While Bros hold down jobs of all types, there is no career aspiration more common among us than the prospect of becoming a successful entrepreneur. What Bro hasn't had an idea for a new business and dreamed of making it big -- and yes, striking it rich? And so, every week, BroBible picks the mind of a successful Bro entrepreneur and discovers what it takes to turn a simple idea into a thriving business. Up next is Nick Woodhead, 24, and Jake Townson, 20, brothers-in-law and co-founders of Protegy, a hybrid energy-protein drink currently on the market in the New York area. The duo worked together at a restaurant on Long Island and worked out together at a local gym. Whether at work or the gym, they always found themselves brainstorming ideas for possible businesses. When they landed on the idea for Protegy, they knew it had unlimited potential. BroBible recently caught up with Woodhead for the latest installment of our Bro Entrepreneur interviews. 

BroBible: How did you come up with the idea for a carbonated protein energy drink? 

Nick Woodhead: My partner Jake and I always worked out together since I met his sister (now my wife) two years ago. Every day in the gym we would come up with the craziest ideas and think, "Why has no one done that before?" One day Jake had an idea for a protein water. I told him it would never work and then three months later we saw a commercial on TV for the same thing. I said sorry to Jake and he said, "No worries, I have a better idea.... You drink a lot energy drinks and I drink protein drinks. Why not make a drink that has both but make it healthy?"

What's been the biggest challenge so far? 

I don't want to jinx ourselves but we haven't met any major challenges so far; everything seems to have just fallen in place for us right from the start, which is why we believe the drink is going to be a huge success. The formulation and packaging took some revisions purely because we are both perfectionists but we believe we have a home run now. It's always hard to raise money in these economic times but our drink sells itself really.

What makes Protegy special?

Protegy is the first ever hybrid between a protein drink and a carbonated energy drink. It has the the same palate as a Red Bull but is flavoured with pomegranate and acai berries and has 25g whey protein isolate, 0g sugar, zero carbs, zero fat, and 100% of a full range of vitamins. It is a completely healthy alternative to anything out there that can be taken as a pre- and post-workout drink, as a meal replacement, or just as a great tasting antioxidising healthy beverage. 

With so many energy drink companies in the market place, what is your competitive advantage? 

Ours in the only energy drink with protein! And it is completely healthy with no crash. 

Who do you view as some of your competitors? 

With so many drinks out there on the market you are competing with everyone for shelf space. As for our drink, we have no competitors as it really is so unique there's nothing like it anywhere. We are expecting to take a lot of sales away from the likes of Muscle Milk and Red Bull though. 

Tell us about the product development phase. How many different formulas and iterations did you go through before arriving at the final formula? Nick, did your chemistry background come in handy?

My chemistry background came in very handy.... And I honestly thought I would never use it! We began the formulation by extensive research into existing drinks and their ingredients to find out what was already out there. We had heard about this new process that enabled whey protein isolate to be micro-filtered so it could more easily disguised in a drink without having a milky taste, [as well as] a new super berry from South America that was supposed to have amazing properties. We ordered small amounts of the ingredients from various pharmaceutical companies and began to mix them in a small lab we set up in our own kitchen. Once we had a formulation we were happy with we decided it was time to consult the experts so we got together every penny we had and took loans from family and friends to hire a professional beverage consultant company. They helped to fine tweak our formula and create a batching formula so it could be mass-produced. They got all the FDA approvals for us also. 

Making these drinks actually taste good seems to be always the hardest part. What were you going for in terms of flavor and what has the reaction from customers been so far?

I have actually been a bartender for eight years and have three different mixology qualifications. Mixing drinks that taste good has always been a passion of mine. The key to making a drink taste good behind the bar is to understand how the ingredients can be mixed in the best way to disguise the taste of the alcohol. So I just applied those principles to Protegy and used the properties we had in our ingredients to disguise the taste of the protein. In terms of flavor, we wanted to create a drink that everyone could love 
because Protegy is a drink that can literally be drank by almost anyone. We did a lot of research into the most popular flavours and were pretty set on our mixed berry flavor with pomegranate and acai. We also ran two taste tests in local gyms with a fruit punch flavor. Right from the start everyone seems to love the taste. It's a hard job actually trying to convince people that there is protein in it! 

Describe a few scenarios in which you should drink Protegy.

Protegy was specifically designed with several purposes in mind. It is ideal as both a pre- and post-workout drink for athletes of all kinds and the average Joe. Most people don't know that you should consume protein before a workout as well as after. It gives you the kick you need for a hard session then the protein and sustained energy to go on with the rest of your day! Protegy was also created with dieting in mind. It is perfect for any high-protein low-carb diet such as the South Beach or Atkins diets. Whey protein is actually one of the best appetite suppressants and the ingredients that give you the energy also boost the metabolism, not to mention it has zero sugar and the antioxidising power of pomegranate and acai berries. 

Should it be mixed with anything?

Protegy does not need to be mixed with anything, it is ready to drink. The slight carbonation also keeps the protein from settling so you don't even need to shake it. It is safe to mix with any other supplements when working out. 

Does it go with alcohol?

We are not primarily marketing the drink towards the liquor industry purely because we have created a super healthy drink and we want to keep its healthy image. However it mixes great with both vodka and rum, especially Malibu for the ladies and the protein may certainly help with the hangover! We are test marketing it in a couple of bars with Absolut vodka with our campaign titled....Be an Absolut Protegy! 

What's next for Protegy? What are your goals for 2010 and beyond?

We have also developed a Protegy power shot with the same principles. It has 20g protein and the same energy kick as the likes of a 5-hour energy shot but again a healthier alternative, which will be on the market by November. We also plan to follow up with a 50g Protein version for the serious workout guys. Our goals in 2010 are to expand distribution over the whole East Coast then the West Coast and by the end of the year to secure a national distribution contract across the whole of the U.S. We would like to get the product back over to my home country in England by the end of 2010 also. 

What advice do you have for other aspiring entrepreneurs, who might also be brainstorming ideas while they wait tables?

My whole life I have always jumped at the chance of taking new opportunities. I decided to move to America two years ago because I wanted to follow my dream of being the best lacrosse player I could be and Long Island was the place to do it. I'm still here and now I have a beautiful wife, a beautiful seven-week old daughter and a promising future with this drink! If you have an opportunity or idea go with it otherwise you will be forever wondering what if. It's better to know something didn't work than to always wonder about it! Live your life like it's a fairy tale, take the chances, you might run into some bad times but there will always be a happy ending!

Check out the published story here!