For Aaron Hefter, closing a sale is as exciting as making a three-pointer.
"It's not about the dollars, it's about the adrenalin of making that sale," he said, "and then it's on to the next one."
He's combined his passion for sports with his talents as a salesman to create his own dietary supplement company, Nutrabolics.
As a high-level basketball player in high school, Hefter had always been interested in supplements. He started selling them while he was a university student, but he noticed there was a place in the market for a premium brand.
"We decided to come out with our own brand and make it the most premium cutting-edge supplement brand there is," he said.
He dropped out of university to start Nutrabolics with a business partner, Jayson Wyner. The move paid off: Nutrabolics products are now sold in 58 countries around the world. The company has around 100 products and often uses cutting-edge ingredients to differentiate them from competitors.
The company's focus on quality has led to the development of its newest product line, NutraPure, an all-natural plant-based supplement line intended for both high-level athletes and people who exercise regularly.
Every batch of the product will be tested to guarantee that it is free of banned substances, Hefter said. He believes this will give an extra level of assurance to the athletes who use the product.
These days, Hefter often travels around the globe to meet with product distributors and attend trade shows. Talking about his company's product to potential customers is still a huge thrill.
"Nutrabolics is my baby, so meeting our partners and our customers in different countries is as exciting now as it was on day one," he said.
The team sports theme extends to his relationship with his employees.
"I try to be as hands-on as I can," Hefter said. "Our team is just that: it's a team. The work environment we have is a family."
