How This Plant-Based Fitness Nutrition Founder Built an Award-Winning Brand Without Investors

Imagine developing a patent for a breakthrough supplement that earns a company $40 million - only to be compensated for $1?

They ignore your value and innovation… so you build your own path instead?

That’s exactly what Geoff Palmer did.

After decades of working behind the scenes—developing game-changing supplements for other companies (one of which made $40 million off a $1 patent he created)—Geoff decided it was time to stop building their empires and finally build his own.

So, with his wife’s encouragement, a handful of savings, and 40+ years of plant-based nutrition experience, he launched Clean Machine, a company built on science, ethics, and real impact.

Today, Clean Machine is known for being first-to-market with groundbreaking innovations—vegan BCAAs, duckweed-based protein, and now a mycelium-based protein powder that’s shaking up the supplement world.

But the journey wasn’t easy. Geoff bootstrapped his way through a decade of slow, steady growth, almost lost everything when Amazon changed policies overnight, and spent years convincing the world that clean, plant-based performance products weren’t just possible—they could outperform anything on the shelf.

This is his and Clean Machine’s story.

From Industry Insider to Independent Innovator

Before Clean Machine, Geoff Palmer was already a force in the natural health industry.

I’ve known Geoff Palmer for over seven years, and every time we reconnect, I walk away inspired by how deeply he lives his mission. Geoff isn’t just another supplement founder—he’s a 40-year vegan, a former bodybuilder, and a self-taught biochemist with a relentless passion for innovation rooted in ethics, ecology, and real-world results.

With a background in biopsychology, physiology, and clinical nutrition, Geoff had worked for over a dozen of the top wellness brands in the country—from Vitamin Shoppe to Unify.

He had the scientific chops, the insider access, and the formulas that worked.

But the industry didn’t always value that.

When Geoff developed a revolutionary plant-based protein formula designed to mirror human muscle amino acid profiles, the company he worked for paid him $1 for the rights—and made millions off it.

That was the moment his wife said, “It’s time to stop building for them. Let’s build something for us.”

Clean Innovation: When Research Meets Integrity

Geoff’s vision for Clean Machine was simple: deliver clinically validated, plant-based supplements with zero compromise on quality.

And he didn’t wait for trends—he created them:

• BCAA Revolution: When most BCAAs were made from duck feathers and human hair, Geoff created one of the first vegan BCAAs sourced from non-soy lecithin—and made it actually taste good.

• First-to-Market Superfoods: Clean Machine was the first to bring duckweed (aka Lentein) to market—a protein-packed aquatic plant richer in nutrients than kale, spirulina, or even chlorella.

• Plant-Based D3 Before It Was Cool: Long before algae D3 hit the shelves, Clean Machine launched the first organic, pure D3 from algae—cleaner and more effective than lichen or mushroom-based D2 supplements.

Every Clean Machine product starts with research, not trend reports, and is built to help people thrive, not just sell units.

A Powerful Start: Clean Machine’s Successful Launch

After decades of building products for other companies, Geoff Palmer finally took the leap—and launched a brand of his own.

His first product under the Clean Machine label was Cell Block 80, a natural testosterone booster rooted in breakthrough botanical science. Geoff didn’t just hope it would succeed—he knew the research behind it was solid.

And the market agreed.

Within just three months, Cell Block 80 was nominated for Best Sports Nutrition Product of the Year. Major retailers like GNC and Vitamin Shoppe came calling. Sales crossed $100,000 in the first year.

For a moment, it felt like the risk had paid off.

“I thought, wow—this is going to be a lot easier than I thought,” Geoff shared with a smile.

Riding that momentum, he quickly followed with a second product… then a third.

What started as a bold break from the industry’s status quo was rapidly becoming a movement. But as Geoff would soon learn, early wins don’t always mean a smooth road ahead.

The Setback That Almost Ended Clean Machine And the Lesson That Saved It

Clean Machine wasn’t built on hype or overnight success. It was built through grit, strategy, and relentless resilience.

And few moments tested that more than what happened in year eight.

At the time, Amazon had become their largest sales channel—a platform that accounted for the bulk of their revenue. Like many health brands, they relied on the reach and convenience Amazon offered, and business was scaling steadily. Products were performing. Customers were returning. Everything looked like it was finally starting to pay off.

Then one policy change brought it all crashing down.

Without warning, Amazon implemented a new set of testing requirements for supplement sellers. Overnight, several of Clean Machine’s best-selling products were flagged as “non-compliant”—not because they were unsafe or substandard, but because they didn’t yet have the newly required lab results on file.

That’s when the dominoes began to fall.

Testing labs were overwhelmed, prioritizing the biggest brands with the deepest pockets. Geoff and his team were told they’d have to wait. Meanwhile, months of inventory sat unsellable, aging on shelves, draining their resources, and threatening the company’s very survival.

The Hardest Moment That Taught Two most Important Lessons

Geoff and his team clawed their way back. Geoff chose to level up. And what came from that crisis became two of the most important lessons he now he lived by and wants to share with every entrepreneurs out there:

1. Don’t Put All Your Eggs in One Basket

Relying on a single platform—even one as massive as Amazon—is a risk no founder can afford to ignore. Clean Machine began diversifying sales channels immediately, ensuring that no future policy change could hold their business hostage again.

2. Partner and Collaborate with Industry Experts

One of the smartest moves Geoff made was hiring a specialist with deep experience navigating Amazon’s policy shifts. Not only did this partner get them compliant faster—they also brought insider knowledge that helped Clean Machine future-proof against upcoming changes.

Geoff emphasizes the importance of partnering with a specialist in your market and collaborating with somebody who's got deep experience with the landscape.

Trying to do everything yourself will break you. Find people who’ve walked the path or agencies who specializes in helping your business. That’s not a cost—it’s a lifeline.

From Founder to Founder: Geoff’s Advice for Building a Health and Wellness Brand.

1. Know Your Niche—And Live It 

“I’ve lived and breathed plant-based nutrition for 40 years. Passion isn’t enough—you have to know your market inside and out.”

2. Don’t Just Market—Make Quality Products 

“Great marketing sells the first bottle. Great quality sells the next 10.”

3. Expect Setbacks—And Prepare to Pivot 

“You can’t control everything. But you can build resilience, diversify, and have the right people in your corner.”

4. Bring the Research to Life 

“Most game-changing innovations are buried in journals. Find them. Translate them. And give people access.”

5. Never Sell Out Your Values for a Shortcut

Clean Machine remains bootstrapped, independently owned, and committed to doing it right—even if it’s slower.

Turning Research Into Real-World Impact

Way before launching Clean Machine, Geoff was pursuing a degree in biology with a focus on biopsychology—where physiology, nutrition, and human behavior intersect. But something wasn’t sitting right.

He noticed a major gap: the most groundbreaking research wasn’t being taught. It was buried in journals, waiting years to make it into textbooks—if it ever did. And worse, the public had no access to it.

“I’d get into debates with my professors,” Geoff recalled. “I wasn’t wrong—I had the research. But it didn’t matter because the textbooks weren’t updated yet. That’s when I knew this path wasn’t for me.”

So he walked away from formal education and began a self-led journey into the world of emerging nutrition science.

His mission? To make what’s hidden in labs and libraries accessible to real people.

From cactus flower oil that supports testosterone naturally, to aji flower oil, one of the richest sources of omega-3s ever discovered, to the upcoming mycelium-based protein powder that could reshape the entire supplement space—Geoff has made a career of finding what’s next before anyone else does.

But for him, it's not about being first to market for the sake of it.

It’s about giving the public access to powerful, natural solutions that are often suppressed because they threaten the status quo of big pharmaceutical profits.

Geoff doesn’t just read the research—he brings it to life. 

And that’s what makes Clean Machine not just another supplement brand, but a bridge between science and everyday wellness. 

Ready to Try One of the Cleanest Supplements in the Market?

If you’re ready for research-driven, clean-label, plant-based products that perform—check out Clean Machine’s line of BCAAs, Omega D3s, and the new Mycelium Protein launching this summer.

🌐 Visit: CleanMachineOnline.com

 🛒 Available on Amazon & select natural retailers

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💬 Hey, it’s Emilia from MBNews 👋

I’ve known Geoff Palmer for nearly eight years—and every time I reconnect with him, I walk away feeling more inspired.

Some people in the wellness world aren’t just ahead of the curve—they create the curve.

Geoff is one of those rare visionaries.

It’s not just the science. It’s the soul.

The integrity.

The patience to do it right.

The courage to keep going when algorithms shift, platforms change, and capital runs thin.

At MBNews, we’re here to spotlight founders like Geoff—people building brands that actually matter. The ones bridging research with reality, health with humanity, and purpose with perseverance.

If Geoff’s journey resonated with you, stick around.

We’ve got more stories that will light your fire and fuel your mission.

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Because your story—like his—might be the next one someone needs to hear.