Built to Heal: Shaun Noorian on Scaling Empower Pharmacy Without Outside Capital

Strategy at Scale

“Rule number one is: never give up. Success is always there. It’s just on a certain timeframe.”

That’s the mindset behind Shaun Noorian’s journey—and it’s what powered the rise of Empower Pharmacy from a 100-square-foot rented exam room to a 340,000-square-foot, FDA-registered pharmaceutical operation with national reach.

As founder and CEO of the largest 503A compounding pharmacy in the U.S., Shaun didn’t take the traditional path. No VC funding. No shortcuts. Just a mechanical engineer with a mission to fix a broken system from the inside out—starting with infrastructure, integration, and an unrelenting focus on patient outcomes.

Today, Empower employs over 1,300 people and defies industry norms by lowering prices every year—thanks to its fully vertically integrated model.

In this episode, we unpack:

• How Shaun scaled from a back room to a national provider in one of the most regulated industries in the world
• The strategy behind lowering costs while improving quality and speed
• Why vertical integration unlocked pricing power, margin control, and operational agility
• His decision to fund growth with debt—not equity—and the strategic freedom that created
• The systems and culture Empower relies on to scale safely in a high-stakes environment
• Why rebuilding the pharmaceutical supply chain was never just a business model—it was a mission

This is a story about scaling with intention. About building systems that last, solving real problems, and staying true to your purpose—even when the odds are stacked against you.

Let’s dive in with Shaun Noorian.

Thanks for listening! This episode is brought to you by Kaihan Krippendorff of Outthinker Networks, Verne Harnish of Scaling Up, and the team at Growth Institute.