When Kirsty Godso moved from New Zealand to the United States in 2016, she brought more than just her fitness expertise. She carried a philosophy that eventually would reshape how she approached both client relationships and product development.
Today, the celebrity trainer, who works with stars like Kaia Gerber, Olivia Rodrigo, and Hailey Bieber, has built a premium whey protein brand, Made Of, that exemplifies authentic brand building rooted in genuine expertise and unwavering quality.
Ahead Kirsty shares the steps she took to build a strong client base and launch authentic products that make sense for her brand and audience.
Building a foundation of trust through authenticity
Kirsty’s strategy isn’t about networking or leveraging connections—it’s about treating people as individuals first. “The biggest thing for me is I treat [celebrities] as people. I treat them on a first-name basis as the person that they are, not the person of interest to everyone else,” she explains.
This philosophy proved transformative when she met her first major Los Angeles client, Kaia Gerber, in a Pilates class. Rather than approaching the meeting as a business opportunity, she focused on being present and professional. The authenticity of that interaction created a ripple effect: “It’s like then someone knows you’re training her and then you get the intros.”
Sustainable business growth often comes from prioritizing relationships over transactions. Her success came from understanding that trust, particularly in personal situations like fitness training, can’t be manufactured through marketing tactics—it must be earned through consistent, genuine care for clients’ well-being.
Identifying market gaps through personal experiences
Kirsty’s own experiences with celiac disease and extensive travel for Nike created a personal pain point that she initially solved for herself before recognizing its broader market potential. “I was traveling the world, taking protein powder with me at the time, but I was always like, this protein’s not that great,” Kirsty says.
This personal connection to a problem proved crucial during the challenging product development phase. When faced with setbacks—including an entire production run being destroyed because the whey protein absorbed scent from other products in the facility—her commitment to solving her own problem kept her motivated.
In addition to helping her overcome manufacturing challenges, Kirsty’s personal investment in the product creates an authenticity that resonates with customers and can’t be replicated by the competition.
Maintaining brand focus
Despite industry pressure to expand into plant-based proteins or exotic flavors, Kirsty has maintained focus on what she does best: whey protein. “[Plant-based proteins] are not on my vision board, honestly,” she says.
Rather than pursuing every possible revenue stream, Kirsty recognizes that Made Of’s strength lies in its specificity and quality. She offers only chocolate and vanilla flavors, stating definitively: “I do not want to have strawberry cheesecake or peanut butter cup or any of that. I have no interest if those are your flavor profiles. I’m sorry, this brand is not for you,” Kirsty says.
This approach might seem limiting, but it creates several competitive advantages. It allows Made Of to put all its resources into perfecting its core offerings, which helps build brand recognition through consistency. Plus, it attracts customers who value quality over variety, typically resulting in higher lifetime value and stronger brand loyalty.
Growing through expert validation
Perhaps most remarkably, Made Of has achieved significant growth without any paid marketing or celebrity endorsements. Instead, Kirsty’s growth strategy centers on organic recommendations from credible sources, such as fertility experts, digestion specialists, and nutritionists.
This strategy reflects a deep understanding of her target market. People making decisions about what to put in their bodies prioritize credibility over celebrity status. By focusing on product quality and allowing experts to discover and recommend the product naturally, Kirsty built a sustainable marketing engine that continues to strengthen over time rather than require increasing ad spend.
Scaling without losing the personal elements
As Made Of grew, Kirsty faced the challenge every founder encounters: how to scale operations while maintaining the personal touch that drove initial success. Her solution involved strategic delegation while maintaining oversight of all brand-critical elements.
She learned to delegate operational tasks like customer service and social media management, but retained control over product quality and brand messaging. “I am going to make the decisions on things like the language of the brand; I sign off every single email marketing campaign that goes out,” Kirsty says.
The key is identifying which elements of the business are core to the brand promise and which can be effectively outsourced. Product quality and brand voice are Kirsty’s non-negotiables.
Building with long-term goals in mind
Kirsty built Made Of with sustainability in mind. She focuses on retention over acquisition, quality over quantity, and authentic relationships over transactional interactions.
“I always say that Made Of is my son and my firstborn, and I love it. I really care so much,” she explains. This emotional investment, while sometimes challenging, ensures that every business decision is evaluated through the lens of long-term brand health rather than short-term profit maximization.
Kirsty’s journey from celebrity trainer to successful product entrepreneur didn’t happen overnight. In an era of growth hacking and viral marketing, there remains tremendous value in focusing on fundamentals: exceptional products, genuine customer care, and consistent brand delivery. While this approach may require more patience than rapid scaling, it can also result in more sustainable, profitable businesses with stronger competitive moats.
For entrepreneurs feeling pressure to expand quickly or compromise on quality, check out Kirsty’s full Shopify Masters interview.
