FROM THE FOUNDER: WHY I BUILT DIRTY WORK
It’s 5:45am on a Sunday. My wife and kids are still asleep, and I’m already up—fired up to work on Dirty Work.
Keep in mind, I just spent five straight days on a jobsite, then worked all day Saturday on the Dirty Work brand. I’m not saying that for praise—I say it because I know there are contractors out there putting in more hours than me.
This is my 15th year in the landscape construction industry. Ten of those have been running my own business. Sun up to sun down, 6 or 7 days a week—that was normal for years. Like many, some days suck ass. But we still show up, every day, with a smile on our face. Blue collar guys are just built different. I believe that to my core.
We’re the kind of people who can drink bourbon until 2am and run a shovel at 7am like nothing happened. Our hands are tougher than alligator skin. Most days when I pick my daughters up from daycare, I’m still covered in mud head to toe.
By the way…Not going to lie—when I walk in and see some other dads in clean khakis and a button-down, there’s some alpha energy happening. He knows it. I know it. Any non-contractor reading this wont understand that at all. But if you know, you know.
Anyway— I just wanted to take a second and share why I started this company.
My landscaping business is based in Kansas City. We focus on high end design/build residential installs. In 2022, we had a brutal, record-breaking two-week stretch of heat. KC heat is normally hot and humid. The type of humidity that will fog your glasses the moment you walk outdoors, but this stretch was something else. I’m not kidding it was like straight-up survival mode. I was giving myself David Goggin’s pep talks each day – “WHOS GUNNA CARRY THE BOATS? THEY DONT KNOW ME SON, THEY DONT KNOW ME SON!”
For years I’d been using electrolyte mixes to keep going: Liquid IV, Gatorade, LMNT, DripDrop, Jocko—name it, I’ve tried it. But nothing hit right. I couldn’t find anything that was made for us. It was all built for gym bros and the person who works 9-5 at a desk then hits a peloton bike for 15 mins and thinks they need to “replenish”
So one night during that crazy heatwave, I got home, was dead ass tired and jumped on Amazon, and tried to find something better. I was looking for something built for endurance—but for contractors. I couldn’t find it. And that’s when it hit me: if I’m looking for this, I know other guys are too.
That was the spark. The idea started in 2022. But we’re not launching until 2025. Not typical for ecom, but I wasn’t trying to pump out another quick product. I had my other business to run and I wanted to do this right. I wanted to make sure Dirty Work was perfect.
I spoke with a ton of manufacturers. It took time to find the right partner to help build a legit product. Once we had that, it was about dialing in the brand. I didn’t want this to be another generic supplement—I wanted it to feel real. Something contractors are proud to use. I’m proud to be blue collar. I know most of us are.
My goal is for this brand is to put a spotlight on contractors. In a product space dominated by six-pack abs and bikini models, I want Dirty Work to lift us up, earn some respect, and show the world what kind of grit it really takes to be blue collar worker—day in, day out.
We’re just getting started.
Dirty Work is more than a drink—it’s a movement.
It’s for us. And I appreciate everyone who’s already part of it.
This is not medical advice. Always hydrate based on your body’s needs, job conditions, and consult a professional if you have health concerns.
STAY SHARP. STAY HYDRATED
