his friend and now business partner, Pete Roberts, founder and owner of Origin, and helped manage the business in its first explosive growth phase having led operations as the company grew from seven employees to more than forty in the span of a year.
During this time Pete and Brian founded the nutritional division of Origin, Origin Labs. Only a year later the two would be introduced to Jocko Willink, who quickly became a partner and the Jocko Fuel brand was born.
Brian was now able to fulfill his dream of formulating products to help people be better in every aspect of their lives. With his partners' support, Brian formulated the world's first completely clean energy drink; because of this, Jocko Fuel has experienced exponential growth.
When asked what the secret of his success has been, Brian explains "I have the best partners you could hope for, I've been fortunate to have their trust and support to create products that are changing people's lives for the better, we put people first." and that has made all the difference.
So what's next for Brian? As he continues to contribute to developing clean and efficacious supplements for Jocko Fuel and strives to create a more people-conscious health industry, he is also expanding his reach with projects that go beyond business as usual.
From formulation developer and researcher to black belt and business entrepreneur, Brian Littlefield is making moves. To keep up with what Brian is up to, follow him on Instagram, Twitter, Brian on LinkedIn.
