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William Nathaniel "Bill" Phillips is best known as the author of the best-selling fitness book Body for Life: 12 Weeks to Mental and Physical Strength. He is also the author 'Eating for Life', founder and former editor in chief of Muscle Media magazine (now defunct) and the former CEO of EAS, a performance nutritional supplement company. According to Phillips, his Body for Life program has helped countless people lose fat and increase strength as well as tap into a source of mental energy.

Personal life

Born in 1964, Phillips was raised in Golden, Colorado, where he lived with his father Bill (often referred to as BP Senior), mother Suzanne, sister Shelly and brother Shawn. He started bodybuilding in 1982, then moved to Gold's Gym Venice beach (known as the Mecca of bodybuilding) in 1983, remaining until 1986, a period during which Phillips admits to steroid use. However, he quickly learned the error of his ways and at 21 moved back to Colorado and began his publishing career.

Business achievements

In 1985 Phillips' soon to be flourishing publishing empire, Mile High Publishing, began with a small newsletter teaching bodybuilders how to use anabolic steroids. The newsletter was written and printed in his mother's basement. Funded with $185 he and his brother had made from mowing lawns, its original name was The Anabolic Reference Update.

MM2K

In 1992, Phillips moved out of his mother's home and dramatically changed the publication's format and its name to Muscle Media 2000 (usually referred to as "MM2K"). The magazine grew rapidly in popularity, partly because of its frank discussion of the underground aspects of bodybuilding such as the use of and even how-to smuggle steroids, and columns by controversial writers such as The Steroid Guru Dan Duchaine, and Editor-in-Chief TC Luoma. At the time every other bodybuilding publication was completely devoid of such "taboo" subjects.

Phillips also stated that MM2K would independently laboratory test every prospective advertiser's supplements and ensure they met nutrient label claims before he allowed their advertisements in the magazine. Such assurances and the new-found candid way previously taboo subjects were openly covered appealed strongly to many bodybuilders, and accordingly Phillips gained their trust.

MET-Rx

In MM2K Phillips highly endorsed MET-Rx (a meal replacement supplement), and this relationship with readers helped it become the highest selling bodybuilding supplement ever at that time.

It was later revealed however, that Phillips and the creator of MET-Rx, Dr. A. Scott Connelly, were in fact business partners, and the endorsements clever marketing. This partnership also included bodybuilders Lee Labrada and Jeff Everson. It was around this time that Phillips began working with convicted felon James Bradshaw. Bradshaw was considered at the time to be the largest steroid dealer on the West Coast, grossing over $40,000 a week. This eventually would lead to his serving four years in a Louisiana prison, where he educated himself on marketing.

It was Bradshaw who reportedly convinced Phillips to market MET-Rx heavily in the Natural Supplement Review, Phillips' supposed unbiased review of numerous bodybuilding supplements. He also had the idea for Phillips to give the Review away for free to readers of Muscle Media 2000 providing the MET-Rx with addresses of potential buyers, and a large amount of advertising. Sales of MET-Rx rose exponentially. Bradshaw and Phillips had stumbled upon a very successful method of marketing to bodybuilders, and they, and original investors Everson and Connelly, got very wealthy. Their partnership was short-lived however.

Phillips and Connelly had an agreement that distribution of MET-Rx would be controlled, and that they would not sell it to retail outlets in order to keep supply low during the period of high demand created by the advertisements in Muscle Media 2000. Connelly however, had other ideas and began selling it to mainstream distributors and department stores. Phillips believed this move lessened its appeal to bodybuilders, and destroyed the "mystique" of the product. The two parted ways, and as part of the settlement, Phillips was legally bound not to mention the name of MET-Rx in his magazines (thereafter he would refer to it as "the leading brand"). But by then Phillips had his eye on another venture that would eclipse MET-Rx altogether - EAS.

EAS

Phillips acquired Experimental and Applied Sciences (EAS) in 1994. He promoted the company's products through heavy editorial-style advertisements in MM2K, and led by flagship products like Myoplex (ironically a MET-Rx copy), Phosphagen and HMB this would eventually put him at the forefront of the nutritional supplement industry for more than five years.

By 1995 Phillips was a multi-millionaire, and was well known in celebrity and sports circles. Athletes like Jose Canseco would contact Phillips for advice on steroids, and he also consulted with celebrities such as Jerry Seinfeld, John Elway, Sylvester Stallone and Demi Moore. However it was that year that he had a medical scare when a tumor in his jaw and neck was discovered. Phillips promptly proposed to then-girlfriend Ami Cusack. The tumor turned out to be benign, and was removed from around his salivary gland. Some employees at the time of MM2K later noted in Testosterone Magazine that by that time Phillips had become rather eccentric. Reportedly, after the tumor was removed, he returned to "hanging up survey sheets from MM2K that showed Bill was our most popular writer. Each one had the words, 'Bill knows his audience!' written on them."* Soon Phillips and Cusack's wedding was postponed and Phillips was regularly seen at strip clubs and in his magazine with fitness models and Playboy bunnies.

Muscle Media

In 1997 Phillips was eager to expand his empire beyond the bodybuilding industry. MM2K changed from targeting the hardcore bodybuilder, to the more mainstream exercise participant, and the July 1997 issue saw the magazine redubbed simply as Muscle Media. The change in direction alienated most of the traditional readers. Publication has now ceased, however Muscle Media at its peak had a distribution of half a million copies per issue.

High Point Media

In 1999, Phillips sold his majority interest in EAS (though he remained on the Board of Directors) to a private equity firm and concentrated on his writing and on promotion of his books through his publishing company, High Point Media. In 2004, he completely sold his remaining interest and is no longer involved with the EAS.

Phillips' more recent work, Eating for Life: Your Guide to Great Health, Fat Loss and Increased Energy!, offers his plan "to help inspire and guide even more people to improve their health and lift their quality of life to new heights." His forthcoming book "Transformation: How to Change EVERYTHING, for LIFE and Beyond" is scheduled for release October 1, 2006.

In February 2006 Phillips announced his "Great American Transformation Experience" (GATE) with a goal to transform America's fitness from world's worst to first within 10 years.*

Awards

Phillips has also received many honors for his work, including the Make-A-Wish Foundation's highest award. He was also honored by Paul Newman and by the late John F. Kennedy Jr. as one of America's most generous business leaders. The United States Junior Chamber of Commerce honored Phillips in January 2000 as one of Ten Outstanding Young Americans. Phillips was also chosen to help carry the Olympic torch on its relay across the United States for the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City.

Phillips' older brother Shawn has also featured with him in the Body for Life videos and DVDs.

Bill Phillips books

  • Phillips, Bill. Body for Life: 12 Weeks to Mental and Physical Strength. HarperCollins, 1999. (ISBN 0060193395)
  • Phillips, Bill. Body for Life Success Journal. HarperCollins, 2002. (ISBN 0060515597)
  • Phillips, Bill. Eating for Life: Your Guide to Great Health, Fat Loss and Increased Energy! High Point Media, 2003 (ISBN 0972018417)

References

External links

1964 births | Living people | American non-fiction writers | American bodybuilders | American entrepreneurs

 

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