Co-Founder of Protein Food Company Quest Nutrition and Media Venture Impact Theory

Tom Bilyeu | Biography 2021

Host of 'Health Theory' and 'Impact Theory.' Co-hosts 'Relationship Theory' with Wife Lisa

• By Reena Chikanbanjar
• Update : November 28, 2021

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American entrepreneur Tom Bilyeu is co-founder of protein food company Quest Nutrition and media venture Impact Theory.

Who is Tom Bilyeu?

Tom Bilyeu is an entrepreneur and host of the show Impact Theory. He spent nearly a decade chasing financial success before establishing the protein food company Quest Nutrition in 2010. The company grew by 57,000% in the first three years and got ranked number two in the Inc. magazine 500 lists in 2014. In 2016, Tom and his wife Lisa co-founded a media company called Impact Theory and started producing motivational videos.

Early Age and Education

Tom Bilyeu was born on 30 March 1976 in Tacoma, Washington. After finishing high school, he graduated from the School of Cinematic Arts at the University of Southern California.

Early Career

Bilyeu did his first job in a door factory when he was 12 years old. He had to work overtime to complete his work, but he would not get paid for his overtime. He then worked in a paint factory where he scrubbed huge vats with industrial solvents. After working in the paint factory, he worked at a gun range facility. There, he nearly lost his leg. In May 2003, he joined a software company named Awareness Technologies as a copywriter. Later, he eventually became the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) of the company. In 2010, he left the company to start his new venture. He wanted to do something bigger than running after money. 

Quest Nutrition

While he was still working at Awareness Technology, Bilyeu collaborated with Awareness Technology’s co-founders, Ron Penna and Mike Osborn, to start a healthy food company called Quest Nutrition in August 2010. Later, Bilyeu’s wife Lisa also got involved in the company. 

Growing up in a mildly obese family, Bilyeu had understood the health challenges created by obesity. So, he aspired to make a positive change in the area of public health. He says he established Quest Nutrition to help people with obesity problems and end metabolic disease. As per Bilyeu, Quest Nutrition makes good food that would support people to control their diet. 

Quest Nutrition, on its website, states in its mission that it manufactures and “markets metabolically advantageous products like protein bars, protein powders, protein chips, protein shakes, protein cookies, pizza, and more. 

Quest Nutrition was started small, renting a commercial kitchen on an hourly basis and making bars by hand. They also used Bilyeu’s living room to fulfill the orders of protein bars. Despite several obstacles, the company quickly grew because they were passionate about and committed to their work. With their hard work and dedication, the company grew by 57,000% in the first three years. The company would become a unicorn startup with a value of more than $1 billion, collecting revenue worth hundreds of millions of dollars each year. As per Bilyeu, people have to scale themselves to achieve dramatic financial success. Simply Good Foods bought Quest Nutrition for $1 billion in 2019.

“The acquisition of Quest strengthens Simply Good Foods’ position within the nutritional snacking category by expanding our portfolio of brands and product offerings while also providing us with greater consumer and channel diversification,” Joseph E. Scalzo, President and Chief Executive Officer of Simply Good Foods, said.

Impact Theory

Following the success of Quest Nutrition, Bilyeu and his wife Lisa co-founded a media company called Impact Theory in October 2016. They later signed a content production deal with A3 Artists Agency.

Shows

Bilyeu hosts the business and mindset-focused interview show Impact Theory that features elite entrepreneurs, athletes, and more. He also interviews health experts on Health Theory. Impact Theory’s other show, In Conversation with Tom, Tom invites different guests each month and discusses different topics that affect personal and professional development. Bilyeu also creates several other educational, empowering, and entertaining videos through Impact Theory. He has also hosted a talk show called Inside Quest from 2015 to 2016.

Similarly, Bilyeu’s wife Lisa hosts the show Women of Impact that features women who overcame huge hardship to achieve massive success. The Tom pair also co-hosts relationship tips show Relationship Theory.

They have also created Impact Theory University, a personal and professional development courses platform.

'Neon Future'

Further, in 2018, Bilyeu founded Impact Theory’s comic book publishing division, for its first two comical publications, 'Neon Future' and 'Hexagon'. (It was first planned to be comic books but later made digital, therefore inverted comas on the first information and Italics on the digital publication)

The first publication Neon Future which was released digitally in 2019. It was co-written by Bilyeu along with the creative vision of Steve Aoki, an electronic music producer, DJ, and writer Jim Krueger.  

The comic follows the story of a cold war that will erupt 30 years in the future in the United States where sophisticated technology has been forbidden. And the war is looming between the Augmented, who have merged technology into their bodies, and the Authentic, who have not. There arises a resistant movement called Neon Future led by Kita Sovee, a longhaired, bearded Asian-American man because he is unable to manage his horrifying new abilities.

Along with the traditional publication of comics, Neon Future was also made available in a digital, vertical-scroll style.

And, with the comic, Aoki also launched five new songs from the theme of the story while in 2021 an art and music NFT collection on the inspiration of the comic was released by Impact Theory.

‘Hexagon’

Following the success of Neon Future, in 2019 Impact Theory announced that the second publication Hexagon was set to be launched in 2020. They also added that it was going to be a five-issue series and also Superstar DJ Don Diablo was the creative writer of the series.

The plot of Hexagon portrayed the story of a lonely boy named Don who is obsessed with winning in the most popular video game of all time, Crucible. However, after not being allowed to play by his father, he goes out with his pals to an all-night game marathon when his father is away. And while playing Don beats the level that everyone said was impossible to cross in his first quarter. Then, his world gets flipped upside down in a moment as his win sets off an extraterrestrial invasion and draws him into a long-running interplanetary conflict.

Along with the plot, Impact Theory also disclosed that the comic was set to be made available in both print and digital formats.

Upon the collaboration of the series’ and its story, Bilyeu said, “Hexagon represents our first step into youth-focused content. Don Diablo and Michael Moreci together are a magical combo that has created a story that will suck readers of all ages into a thrilling, interplanetary adventure that they won’t be able to put down.”

Podcast

Further, Bilyeu also began conducting a podcast on business and mindset-focused interviews titled Impact Theory with Tom Bilyeu. And by October of 2021, he released holds more than 800 episodes on the keys of success to everyone aspiring to greatness.

Planner and Books List

Bilyeu also introduced a specific planning and strategizing stationary merch called Impact Theory Planner.

While he also provides trending and helping book-list where he recommends some of his shortlisted writers. Followed by that, he further suggests a read-twice book list, where he incorporates impactful writings from his point of view.

Wife Lisa Bilyeu

Tom’s wife, Lisa, is also his business partner. The pair co-founded Quest Nutrition and Impact Theory. The Bilyeu couple has been married for more than 18 years. They have no children.

Mansions

The Bilyeu pair bought the Spanish Revival-inspired villa for $8.3 million in 2013. In 2019, they bought a mansion in the hills above L.A.’s Sunset Strip for $35.5 million. A year later, they listed Beverly Hills mansion worth $14.8 million on Mulholland Drive.

Did You Know?

According to Money Inc, Tom Bilyeu's estimated net worth is $400 million, as of March 2021