Meet Michael Hilton | Author, Chiropractor, and Entrepreneur

We had the good fortune of connecting with Michael Hilton and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Michael, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I love energy drinks, but it’s impossible to find one that doesn’t contain a lot of synthetic garbage. So using my experience in neuroscience, sports performance, and health and wellness, I designed an evidence-based, clean energy drink to help you do what you love, better.

Final Form Energy represents the next evolution in energy drinks.

It’s an elixir of inter-dimensional liquid lightning, bursting with nootropics for memory a focus, and a caffeine/theanine collab to give you energy without the jitters. A relaxed alertness to elevate your day.

Plus, no artificial flavors or sweeteners turning you into a puddle of chemical goo.

So drink, evolve, and assume your final form.

What should our readers know about your business?
I love sports performance and neuroscience and tend to turn myself into a guinea pig with trying new weight-lifting routines and supplements. When nootropics supplements exploded in popularity a few years ago, I naturally had to test them on myself. So I read through the literature on these alleged super compounds that supposedly boost memory and focus. Turns out, many have very little supporting evidence, but a few actually have some good research behind them. I took a blend of these and noticed a fairly marked difference in my mental clarity and alertness for a few hours.

Maybe it was the nootropics that sent my brain into overdrive, but I got the idea for incorporating the world’s first evidence-based blend INTO a clean energy drink. I already loved energy drinks for their effect–just not so much their artificial garbage. So I thought, “What if I could create a super clean energy drink WITH these nootropics and take over the world?” Still working on that last part, but I did manage to create the drink. It’s awesome. Take a look at the can! I’m also a science fiction author (check out Bobby Robot by Michael Hilton on Amazon, ahem, sorry for the shameless plug), so on top of an amazing functional beverage, I got to infuse my love of storytelling–and yes, a hint of anime–into the brand. Our marketing has a lot of personality and an irreverence big corporate brands wish they could emulate.

But it’s not easy. I started the company myself, and we distribute nation-wide. Our business insurance carrier wasn’t initially sure how to classify a one-employee company with a massive shipping operation across the US. I’m kind of proud to say we have a one-of-a-kind insurance policy for our type of business because no single person has ever done something of this size before.

And the challenges, they are numerous. I know a lot about sports performance supplementation, but I had no idea how to bring a drink to market. And my research was done before anyone knew what ChatGPT was. I had to do research the old-fashioned way: typing “How do I start an energy drink company” into Google. Many obscure articles and YouTube videos later, and boom, I’m contracted with a lab to develop the formula and a copacker to can the drink.

My biggest lesson so far is marketing really matters. We consistently get great feedback on the drink. People love it. Just not enough people know about it yet. You can know everything about your product, but if you don’t figure out how to get everyone else to know everything about your product, well, all you’re left with is a great product, not a business. So, hi there, tell your friends about Final Form Energy.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
We’d have to hit up some good BBQ places for sure: Hutchins, Terry Blacks, or Pecan Lodge. If it wasn’t the blazing hot dead of summer, I take them mountain biking on a DORBA trail or a ride around White Rock Lake. Rock climbing at Movement Gyms. Pickleball at Chicken N Pickle. A walk on the Katy Trail and drinks at the Katy Trail Ice House. Not gonna lie, I’m also kind of a dork for the Dallas World Aquarium. I’d also take them to my favorite arcade, Free Play Arcade, where a one-time entry fee allows you to play as many 80s, 90s, and 00s arcade games as you want. Maybe a Stars game. That would be fun.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My wife and love of my life, Julia, deserves a huge shoutout. She’s been my biggest support from the beginning and has encouraged me through all the challenges of starting a business. She’s helped with design, social media, and given numerous pep talks when I encounter difficulty.

Also to my boy, Cade, who is a big fan of the drink. We share one every day, and he reminds me that we’ve got a special product on our hands.

And big shout out to Blake who is THE MAN. He’s been instrumental in introducing the drink to businesses and customers. I could not have done a lot of the marketing without him. Great all-around guy and huge supporter of the business.

Website: https://finalformenergy.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/finalformenergy

Other: https://www.instagram.com/michaelhiltoniswriting/