Podcasts about Poppi

CPG's next big ideas often emerge in unexpected places. In this episode, we explore what founders across food and beverage can learn from the rapid rise of hard sodas and hard sports drinks, as alcohol brands borrow from health, wellness and functionality to connect with younger consumers. The Taste Radio team is joined by Brewbound reporter Zoe Licata to discuss why familiar flavors, better-for-you positioning and shifting consumer behaviors are fueling these fast-growing categories—and whether they're poised for long-term success or destined to become another fleeting trend.   They also unpack the surprising split between Costco and Deschutes Brewery, what it reveals about the evolving role of private label and retail strategy, and why Guinness has become one of the world's hottest beer brands by winning over an entirely new generation of drinkers. Show notes: 0:20: Harry Calling. Inspired Imbibing. $40M Is A Crooked Number. Lyte Come Lately. Crafty Costco. – Zoe and John share their experiences of seeing Harry Styles perform at Wembley Stadium and discuss how drinking culture among younger consumers in the U.K. differs from that in the U.S. The conversation explores Gen Z's evolving relationship with alcohol, the pandemic's lasting impact on drinking habits, and how brands are leaning into nostalgia and familiar flavors to connect with legal-age younger consumers. They also examine why alcohol companies are borrowing cues from the better-for-you beverage category, and the marketing challenges of positioning products with wellness-inspired messaging despite alcohol's inherent health limitations. Along the way, they spotlight the surprising rise of alcoholic sports drinks modeled after electrolyte beverages and viral drinking trends like BORGs. The discussion then turns to beer, where the hosts unpack the unexpected end of Costco's long-running private-label partnership with Deschutes Brewery, producer of the retailer's popular Kirkland Signature Helles Lager and Vintage Ale. The episode concludes with a look at Guinness' remarkable resurgence, exploring how the iconic stout has become one of beer's biggest success stories by winning over younger consumers through social media, the viral "Split the G" challenge, and the growing realization that it's lighter, more sessionable, and far more approachable than many first-time drinkers expect. Brands in this episode: Simply, Fresca, Owl's Brew, Bai, Crooked Pop, Poppi, Super Lyte, Surfside, Stateside Hard Seltzer, Gatorade, Spiked Ade, Pedialyte, Electrolit, Hoist, Deschutes, Guinness, Diet Pepsi

In this episode, I explore why simply sharing expertise isn't enough in today's content landscape. While knowledge is widely accessible, what truly resonates with people is the interpretation and application of that knowledge through your personal experiences and insights. Discover how perspective, storytelling, and personal experience can elevate your content strategy and boost genuine engagement and sales. What you'll learn from this episode: The shifting role of expertise versus perspective in content marketing Why knowledge alone no longer creates scarcity or trust The importance of sharing personal experiences and stories How perspective builds stronger communities and authority The difference between sharing life and using life as evidence How to turn experiences into marketable, engaging content   CONNECT: Connect with me on Instagram to see how I apply what I talk about on the episodes. Get more marketing insights from me beyond the episodes.   BEYOND THE EPISODE: Get private consulting and coaching on your marketing to become your audience's favorite personal brand to follow and buy from. Learn more. Learn how to launch like celebrity brands like SKIMS, Poppi, and Rhode using the Campaign Crash Course™. Get it today.

Ali Riley & Kelley O'Hara break down 3 of the biggest NWSL matches of the weekend, and tell you which player DELIVERED the biggest win of the week. With Gotham's roster already loaded with stars, and Sam Kerr set to debut, who's starting? Ally Sentnor has Angel City cooking, and Orlando is back in the win column! Then Kelley breaks down the USWNT & USMNT split of World Cup prize money, and how the long fight for equality has gotten them here. Plus Kelley and Poppi take Wimbledon! This episode is presented by Amazon Prime. Chapters 00:00 Introduction 01:37 USMNT & USWNT Split World Cup Money 03:45 FIFA Make Men's & Women's World Cup Prize Money Equal??? 07:15 Ali Lost the Bet 08:44 Ali's Paint Ball Disaster! 13:27 Competitive Board Games with the USWNT 15:30 Marta's Back on the Score Sheet 20:07 Kelley Got Bean Boozled 21:20 Ally Sentnor Has Angel City HOT 24:47 Gotham's Star Studded Roster 26:59 Queens Classic 31:42 Esther DELIVERED 34:48 Ali Takes Sideline Reported SERIOUSLY 40:09 The Hardest Type of Broadcasting? 45:14 Critiquing Former Teammates & Friends 48:58 Not Kelley Crying About Taking Poppi to Wimbledon 52:30 Ali's World Cup Game Didn't Go as Planned… 55:09 Alright, Bet Just Women's Sports is the leading digital media platform dedicated exclusively to women's sports. In a world where women's sports have been historically underfunded and under-promoted, Just Women's Sports exists to shine a light on all the stories, athletes and moments that define and fuel the space. Through original podcasts, premium video programming, social media, editorial content, a newsletter, and exclusive merchandise and live events, Just Women's Sports is committed to making it both easy and fun to be a women's sports fan. Listen to Time Wasting here: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/time-wasting/id1522055041 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6RTMyWpdSBY9I4vO528qX3?si=4ffbdaf315814b19&nd=1&dlsi=8ead3e4fd463490d iHeart: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-time-wasting-68461888/ Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/a6f36ad8-f5e2-4478-8650-3f6f8805810b/time-wasting Add us on: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/timewastingpod/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/justwsports Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@timewastingpod? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

He built an eight-figure brand without raising a dollar of outside capital. Now he's sharing exactly how he did it. J.W. reveals the playbook behind one of the adult non-alcoholic category's earliest success stories. He explains why he bet on the sober curious trend years before it became mainstream, how direct-to-consumer sales fueled profitable growth from day one, and why relentless product refinement – not rapid expansion – has been the foundation of the brand's success.  J.W. also discusses customer acquisition, retail strategy, premium pricing and the long-term vision that's guiding Curious Elixirs as it aims to redefine how people drink socially. Show notes: 0:20: JW Wiseman, Founder & CEO, Curious Elixirs – JW shares how his experience owning bars and drinking heavily inspired him to create one of the first premium non-alcoholic cocktail brands. He talks about developing the concept in 2013 and launching in 2015, and how he validated demand through Kickstarter, early consumer feedback and press coverage. JW explains why Curious prioritized profitability, premium pricing and digital marketing early on, how constant product refinement and customer feedback have fueled loyalty, and why focusing on how products make consumers feel has been central to the brand's success. He also discusses building an eight-figure business without outside investment, leveraging DTC data to expand into retail, thoughtfully approaching distribution and channel strategy, and balancing innovation with disciplined focus. He emphasizes Curious Elixirs' long-term mission to make premium non-alcoholic beverages a normal part of social occasions while proving that sustainable growth, strong customer relationships and unwavering product quality can build an enduring brand.  Brands in this episode: Curious Elixirs, LesserEvil, Poppi

Today, I'm joined by Stephen Ellsworth, founder of poppi.   Originally launched at farmers markets as "Mother Beverage," poppi rebranded in 2020 and scaled rapidly before being acquired by PepsiCo for nearly $2B.   In this episode, we discuss cultivating consumer obsession.   We also cover:   How 2.5 years at farmers markets became the ultimate R&D Why the $50M revenue milestone matters Landing a deal on Shark Tank Subscribe to the podcast → insider.fitt.co/podcast  Subscribe to our newsletter → insider.fitt.co/subscribe  Follow us on LinkedIn → linkedin.com/company/fittinsider    Website: www.drinkpoppi.com/  Stephen's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stephenellsworth_/    -   The Fitt Insider Podcast is brought to you by EGYM. Visit EGYM.com  to learn more about its smart fitness ecosystem for fitness and health facilities. Fitt Talent: https://talent.fitt.co/  Consulting: https://consulting.fitt.co/  Investments: https://capital.fitt.co/    Chapters: (00:00) Introduction (01:49) Background and poppi origin story (02:40) Mother Beverage to poppi journey (04:50) Two-year R&D at farmers market (06:20) Shark Tank and capital inflection (08:12) Rebranding decision and strategy (11:00) 2020 timing and category alignment (12:40) Intuition-driven product development (13:40) COVID acceleration (14:45) $50M inflection point (16:20) Founder preferences: zero to one vs. scaling (17:50) Product obsession and team building (18:40) 15–20% better formula (20:00) poppi playbook and thinking differently (21:50) Democratizing better-for-you foods (25:30) PepsiCo acquisition concerns (28:45) Large incumbents vs. innovation (31:00) Post-acquisition emotions (35:15) Preferment vs. retirement (37:30) What's next (39:15) Conclusion

Are you feeling isolated in your niche or overwhelmed by the idea that there's no one to inspire you? Do you feel overly reliant on content to create your own ideas and feel like it's hindering your ability to get ahead? This episode dives into how you can unlock your creativity by leveraging your unique experiences, observations, and perspectives to create compelling content that stands out. Discover how to build a personalized content formula that transforms your limitations into your greatest strength. What you'll learn from this episode How to stop comparing yourself to others and focus on your own content path The four levels of inspiration: content, format, brand, and principles How to collect inspiration from multiple sources rather than mimicking one account How to turn personal experience and daily observation into original content ideas Why being first in your space can become a creative advantage   CONNECT: Connect with me on Instagram to see how I apply what I talk about on the episodes. Get more marketing insights from me beyond the episodes.   BEYOND THE EPISODE: Get private consulting and coaching on your marketing to become your audience's favorite personal brand to follow and buy from. Learn more. Learn how to launch like celebrity brands like SKIMS, Poppi, and Rhode using the Campaign Crash Course™. Get it today! Reinvent the way you market and 3x your audience, demand, and sales with Industry's Choice. Learn more. Get support with all of your design needs for your next campaign with Sales Studio. Get started.  

Welcome to Brand of the Match, a new series from The Marketing Hustle. Lottie Unwin is joined by co-host Joel Bjarni Marlinarson (founder of Coldest Creative) to debate which brands are playing the partnership game best, red cards, yellow cards and all.This week's category: Partnerships. Lottie and Joel go head to head on Diet Coke x The Devil Wears Prada, Kit Kat's "stolen lorry" stunt, the London Marathon activations from Adidas, Nike and Hoka, Poppi's launch into Pret, Lucky Saint x Lime Bike, Unplugged x Damson Madder and Zendaya x Law Roach for On. One winner gets crowned Brand of the Match.Thank you to our sponsor Stickybeak — rapid consumer research built for FMCG marketers. Test packaging, concepts and campaigns with real people in under 48 hours.Find out more: stickybeak.co0:00 — Intro: Lottie's background and the new co-host format0:26 — Joel introduces Coldest Creative and the "brands as football teams" idea0:47 — How the show works: red cards, yellow cards, the whistle and Brand of the Match1:44 — Kick-off: Round one, PartnershipsDiet Coke x The Devil Wears Prada, and why it works when partnerships are the core of the idea, not an afterthoughtKit Kat's "stolen lorry" stunt and moving at social speedLondon Marathon 2026: Adidas, Nike, Hoka and Wild Deodorant's last-minute activationWhy behind-the-scenes content is now outperforming the polished final asset10:22 — Half-time: the Stickybeak ad break11:35 — Second half: Poppi's launch into Pret, and whether it's a smart distribution play or a brand riskLucky Saint x Lime Bike, and building partnerships around habits people already haveUnplugged x Damson Madder's single-cabin collaborationM&S's compliments campaign and the power of employees posting before the brand doesZendaya x Law Roach for On, and the satirical "assistant" framingJacquemus and his grandmother: legacy as a partnership hookPredictions: employee-led campaigns and the rise of "pay to access an audience" partnerships23:05 — Final whistle and verdict26:13 — On, with the Zendaya x Law Roach campaign, is crowned Brand of the Match26:22 — Outro and how to follow the showDrop us a follow!Joel Bjarni Marlinarson — Instagram & TikTok: @coldestjoel | LinkedIn: Joel Bjarni MarlinarsonLottie Unwin — Instagram: @lottieunwinmarketing | TikTok: @lottieupworld | LinkedIn: Lottie UnwinSubscribe wherever you listen, and drop a comment if you think we got the verdict wrong.

Allison Ellsworth is the co-founder of Poppi. Allison joins Adam to share her journey building a multi-billion dollar brand and her best lessons and advice. Allison and Adam discuss a wide range of topics: entrepreneurship, leadership, passion, purpose, pushing your comfort zone, marketing, branding, balancing conviction with feedback, and more.

Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signupMost list-growth advice assumes you have a website people visit. Cove Soda doesn't. They sell zero sugar soda in roughly 7,000 retail doors with no real DTC store, which means no site traffic, no purchase pop-ups, and no easy email capture.Zoe Kahn runs marketing for Cove as interim VP. In this episode she breaks down how a retail-first brand still builds a direct, owned channel, why she treats in-person events as the acquisition surface, and how she competes in a soda aisle that already has Olipop and Poppi running Super Bowl ads.What you'll get:The event tactic that grows an email and SMS list without DTC: trade a full can for an opt-inHow to segment by geography so US news goes to US fans and Canadian news goes to Canadian fansHow she picks which events to sample at, and why marketing assets in a state change the mathUsing Amazon attribution links to test creative and copy when you have no DTCA clear take on why an oversaturated category is not a reason to quitThe early-career mistake that shipped roughly 700 wrong orders, and what it taught herWho this is for: retail-first and omnichannel operators, beverage and CPG founders, retention and lifecycle marketers, and anyone who has been told they can't build a list without DTC.What to steal: the can-for-email swap at events, geographic list segmentation, and an event-selection checklist built on demographic fit and asset location.0:00 Intro3:16 Building a Canadian Brand in the US7:55 How Cove Soda Stands Out in a Crowded Market10:09 Using QR Codes to Grow Email and SMS Lists17:50 Practical AI Workflows for Marketing TeamsSubscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signupAdvertise on DTC - https://dtcnews.link/advertiseWork with Pilothouse - https://dtcnews.link/pilothouseFollow us on Instagram & Twitter - @dtcnewsletterWatch this interview on YouTube - https://dtcnews.link/video

Allison Ellsworth, Co-Founder at Poppi discusses the creation of her beverage company and the rise of wellness drinks. She speaks with Bloomberg's Carol Massar and Tim Stenovec at Uncharted.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you've ever told yourself "I'll do content once I have a team," this episode is for you. Most people think their content problem is a delegation problem, but today we're getting honest about what's really going on. The lie sounds like this: once I hire, content gets easier. But execution getting easier doesn't mean content leaves your job. You can outsource editing, design, even posting, but never the face, the strategist, and the thought leader behind your brand. We're breaking down why even multi-billion dollar founders are still the ones recording and leading their content, no matter how big their team gets. The founders making millions aren't creating less content, they're creating more, because they built the skill first. This episode shows you why content is leadership, not admin work, and what it actually takes to become a content leader instead of just a content creator. In today's episode, we're chatting about: Your content problem isn't a hiring problem, it's a leadership problem Execution gets easier with a team, but responsibility never leaves your plate Content creator vs. content leader "I'll have more time later" is a trap, growth adds responsibility, not free time Storytelling and perspective can't be outsourced, only practiced   CONNECT: Connect with me on Instagram to see how I apply what I talk about on the episodes. Get more marketing insights from me beyond the episodes.   BEYOND THE EPISODE: Get private consulting and coaching on your marketing to become your audience's favorite personal brand to follow and buy from. Learn more. Learn how to launch like celebrity brands like SKIMS, Poppi, and Rhode using the Campaign Crash Course™. Get it today! Reinvent the way you market and 3x your audience, demand, and sales with Industry's Choice. Learn more. Get support with all of your design needs for your next campaign with Sales Studio. Get started.  

Episode 179 features an entertaining recording at The Vine Club in Atlanta, GA with a live audience conversation and tasting hosted by Poppi Monroe, the U.S. Central Regional Sales Manager for Champagne Laurent-Perrier. Joined by a room full of women working throughout the Atlanta wine industry, Kelly sits down with Poppi to explore her fascinating career journey from acting in film and television to building a successful career in wine sales, brand development, and distributor management. Today, Poppi oversees six Southern states for one of Champagne's most celebrated houses, and she shares insights on leadership, relationship-building, navigating a competitive industry, and how experiences from previous careers continue to shape her approach to the wine business. Throughout the discussion, guests enjoy and react to a guided tasting of Laurent-Perrier Champagnes paired with caviar, courtesy of Arrivato Imports. Laurent-Perrier has been crafting fresh and elegant Champagnes for over 200 years. The House is family- and female-run plus fiercely independent. The energy from the audience brought synergistic curiosity, candor, and plenty of thoughtful insights, creating an atmosphere that sparked meaningful conversations about wine, career growth, and the experiences women encounter throughout the industry. Whether you're passionate about Champagne, interested in wine careers, or simply enjoy hearing stories from people making wine more human and accessible, this episode delivers an inspiring and engaging conversation from start to finish.Special thanks to Tower Beer, Wine & Spirits for sponsoring this live audience recording and to Chris McLlyod for helping to make this whole tasting experience possible.Recorded May 6, 2026-----------------*** Check out our ⁠⁠MERCH SHOP⁠⁠ to directly support the show, and visit www.acorkintheroad.com for all upcoming events and media contributions

I'm CT…  When I'm not busy being Arroe the podcaster, I live in the real world.  Everybody has to have a job.  Mine is C.S.  Customer Service.  Solutions, relationships while keeping my team motivated to keep a constant connection with each guest who's chosen to stop their day to visit our location.  Episode 228 Complete store reset, Pepsi hooks up with Poppi in the prebiotic dept and this isn't a chosen career.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/arroe-collins-like-it-s-live--4113802/support.

I'm CT…  When I'm not busy being Arroe the podcaster, I live in the real world.  Everybody has to have a job.  Mine is C.S.  Customer Service.  Solutions, relationships while keeping my team motivated to keep a constant connection with each guest who's chosen to stop their day to visit our location.  Episode 228 Complete store reset, Pepsi hooks up with Poppi in the prebiotic dept and this isn't a chosen career.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/arroe-collins-unplugged-totally-uncut--994165/support.

Pepsi just spent nearly $2 BILLION acquiring prebiotic soda brand Poppi.At first glance, it looks like a smart business move.But beneath the headlines lies a much bigger question:What happens when the companies that spent decades selling us sugar suddenly start selling us health?In this episode, Louise breaks down:✔ Why Pepsi bought Poppi ✔ The rise of prebiotic sodas ✔ The truth about gut health marketing ✔ Why wellness has become a billion-dollar industry ✔ The difference between healthy ingredients and healthy outcomes ✔ How women can avoid falling for expensive health shortcutsThis isn't about whether Poppi is good or bad.It's about learning how to separate health from health marketing.Because strength isn't something you buy.It's something you practice.#GutHealth #Poppi #Pepsi #womenshealth #strengthtraining #wellnessindustry #slaypodcast

When PepsiCo acquired Poppi for nearly $2 billion in early 2025, everyone assumed Olipop would be next. Rumors swirled, negotiations stalled with Coca-Cola, and then...Olipop walked away. Critics claimed they missed the peak of the prebiotic soda mania. But the truth could be much more rebellious. In this video, I break down why Olipop's independence isn't a failure, analyze Olipop's impressive financial health ($700M+ in tracked sales), and explore three hidden paths for unlocking their future enterprise value.In this video, you'll learn more about:Olipop "Mistiming Myth": Why critics are wrong about Olipop missing the prebiotic trend.Red Bull & Monster Energy Factor: How alternative distributors could change the convenience store game.Gut Health M&A Roll-Up Strategy: How Olipop could clone the Simply Good Foods playbook to target an IPO in 12-18 months.Food Tech Pivot: Transforming OliSmart into a B2B ingredient supplier.What do you think? Should Olipop sell to Coke, or should they build an independent gut-health empire?

Produced by ContentMonsta.comAllison Ellsworth shares her personal story of transforming health struggles and a homemade soda experiment into the nearly $2 billion brand, Poppi. The conversation explores the realities and challenges of entrepreneurship, especially as a woman and a mother, highlighting the importance of pushing past excuses, relentless resourcefulness, community support, and redefining work-life balance. Listeners gain both practical and inspirational insight into betting on themselves, following big dreams, and creating lasting impact for their families and communities.Key Points/Topics CoveredOvercoming personal health struggles and the origin of PoppiNavigating entrepreneurship as a woman and a motherThe leap from homemade product to business, including the Shark Tank experienceImportance of support systems, avoiding excuses, and personal growth in leadership rolesAchieving work-life balance, embracing “mom guilt,” and instilling values in the next generationTime Stamps00:00 – Overcoming health issues and creating Poppi in the kitchen00:46 – Building the business: farmer's markets, Whole Foods, and manufacturing06:08 – The Shark Tank journey and pivotal moments07:55 – Advice for moms and women in entrepreneurship12:02 – Managing mom guilt and setting boundaries for work-life balance14:37 – Instilling values in children and company culture15:37 – Encouragement for women in entrepreneurship and future aspirations Produced by ContentMonsta.com

I recently coached over 10 clients in just a couple of weeks, and I kept hearing the same thought patterns come up again and again. So I wanted to share them with you because if any of these have been creeping into your head, they might be exactly what's holding you back. Content success is way more psychological than most people think. The 5 Thoughts I See Sabotaging Clients (And How to Flip Them) 1. "I've Already Tried That" I hear this one all the time. "I tried reels, I tried carousels, I tried being vulnerable." But here's the truth: most of us have sampled a strategy, not actually tried it. Posting twice doesn't count. Have you posted 50 reels? Have you done 30 storytelling posts? Have you been consistent for three full months? Instead of "I've tried that," ask yourself: "Have I actually mastered this yet? Have I found my signature style in this format?" 2. "That Doesn't Work" This one is dangerous because the second you decide something doesn't work, you stop being curious about it and curiosity is what drives creativity. What you usually mean is, "that hasn't worked for me yet." Huge difference. While you're writing off talking videos, someone else is making a million dollars in a week with simple yapping-style content. The question I want you to ask instead: "What would need to happen for this to work?"  3. "I Can't Because ..." I don't have enough followers. My niche is too saturated. I have kids. I have a full-time job. I get it. But the moment you create a condition for your success, you create a reason to delay it. The goalpost just keeps moving. Instead, ask yourself: "How can I make this work despite my circumstances?" Because people are doing it with the same limitations you have. 4. The Frustration Loop Frustration narrows your thinking. Creativity expands it. When you're frustrated, you want immediate answers. When you're in a creative headspace, you want to explore, discover, and try again. Same flopped video, two totally different responses: "I'm done with this" vs. "Okay, interesting. Here's what I'm trying next."  5. Not Giving Content Enough Time Content doesn't have an end date. Even MrBeast, with hundreds of millions of subscribers, is still sitting down analyzing metrics trying to figure out how to grow. You're going to figure out your first 5K, then your 100K, then your first million, and there will always be a next level. So stop thinking of content as something you're going to "figure out and be done with." It's a forever practice, just like selling is in your business.  CONNECT: Connect with me on Instagram to see how I apply what I talk about on the episodes. Get more marketing insights from me beyond the episodes.   BEYOND THE EPISODE: Get private consulting and coaching on your marketing to become your audience's favorite personal brand to follow and buy from. Learn more. Learn how to launch like celebrity brands like SKIMS, Poppi, and Rhode using the Campaign Crash Course™. Get it today! Reinvent the way you market and 3x your audience, demand, and sales with Industry's Choice. Learn more. Get support with all of your design needs for your next campaign with Sales Studio. Get started.  

If there was a Mount Rushmore of brand builders, investor Rohan Oza would be on it. He's been the driving force behind $8 billion in exits for vitaminwater, Poppi, and more. Oza joins host Jeff Berman to reveal his playbook for success.Subscribe to the Masters of Scale weekly newsletter: https://mastersofscale.com/subscribeSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

I've been wanting to record this episode for a while, and I'm so glad I finally did. In this episode, I'm sharing a framework I came up with while coaching a client and it completely changed the way she thought about her content. I'm calling it "first-date-friendly content," and if you've been posting consistently but still not seeing the results you want, this one's for you. I start by breaking down why so much content just isn't landing. The honest answer is that most of us are talking to our audience like we're already three years into a relationship, when they haven't even been on a first date with us yet. I talk about the difference between posting for your hottest followers versus the majority of your audience, and why thinking about that broader group is actually what unlocks real reach and performance. From there, I walk you through my 4-part Hook Scorecard. The 4 things I look for in every hook: is it relatable? Is it surprising? Is it specific? And can a complete stranger understand it without any prior context? I also share 4 hook structures that actually work and how you can mix and match them depending on what you're trying to say. I also get into why being more specific, not broader, is what gets the right people to stop scrolling. And I break down the difference between a statement and a hook because if your first line feels complete and "finished," it's not doing its job. A hook is an invitation, not a conclusion. CONNECT: Connect with me on Instagram to see how I apply what I talk about on the episodes. Get more marketing insights from me beyond the episodes. BEYOND THE EPISODE: Get private consulting and coaching on your marketing to become your audience's favorite personal brand to follow and buy from. Learn more. Learn how to launch like celebrity brands like SKIMS, Poppi, and Rhode using the Campaign Crash Course™. Get it today! Reinvent the way you market and 3x your audience, demand, and sales with Industry's Choice. Learn more. Get support with all of your design needs for your next campaign with Sales Studio. Get started.  

"The status quo is in all of our hands," says TRUFF co-founder Nick Guillen — a mindset that has guided the brand since day one. TRUFF built its reputation by breaking the rules. Now, as the company expands beyond its viral hot sauce with a major rebrand, new product lines, and a retail-focused growth strategy, Nick and co-founder Nick Ajluni are focused on scaling the business without losing the edge that made it a phenomenon. In this episode, the entrepreneurs discuss the strategy behind TRUFF's refreshed packaging, more accessible pricing, and new aioli line, as well as how they balance data and instinct when developing products. They also explain why bringing in an experienced CEO was a pivotal move for the company's next chapter and share their vision for evolving TRUFF from a disruptive startup into a lasting, category-defining condiment brand. Show notes: 0:20: Nick Ajluni & Nick Guillen, Co-Founders, TRUFF – The founders reflected on TRUFF's evolution from a digitally native, Instagram-driven luxury hot sauce brand into a broader premium condiment company focused on making "elevated culinary experiences more accessible" and a mission to become America's leading premium condiment brand. They also discussed TRUFF's recent brand refresh, describing it as a careful "renovation" rather than a reinvention and one that could support a more accessible pricing strategy without sacrificing the premium quality, distinctive branding, or culinary standards that built the company's reputation. They talk about the brand's innovation strategy which balances data, retailer feedback, consumer trends, and intuition while maintaining rigorous product development standards. The founders also highlight investments in talent, operations, and product quality and praise new CEO Essy Wolbe for her combination of CPG expertise, culinary passion, and cultural alignment with the founders' vision. Looking ahead, they say that their goal is not simply distribution growth or a potential acquisition, but building an enduring brand that reshapes how consumers think about condiments. Brands in this episode: TRUFF, Red Bull, Cholula, Tate's Bake Shop, Happy Coffee, Heinz, Liquid I.V., Poppi, Health-Ade, Simple Mills

This episode we are discussing food and drink regulations. A lawsuit that was recently settled involving Poppi, the pre-biotic soda brand, paid out to consumers on the basis that their claims around gut health were not founded in scientific evidence. Other than using science to help lawyers decide what can scientifically and legally be defined as a pancake, science influences many aspects of policy and laws, generally known as regulations. Today I talked with Neal Fortin, an attorney, the director of the Institute for Food Laws & Regulations, and a professor in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources at Michigan State University, and Jeffery Glazer, who works at the UW Law & Entrepreneurship Clinic with a focus on food and beverage regulation. Both had some great insights into the world of food and drink laws. This episode was produced by Colin Hemme with music by John Leja. Thank you to Professors Neal Fortin and Jeffery Glazer for the interviews. This podcast is funded in part by an Associated Students of Madison viewpoint neutral grant. Contact request@asm.wisc.edu for accommodation information.

If you've ever deleted a draft, spiraled after a post flopped, or found yourself checking your analytics like you're waiting on a text back, this episode is for you. Most people think their content problem is strategy, but today we're getting honest about what's really going on. A toxic relationship with content looks like emotional dependency on metrics, disappearing after bad posts, and constantly shape-shifting your ideas for approval. We're breaking down the 3 self-trust creator profiles: low, medium, and high, so you can identify exactly where you are right now and understand how content may be having too much emotional control over your confidence and identity. The fastest-growing creators trust themselves before they get the validation, and this episode shows you how to do the same. You'll walk away with a 4-stage plan to rebuild self-trust: detaching your nervous system from performance, creating original ideas without seeking approval, building evidence that you can handle visibility, and developing a sustainable creative rhythm that you can actually repeat. This episode is your reminder that you're not going to stop posting. So it's time to decide, commit, and stop giving your brain the option to bail. Building a personal brand requires you to show up, and that starts with learning to trust yourself in the process first. In today's episode, we're chatting about: Your content problem isn't strategy — it's your relationship with content Checking analytics obsessively is the content version of waiting on a text back Low self-trust creators copy others, panic over metrics, and need validation to keep going High self-trust creators post before they feel ready and recover quickly from bad posts Stop giving your brain the escape route — no more "I'll just start a new account" Posting practice is the skill; self-trust is what makes it sustainable You're not going to quit, so decide and commit CONNECT: Connect with me on Instagram to see how I apply what I talk about on the episodes. Get more marketing insights from me beyond the episodes. BEYOND THE EPISODE: Get private consulting and coaching on your marketing to become your audience's favorite personal brand to follow and buy from. Learn more. Learn how to launch like celebrity brands like SKIMS, Poppi, and Rhode using the Campaign Crash Course™. Get it today! Reinvent the way you market and 3x your audience, demand, and sales with Industry's Choice. Learn more. Get support with all of your design needs for your next campaign with Sales Studio. Get started.    

Is there a carbonation crisis bubbling up across the beverage industry? For decades, beverage executives stayed awake worrying about the war on sugar, anti-alcohol laws, and Gen Z trends. Today, the biggest liability might be the bubbles themselves. A massive shift in human biology and consumer habits is quietly threating the multibillion-dollar packaged beverage landscape:Surge in Gastrointestinal Distress: Roughly two-thirds of adults regularly suffer from distressing digestive symptoms like bloating and IBS. Their first medical directive? Cut the carbonation.GLP-1 Effect: Weight-loss medications chemically delay gastric emptying. When trapped carbon dioxide hits a slow-moving stomach, it causes intense pain, nausea, and reflux. GLP-1 households cut their spending on sugary, carbonated drinks by nearly 10% within just six months.The alcohol sector (particularly traditional beer) is facing an existential contraction. Meanwhile, non-alcoholic brands are rapidly launching defenses...Functionality: Rebranding fizz into a gut-health hero using prebiotic fibers (e.g., Olipop, Poppi).Going "Fizz-Free": Growing massive platforms with non-carbonated energy drinks (e.g., CELSIUS). Altering the Gas: Experimenting with nitrogenation for a creamy, stomach-friendly mouthfeel.What's next? Expect front-of-pack labeling to evolve. Standardized visual "fizz scales" and terms like “lightly effervescent” will soon become mainstream retail standards.The modern consumer's biology has fundamentally changed. Executives who view digestive health and GLP-1 side effects as a passing trend are misjudging the market. The bubble hasn't popped yet, but it's noticeably losing air!

„Wenn du einen Klapper hast, ist egal wer Präsident ist.“ Hey Leute! Besucht Jan auf tour oder David beim online Doppelkopf. Bitte beim Dosenerdnüsse essen nicht stoisch nach vorne starren. Danke. Bitte beim Briefing nicht mit Zahnpastaschaum im Mund Fragen stellen. Danke. Und denkt dran: 3 Eis und ein Erdbeer-Drink sind ein Mitttagessen, wenn man 16 ist. Hier noch ein Aufruf: Kennte ihr noch mehr Grauzonen wo man viel für Billig bekommt? #alles für'n fuffy. Bis nöchsten Dienstag! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What actually gets investors to say yes in today's CPG market? In this episode, we revisit conversations with founders, operators and investors at Taste Radio's NYC Meetup who share candid advice on why disciplined growth, financial transparency and strong regional traction matter far more than hype – and why some of the biggest opportunities may be hiding in overlooked legacy categories. The hosts also dive into the rise of luxury and small-format grocery, including Whole Foods' Daily Shop concept and premium retailers like Laurel Supply and Nude Miami, and how brands like Ripi and Olipop are adapting their positioning, packaging and messaging to win with today's consumers. Show notes: 0:20: Nude & Bougie. Rip It. New For The Kids? Beefy Snacks, Pickle Beer & Soccer Chips. – The hosts discuss Whole Foods Market's expansion of its smaller "Daily Shop" concept into urban neighborhoods, alongside emerging upscale retailers like Laurel Supply in Los Angeles and Nude Miami. The conversation also touches on how emerging brands navigate this landscape, highlighting frozen pasta company Ripi as an example of a premium brand betting heavily on elevated packaging, product quality, and strong branding from day one to win placements at Whole Foods and Target. The hosts also dive into Olipop's newly announced refresh of its shelf-stable soda line, examining how the updated packaging and "feel-good soda" positioning appear designed to broaden the brand's mainstream appeal and attract younger consumers. They also sample Beest's beef-based charcuterie trail mixes, Ginny's adaptogenic sparkling beverages, Mooksi's overnight oat bites, Chestnut Sports Club's low-alcohol citrus lager, Pabst Blue Ribbon's Grillo's Pickles collaboration beer, Garrett Popcorn's hot honey flavor, Pop Off's limited-edition prebiotic soda, and Lay's World Cup-inspired chip flavors.  31:40: Interviews from Taste Radio's NYC Meetup – Stephen Plattman of accounting and advisory firm Anchin emphasizes the importance of establishing strong financial foundations early. Lucinda Capital founder and early-stage investor Mayur Aras encourages founders to prioritize strong regional traction and operational discipline over rapid expansion and also shares insights on how to move investors from "maybe" to "yes." He also noted growing excitement around innovation in overlooked legacy categories rather than short-lived trend-driven products. NextFoods CMO Lella Rafferty explains how recovery brand Cheribundi has shifted from a commodity juice positioning toward science-backed recovery and sleep solutions, leveraging credibility with athletes while introducing more portable formats like shots and gummies for "everyday athletes." Wandering Bear Coffee founder Matt Bachmann reflected on the company's evolution from boxed cold brew into a broader premium coffee platform, explaining how innovation in format and occasion has fueled growth while requiring increasingly sophisticated operational planning. Brands in this episode: Bai, Crooked Pop, Olipop, Poppi, Bloom, Mountain Dew, Beest, Rind Snacks, Parm Crisps, Ginny, Mooski, Chestnut Sports Club, Pabst Blue Ribbon, Grillo's Pickles, Garrett's Popcorn, Mike's Hot Honey, Pop Off, Lay's, GoodBelly, Cheribundi, Chobani, Habiza, Laurel's Coffee, Wandering Bear Coffee

This episode came from something I've been coaching my clients on pretty consistently lately. We'll do the work on their positioning, their messaging, their content pillars, all the things, and then I'll notice this pattern where they're still not posting. But it's not because they don't know what to say. It's because they've convinced themselves they need something else first. A better script. A better camera. Better hooks. A better setup. Something. And I had to give this a name, so I'm calling it posting practice. Because here's the thing nobody really talks about: the skills you're waiting to magically have? The natural confidence, the charisma, the ability to speak smoothly on camera, the creative ideas on demand? Those are built by posting. That's it. That's the whole secret. You cannot think your way into them, journal your way into them, or course your way into them. In this episode, I'm getting into: Why the polished creators you admire didn't start polished, you're just not seeing the awkward videos and the hooks that flopped. The difference between treating posting like a performance vs. treating it like practice (and why this shift changes everything). What's actually underneath "I need a better script", because it's usually not about the script. The six skills that literally only get built through posting practice: speaking and communication, creative idea generation, audience awareness, on-camera presence, emotional resilience, and speed of execution. Why posting practice is its own form of fitness, like, you're building endurance, stamina, and tolerance for visibility. How I balance strategy and posting practice with my 1:1 clients so they're moving fast without posting into a void.   CONNECT: Connect with me on Instagram to see how I apply what I talk about on the episodes. Get more marketing insights from me beyond the episodes.   BEYOND THE EPISODE: Work with me 1:1 inside private coaching to master your marketing and content and become your audience's favorite person to follow and buy from. Learn more. Learn how to launch like celebrity brands like SKIMS, Poppi, and Rhode using the Campaign Crash Course™. Get it today!  

Allison Ellsworth built Poppi from a homemade prebiotic soda to a $2 billion brand acquired by Pepsi… but you already know that. Today, Allison talks about what happens afterward, and how to follow-up a successful first act. Allison opens up about the unexpected grief of letting go of a company that was her identity, and the pressure of building a new company after a successful exit. She also digs into advice for anyone who has a different money mindset than their spouse, and how to find common ground.  Plus, Allison shares how she's talking to her three young kids about money and work— and why her kids waving her off with "Have fun, Mom" is her greatest parenting win. Check out Nicole's financial literacy course The Money School Find a Financial Advisor or Financial Coach from Nicole's company Private Wealth Collective Watch video clips from the pod on Money Rehab's Instagram and Nicole Lapin's Instagram Keep up with Allison on Instagram and TikTok Here's what Nicole covers with Allison:  00:00 Are You Ready for Some Money Rehab?  01:10 When the Wire Hit 03:20 What People Get Wrong About "Billionaire" Headlines  04:15 The $50K Investment That Went Bankrupt Overnight  05:50 What Skills Transfer From Running a Company to Managing Wealth (And What Don't) 07:30 Running Your Personal Finances Like a Business  09:00 The Grief Nobody Warns Founders About  11:05 Separating Your Identity From Your Company  13:00 Founder-Led Content and What's Coming Next in Brand Building  15:20 Building the Second Company Differently  17:40 Self-Funding vs. Taking on Investors  19:30 The Emotional Payoff of Returning Money to Early Investors  21:45 Making 44 People Millionaires  22:00 Lessons From Being a Shark on Shark Tank 23:30 Female Founders, Mom Guilt, and "Spreadsheets in the Bedsheets"  26:40 Opposite Money Mindsets in a Marriage  31:30 Why Allison Has No “Fear Gene” 33:30 Raising Kids With Money Values 36:55 How to Talk to Your Kids About Work Without Losing Them  39:00 Buying Back Time 41:00 Secure the Bag 45:25 Allison Ellsworth's Tip You Can Take Straight to the Bank

From beef tallow fries to real sugar gummies and olive oil potato chips, the hottest brands in CPG are winning — and raising serious money — by reimagining old-school ingredients for modern consumers. The hosts unpack why investors are pouring millions into "back-to-basics" brands, including frozen fry startup Jesse & Ben's. We also meet with Better Sour co-founders Bella Hughes and Semira Nikou to discuss the brand's new gummy line and upcoming launch at Whole Foods. Show notes: 0:20: Sour, Sugar, Success. Bolt HQ. Taste Awareness. Where's The Beef? Olive Fry. Smart Bevs & Bars. – The hosts preview the episode's interview with Better Sour co-founders Bella Hughes and Semira Nikou and sample products from the brand's new real sugar line of gummies. They also recap Taste Radio's lively meetup in Austin, held at Nutrabolt headquarters and discuss how emerging food and beverage brands can build awareness at BevNET Live via sampling opportunities at the event. The discussion turns to frozen fry brand Jesse & Ben's, which recently raised a $10 million Series A round by differentiating itself through avocado oil and beef tallow preparation, elevated branding, and premium positioning. The team debated whether consumers are increasingly willing to pay more for upgraded versions of everyday staples, citing the success of brands like Graza, whose expansion into olive oil potato chips was praised as another example of innovative branding transforming a familiar category. The episode wrapped with rapid-fire product tastings and commentary on emerging functional beverage and snack trends, including nootropic drinks, tingling non-alcoholic beverages, and clean-label snack bars. 32:18: Interview: Bella Hughes & Semira Nikou, Co-Founders, Better Sour – Bella and Semira discuss the launch of their new line of real sugar gummies debuting exclusively at Whole Foods Market this summer. The entrepreneurs discuss how the brand extension moves Better Sour beyond its original low-sugar offerings while maintaining its focus on bold flavor, plant-based ingredients, and "foodie"-driven candy innovation. Brands in this episode: Better Sour, Poppi, Bachan's, Siete, New Barn Organics, Jesse & Ben's, Ore-Ira, Alexia, Graza, Brightland, Rind, Aura Bora, Neautonic, Disco Fizz, Caddy Snacks, Sour Patch Kids

If you've ever stared at a blank screen wondering what to post on Instagram, this episode is for you. I promise, it's not what you think. This topic actually came from a recent coaching call where so many of my clients had the exact same question: What do I even post right now? And what I've realized is that when people think they have a content ideas problem, they actually have a decision-making problem. A confidence problem, at it's core.  So in this episode, I'm breaking down the real reasons you don't know what to post and what to actually do about it. Here's what we cover: Why you need to know your goal with every post. You know what to post, but you fear the outcome.  You have too many ideas and no priorities. You're consuming more than you're deciding.  What to do instead: Ask yourself: what is this post supposed to do? Attract, connect, or convert? Get clear on what you want to be known for and what conversations you want to own. Think about what feels honest and strategic right now. Break it down to the smallest version of the idea. Reverse engineer from your CTA and pull one teaching from it. Whether you're in a visibility season, a trust-building season, or a conversion season, the content you need looks different for each, and I walk you through all of it. CONNECT: Connect with me on Instagram to see how I apply what I talk about on the episodes. Get more marketing insights from me beyond the episodes.   BEYOND THE EPISODE: Get private consulting and coaching on your marketing to become your audience's favorite personal brand to follow and buy from. Learn more. Learn how to launch like celebrity brands like SKIMS, Poppi, and Rhode using the Campaign Crash Course™. Get it today! Reinvent the way you market and 3x your audience, demand, and sales with Industry's Choice. Learn more. Get support with all of your design needs for your next campaign with Sales Studio. Get started.  

In this episode, I'm joined by digital strategist Sara Wilson, who coined the term “digital campfires” in Harvard Business Review, to explore why community is becoming one of the most important growth channels for CPG challenger brands. Sara works with brands including Nike, Netflix, YouTube, Airstream, Yahoo, PopSockets and Prince Street Pizza, helping them understand how to show up inside the communities where influence, identity and belonging are really being shaped.This conversation completely EVOLVED how I think about social media and its role in driving brand growth - genuinely.We talk about why the most important conversations may no longer be happening publicly on Instagram or TikTok, but in DMs, WhatsApp groups, niche communities, gaming spaces, Substack, Reddit and beyond.Sara shares why brands need to stop thinking only about reach and followers, and start thinking much more deeply about identity, transformation and the communities their consumers already belong to.Watch the episode on Youtube here.What You'll Learn Why Sara believes the future of influence is happening inside “digital campfires”.  The three types of digital campfires: private messaging, micro-communities and shared experiences.  Why relevance matters more than reach if you want people to share your brand.  How brands like Poppi and McDonald's have embedded themselves into communities.  Why founders need to understand the transformation their brand offers. Key Topics Discussed Community as a growth channel.  Why DMs and private spaces matter.  The “OMG, that's so me” effect.  Identity, belonging and relevance.  Why brands should embed into existing communities.  Poppi's winning 'sorority' strategy.  McDonald's Grimace and Mets community moment.  How to create high-value community engagement.  Why sampling and discounts are not enough.  How founders can rethink brand strategy through a community-first lens. Useful LinksConnect with Sara Wilson on LinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/saraewilson/Sara Wilson's newsletterhttps://communitycatalysts.substack.com/Sara Wilson's websitehttps://swprojects.co/We love inspiring you and helping your business to grow! PLEASE share the love by sharing this episode with another founder building a challenger brand, a colleague or a mate who loves thinking about community, culture and the future of brand growth. Don't forget to FOLLOW or SUBSCRIBE to Brand Growth Heroes on your favourite podcast app, and even LEAVE A REVIEW - both of these actions make a MASSIVE difference to our mission to help more founders just like you.Join our community on Instagram, LinkedIn, and find out more about the programmes and courses Fiona runs, as well as the NextGen CPG WhatsApp group for founders leaning in to the value that a leadership approach to engaging with AI can unlock for businesses like yours.**** Thanks to Brand Growth Heroes' podcast sponsor - Joelson, the commercial law firm.****If you're a founder, you already know how much energy goes into building the perfect product, creating standout branding and connecting with consumers.But scaling a CPG business also brings legal complexities that can make or break your growth journey - from contracts and regulatory compliance to protecting your intellectual property.That's why we're proud to partner with Joelson, the leading commercial law firm specialising in helping founders of scaling consumer brands.Joelson works with brands like Little Moons, Trip, Eat Natural, Bear Graze and Pulsin, and advised the innocent founders on their landmark sale to Coca-Cola - and still work with them at JamJar Investments today!***The fabulous team at Joelson is offering a free legal consultation to any CPG founder listening -  Book your session today!**CreditsThanks to our Sound Engineer Gyp Buggane at Ballagroove.com.

I'm literally recording this right before heading to my rebrand photo shoot, and I'm still in the thick of the in-between. Here's the thing though: I don't see that as a problem because I know how to coach myself through it! Whether you're rebranding, shifting your offers, leaving a job, or just feeling that something needs to change but not quite knowing what that looks like yet, today's episode is your field guide. What we're getting into: What "identity vertigo" actually is  The grief that nobody warns you about when you're letting go of something that used to work Why staying busy feels like progress but often isn't Why the way you talk to yourself during reinvention actually matters more than you think The 3 questions I've been asking myself (and my clients): Who am I becoming and am I okay with that?  What am I actually afraid of, specifically?  What am I no longer willing to pretend?  The biggest things I want you to take away: You don't have to have it all figured out to take the next step. Action gives you the next clue. Most decisions feel permanent, but they're not. Treat the reversible ones like experiments. That person you admire who "reinvented overnight"? They spent years in the in-between. You just didn't see it. CONNECT: Connect with me on Instagram to see how I apply what I talk about on the episodes. Get more marketing insights from me beyond the episodes.   BEYOND THE EPISODE: Get private consulting and coaching on your marketing to become your audience's favorite personal brand to follow and buy from. Learn more. Learn how to launch like celebrity brands like SKIMS, Poppi, and Rhode using the Campaign Crash Course™. Get it today! Reinvent the way you market and 3x your audience, demand, and sales with Industry's Choice. Learn more. Get support with all of your design needs for your next campaign with Sales Studio. Get started.  

Allison and Stephen Ellsworth hyperscaled their healthier soda brand Poppi to a truly gigantic exit to Pepsi – nearly $2 billion – and changed an entire category. The married co-founders talk with host Jeff Berman about what it takes to juggle a growing company and family at the same time, how savvy social media strategy helped them stand out, and what happens when you decide to run a Superbowl ad ... four days before the Big Game.Subscribe to the Masters of Scale weekly newsletter: https://mastersofscale.com/subscribeSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Okay, so last week I talked about marketing to your client's problems and how that requires a unique POV. But I kept coming back to the vulnerability piece because I feel like it deserves its own conversation. Here's the thing:"just be vulnerable" has never really worked for me. And I don't think it works for a lot of us, especially if you're a service provider whose story doesn't obviously connect to your niche. Especially if you're an immigrant or a Women of Color who has spent years showing the cleaned-up, polished version because you thought the messy parts were a disadvantage. That was me. For a long time, I was tapping into an alter ego to feel safe in entrepreneurship. It helped me cross 7 figures, But it wasn't the full picture. In this episode I'm sharing the actual framework I personally use and share with my private coaching clients. What We Get Into: The reason vulnerability feels cringe or performative (it's not you, it's the framework you're using). Circumstance / Identity — You've been where they are. Maybe not exactly, but close enough that they trust you get it more than anyone else would. Feeling — Even if they haven't lived your experience, they've felt what you felt. Loneliness, people-pleasing, boxing yourself in, not wanting to do the thing you were supposed to do. Aspiration — You want what they want. You know what it actually costs. Not the highlight reel version — the real cost. You don't have to share everything. You don't have to be vulnerable 24/7. And if you can't find the through line right now, don't force it. But most of the time, the block isn't that the through line doesn't exist, it's your thoughts about whether you're allowed to use it.   CONNECT: Connect with me on Instagram to see how I apply what I talk about on the episodes. Get more marketing insights from me beyond the episodes.   BEYOND THE EPISODE: Get private consulting and coaching on your marketing to become your audience's favorite personal brand to follow and buy from. Learn more. Learn how to launch like celebrity brands like SKIMS, Poppi, and Rhode using the Campaign Crash Course™. Get it today! Reinvent the way you market and 3x your audience, demand, and sales with Industry's Choice. Learn more. Get support with all of your design needs for your next campaign with Sales Studio. Get started.  

Today's episode is a blast from the past. Think back to your favorite childhood snacks: Lunchables, Dunkaroos, SlimFast bars, and fat-free everything. Did these foods quietly wire you for a lifetime of complicated food choices? If you've ever wondered why you're chasing charcuterie boards and still tracking diet trends, this episode will hit differently. Jenn Trepeck of Salad With a Side of Fries opens the snack drawer of nostalgia and compares iconic 90s foods side by side with their modern counterparts, reading actual ingredient labels from both eras. From Slim Jims to grass-fed jerky, from Crystal Light to electrolyte packets, the names have changed, but the marketing playbook looks surprisingly familiar. The 90s were a wild time for nutrition, and the truth about what was actually in these foods might shock you. This one is equal parts fun, eye-opening, and genuinely useful.What You Will Learn in This Episode:✅ How the fat-free diet culture of the 90s quietly transformed into today's protein-packed wellness obsession, and why they are more similar than different.✅ The shocking differences in food labels from the 90s versus today, using real ingredient comparisons from Wonder Bread, Kraft Mac and Cheese and McDonald's French Fries.✅ Why do so many modern processed foods contain lab-made additives, cheaper fillers, and synthetic ingredients and what economic incentives are driving those formulations?✅ How the thin ideal has returned with new tools, including GLP-1 medications and social media, echoing the same harmful messaging that defined 90s diet culture.The Salad With a Side of Fries podcast, hosted by Jenn Trepeck, explores real-life wellness and weight-loss topics, debunking myths, misinformation, and flawed science surrounding nutrition and the food industry. Let's dive into wellness and weight loss for real life, including drinking, eating out, and skipping the grocery store.TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 Welcome to a nostalgic deep dive into 90s diet culture and iconic snack foods04:34 Blast from the past: Hamburger helper, fruit roll-ups, Shake ‘n Bake, Lunchables and Kids Cuisine09:18 Comparing SnackWell's to today's Halo Top and the evolution of "guilt-free" processed foods10:47 From SlimFast bars to protein shakes, how fat-free diet culture shaped a generation's eating habits and the upgrade from mystery meat to clean protein-packed snacking12:32 I Can't Believe It's Not Butter and spray dressings; then versus now in food additives and fats15:32 Dunkaroos to Nutella Dippers and Capri Sun to cold-press juice, beloved nostalgia snacks revisited20:37 Reading real food labels, Wonder Bread's original ingredients versus today's chemical-laden version and Kraft Mac and Cheese24:36 McDonald's French Fries in 2000 had three ingredients; today's list is a chemistry lesson28:22 Food dyes and how to change the food industry33:42 Diet culture is back, the return of the thin ideal, heroin chic, and skeletal beauty standards driven by social media36:15 Biohacking, orthorexia, and GLP-1 medications and new names for the same old diet culture pressure39:19 Is 90s nostalgia fueling heroin chic, or is heroin chic fueling 90s nostalgia43:13 Processed food chemicals, plastics, and rising colon cancer rates and the long-term health cost of 90s snack foods44:01 Convenience culture of the 90s versus today KEY TAKEAWAYS:

Grüns landed a $1.2 billion acquisition less than three years after launch. Added protein still dominates shelf space – but how much runway does the trend really have left? Meanwhile, bottled water is facing growing scrutiny as its long-standing "health halo" begins to crack. We unpack the headlines and trends shaping innovation across food and beverage – and what they reveal about where CPG is headed next. Show notes: 0:20: Brad Is Back. Big Green Deal. Do We Need Protein In This? On To Austin. The Plastic Problem. – BevNET and Nosh senior reporter Brad Avery joins the show as the hosts unpack Unilever's acquisition of fast-growing functional gummy brand Grüns, and why strong repeat purchase and DTC momentum can drive outsized valuations even without broad retail distribution. From there, the conversation turns to the still-surging "protein in everything" wave, with a look at new protein-forward launches spanning chips, pasta, soda, and coffee, and a candid debate over which formats feel intuitive versus engineered. The hosts also dig into how brands are factoring in the rise of GLP-1 drugs when shaping innovation pipelines. Ray thanks attendees of Taste Radio NYC Meetup, highlights the upcoming Austin meetup, and previews BevNET Live NYC 2026. Brad shares insights from his recent reporting on the bottled water category, where concerns around microplastics and packaging are beginning to chip away at its long-standing health halo – though behavior change remains early. The episode wraps with a tasting of sour innovations, from date-based candy alternatives to low-sugar gummies. Brands in this episode: Grüns, Goli, Athletic Greens, Liquid I.V., Koia, Khloud, Purely Elizabeth, Kaizen, Protein Pints, Pop Tarts, Laird Superfoods, Crisp Power, Poppi, Olipop, Culture Pop, C4, Bloom, Ballpark, Essentia, Path Water, Open Water, Icelandic Glacial, DADDL, Behave, Warheads

If you've been posting consistently but still hearing crickets when it comes to selling your services, this episode is for you. Whether you're brand new to Instagram, relaunching an offer to a cold audience, or trying to wake up a stagnant account, the way most service providers are selling on Instagram is no longer working. The algorithm has changed, AI-generated content is the new normal, and your audience can smell a generic post from a mile away. A few strategic shifts can completely change how people pay attention to, and buy from, you. Stop selling your title, your deliverables, and your objections. Start talking about the specific problem your specific person is facing in a way that's vulnerable and specific. The harder you niche your language, the less content you'll need to create. In today's episode, we're chatting about: Why a disengaged audience is actually worse than a small one How Instagram has evolved into a search engine and interest-based platform The 3 things you must do to sell through content: vulnerability, creative specificity, and a real point of view Why handling objections in your feed posts is a waste of time How to build a simple sales funnel that converts: DMs, lead magnets, email list, and a full sales page CONNECT: Connect with me on Instagram to see how I apply what I talk about on the episodes. Get more marketing insights from me beyond the episodes.   BEYOND THE EPISODE: Get private consulting and coaching on your marketing to become your audience's favorite personal brand to follow and buy from. Learn more. Learn how to launch like celebrity brands like SKIMS, Poppi, and Rhode using the Campaign Crash Course™. Get it today! Reinvent the way you market and 3x your audience, demand, and sales with Industry's Choice. Learn more. Get support with all of your design needs for your next campaign with Sales Studio. Get started.    

Is soda actually becoming...healthy? For over a century, soda was the "villain" of the American diet...full of sugar, bubbles, and empty calories. But something weird is happening in the beverage aisle. We are witnessing the “Great Soda U-Turn.” In this video, I dive deep into the fascinating history of the biggest carbonated soft drink (CSD) brands and how they started as medicinal tonics in 19th-century pharmacies. From Coca-Cola's origins as a "brain tonic" to the reason Pepsi is named after a digestive ailment, I'll explore how the beverage category is going back to its roots to save itself. Here's a selection of insightful topics covered...Gilded Age "Mixologists": When doctors literally prescribed Coca-Cola and Dr Pepper.Industrial Shift: How functionality was traded for high-fructose corn syrup in the 70s.Gut Health Revolution: How brands like Olipop and Poppi are using fiber to mimic the classic "mouthfeel" of soda without the sugar.PepsiCo Double Team Strategy: Why PepsiCo just acquired Poppi and what "Pepsi Prebiotic" means for the future of the category.Next-Gen Fiber: A look at the tech behind stable prebiotics like Arrabina.Is fiber the next protein? Would you ditch your Diet Coke for a prebiotic version, or is the "modern soda" trend just another placebo effect? Are we heading toward a future where every soda is a "refreshment with benefits"?

Fail at one thing… and suddenly everything feels shaky. Your confidence, your ideas, your momentum. But what if the problem isn't failure— it's how much weight you're putting on one idea? In this episode, I'm walking you through the mindset shift that changed how I operate as a founder: learning how to expand instead of shut down when something doesn't work. I share how I went from taking days (or weeks) to bounce back… to moving almost instantly by creating more opportunities, more angles, and more ideas—without abandoning strategy or starting over. Here's what I cover: Why failure feels so heavy when you subconsciously believe that was your best idea What's actually happening when you shut down after something doesn't work (and how it kills your momentum) The difference between a finite mindset vs. an infinite ideas mindset in business What "fail at one thing, add three more" actually looks like in practice (without creating chaos) If you've been stuck trying to make one idea work, questioning yourself after something doesn't land, or feeling like you need to "figure it out" before you move again, this episode will help you loosen your grip, expand your thinking, and start creating from a place of power again.   Connect with me on Instagram to see how I apply what I talk about on the episodes. Get more marketing insights from me beyond the episodes.   BEYOND THE EPISODE: Get private consulting and coaching on your marketing to become your audience's favorite personal brand to follow and buy from. Learn more. Learn how to launch like celebrity brands like SKIMS, Poppi, and Rhode using the Campaign Crash Course™. Get it today! Reinvent the way you market and 3x your audience, demand, and sales with Industry's Choice. Learn more. Get support with all of your design needs for your next campaign with Sales Studio. Get started.

Episode 99. Strange Mode This episode contains drunken ramblings on various subjects; to include a scrumptious Easter dinner prepared by Val. why you shouldn't eat reheated hamburger helper. metal chocolate milk canisters. the introdtuction of "shloppy Poppi" bathtub farts and the meaning of the term "bag slapper" what hentai means in japanese an old sound clip returns from the past how much is a dollar seventeen worth today, for inflation from 2019? Presented in HiFI Stereo. Recorded on Apr 5th (easter sunday) at Hutchoven studio. Special Guest: Sean Miller Music by Stelt and copyright free samples

I'm rebranding. So today, I'm taking you behind the scenes on my thought process going into it.  I walk you through exactly how I'm thinking about this rebrand differently than any I've done before: designing for usage (not just aesthetics), building a brand that fits the future of the business rather than just this quarter, and balancing my identity as a founder and personal brand alongside the agency itself. Here's what I cover: Why our current brand can no longer take us where we're going & how to recognize that moment in your own business The difference between a brand refresh and a true rebrand  Designing for paid ads, organic content, and cold lead conversion  How I'm thinking about brand flexibility over brand guidelines in today's marketing landscape The emotional side of rebranding when something is already working and making money Why the rebrand announcement is never the beginning — the real work happens long before the reveal What it means to embody a new identity before the visuals are even done If you've been sitting on a rebrand, feeling like something needs to change but not sure where to start, this episode will help you understand that there's more depth to the process than you think — and that it's okay not to have all the answers yet.   Connect with me on Instagram to see how I apply what I talk about on the episodes. Get more marketing insights from me beyond the episodes. BEYOND THE EPISODE: Get private consulting and coaching on your marketing to become your audience's favorite personal brand to follow and buy from. Learn more. Learn how to launch like celebrity brands like SKIMS, Poppi, and Rhode using the Campaign Crash Course™. Get it today! Reinvent the way you market and 3x your audience, demand, and sales with Industry's Choice. Learn more. Get support with all of your design needs for your next campaign with Sales Studio. Get started.  

Celebrity might open the door, but execution is what blows it wide open – and Khloud is proving it. Co-founded by Khloé Kardashian, the fast-growing functional snack brand has raced from launch to 29,000 doors in just months, secured nationwide placement in Starbucks, and expanded beyond its flagship protein popcorn with a new line of protein chips. But Khloud's momentum isn't just about star power. In this episode, co-founder and CEO Jeff Rubenstein – a seasoned CPG operator with leadership experience at Vita Coco and Poppi – shares candid lessons on execution, early pricing missteps, and why celebrity alone doesn't build a lasting brand. He also breaks down how balancing mass visibility with grassroots community-building is key to long-term success.Show notes: 0:20: Jeff Rubenstein, Co-Founder & CEO, Khloud – Jeff discusses his entrepreneurial journey from Coca-Cola to building multiple successful brands and now leading Khloud. He explains Khloud's focus on "female, fun, functionality, and flavor," positioning its products as stylish, better-for-you snacks that stand apart from traditionally male-oriented functional products. Jeff emphasizes that Khloud's success goes beyond celebrity backing and shares key lessons from scaling quickly, including operational challenges like supply shortages, the importance of investing early in the right manufacturing and operations partners, over-promoting and underestimating demand. He expects Khloud to evolve from a product-driven company into a brand-driven one, aiming to create emotional connections with consumers. Brands in this episode: Khloud, Vita Coco, Coca-Cola, Poppi, Doritos, Alani Nu, Quest, Pringles, Lays, Fritos

Alison and Stephen Ellsworth, founders of Poppi, share how they went from early-stage struggles and personal health challenges to building and exiting a $2 billion beverage company. They discuss risking financial stability, validating their product through real customers, leveraging viral content for growth, and navigating the realities of scaling a business as a married couple. This episode explores entrepreneurship, brand building, leadership, and the mindset required to sustain long-term success.Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

If you've ever disappeared from your marketing and then struggled to claw your way back, this episode is for you. I'm getting honest about something I've experienced for years: the cycle of going dark on my marketing whenever life or business throws me a curveball. Whether it's been grief, burnout, getting buried in client work, or just losing motivation, I've lived through every version of this. And every single time, it took twice as long to rebuild momentum than it would have to just keep going at a minimum. The truth is, while you're away, your audience is building relationships with someone else and your results over the next 90 days are a direct reflection of what you did (or didn't do) in the last 90. This year, I decided enough is enough. I'm enforcing a strict 7-day maximum for going dark, and I built what I call a baseline marketing system. This is my minimum marketing standard that feels simple, repeatable, and completely non-negotiable. I walk you through exactly how I set mine up, from making my podcast untouchable to layering in a one-post-per-week Instagram minimum, to building an emergency content bank so I always have something ready when life gets in the way. In today's episode, we're chatting about: Why your marketing results today determine your conversions for the next 90 days The personal rules I'm enforcing this year to never fully disappear again How to build a baseline marketing system that works even on your worst days The emergency content bank strategy — 10 pieces of content, stored and ready to go Why templates should be your backup plan, not your main strategy The hard truth about marketing mindset and how to stop self-sabotaging CONNECT: Connect with me on Instagram to see how I apply what I talk about on the episodes. Get more marketing insights from me beyond the episodes. BEYOND THE EPISODE: Get private consulting and coaching on your marketing to become your audience's favorite personal brand to follow and buy from. Learn more. Learn how to launch like celebrity brands like SKIMS, Poppi, and Rhode using the Campaign Crash Course™. Get it today! Reinvent the way you market and 3x your audience, demand, and sales with Industry's Choice. Learn more. Get support with all of your design needs for your next campaign with Sales Studio. Get started.  

In this episode of the GaryVee Audio Experience, I sit down with Poppi co-founder Allison Ellsworth to discuss the biggest transition in marketing history: the shift from social media to "interest media." I challenge you to stop relying on outdated "potential reach" and start posting one to three times a day on LinkedIn and TikTok. I also dive into why branding is an art form that requires humility and why replying to your comments is the most underutilized growth hack in the game.You'll learn about:Potential Reach vs. Actualized ReachWhy LinkedIn is the New Facebook 2012The Effect of TikTok for B2C BrandsHow to Build a Brand Community Through Radical ListeningWhy Ego is the Greatest Barrier to Your Business Scaling

Billion-dollar deals, breakout brands, and "crazy ideas" that actually worked. The hosts dive into a wave of recent CPG acquisitions and what they signal for founders. Plus, a look at brands going global, a buzzworthy Negroni-inspired sparkling water, and a conversation with industry veteran Jeff Church and "Peaky Blinders" actor Matthew Postlethwaite on their upstart protein soda brand, Proda. Show notes: 0:20: Registration Reminder. Linked Deals. Pond Crossing. Lapping It Up. Mex-BBQ. – The hosts kick off with reminders about upcoming Taste Radio and BevNET events before diving into recent acquisitions involving Huel, Monaco RTD cocktails, and Dirty Shirley. They note that these deals underscore the importance of long-term persistence, strong execution, and adapting to shifting consumer trends, emphasizing that most brands take years to reach such milestones. The conversation also touches on the challenges of expanding between the U.S. and U.K., highlighting how cultural differences and varying levels of consumer familiarity can influence success. Later, Ray shares sips of Lapo's latest opus, Melissa spotlights an innovative tea, and John features a flavorful nut butter and Mexican BBQ sauces, the latter sparking a broader discussion about the rise of similar products. 30:29: Interview: Jeff Church & Matthew Postlethwaite, Co-Founders, Proda – On location at Expo West 2026, Jeff and Matthew talk about how Proda was designed to deliver nutrition in a lighter, refreshing format. They discuss the inspiration behind the brand, their focus on taste and positioning, and how they're approaching a competitive beverage landscape with an exclusive Sprouts launch. Brands in this episode: Proda, Huel, Monaco Cocktails, Dirty Shirley, Soylent, Sunnie, RXBAR, Vitaminwater, Goodles, Pop Chips, Liquid Death, Living Things, XOXO, Peeps, Crush, Slice, Suja, Lapo's, Sanzo, Mabi Tea, Bachan's, Ground Up, Paco Jones, Arriba, Tia Lupita, Tierra Negra, Oh My Dessert Butters, Olipop, Poppi, Rowdy Energy

Alissa Miky is a Japanese entrepreneur and the founder of OoMee, the first seaweed-based beverage in the U.S. She's the youngest woman ever recognized on Forbes Japan's Top 100 list. After running a successful flower business, Alissa created the viral seaweed candy company Misaky.Tokyo, and later launched Aqua Theon, a seaweed tech company.  In spring 2025, Alissa turned her proprietary Seabiotics™ technology into the star ingredient for OoMee -- the functional beverage bringing the wellness benefits of agar-agar to America's beverage aisle. In This Conversation We Discuss: [00:00] Intro [01:58] Pioneering a niche in an untapped market [03:43] Using cultural roots to drive innovation [06:51] Sponsor: Klaviyo [08:52] Sizing up categories before committing [10:57] Callouts [11:07] Using competitor research as winning edge [14:25] Sponsor: Intelligems [16:23] Letting the product do the talking [19:44] Knowing when to launch and building [21:51] Sponsor: Electric Eye [23:00] Using intellectual property for passive income [25:43] Turning disadvantages into entrepreneurial fuel Resources: Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube Marine plant-based company https://aquatheon.com/en Marine-powered functional beverage https://oomee.life/ Follow Alissa Miky https://www.linkedin.com/in/alissa-miky-21a8673b Migrate and grow more https://www.klaviyo.com/honest  Book a demo today at https://www.intelligems.io/ Schedule an intro call with one of our experts https://electriceye.io/connect If you're enjoying the show, we'd love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

Target is expanding its food and beverage footprint with new store concepts and larger grocery sections – potentially creating more space for emerging brands. In this episode, the hosts discuss what it means for startups and also spotlight notable trends and brands from Expo West. We also revisit interviews from our Miami meetup, including a conversation with angel investor Spencer Slaine on what he looks for in early-stage brands. Show notes: 0:20: Expo Energy. IRL All Year. Nom News. Bullseye, Babe. Mez & The Gang. Citrus Boost. – The hosts recap the energy and standout trends from Expo West and preview upcoming industry events, including BevNET Live and Taste Radio meetups. Melissa highlights a Nombase Podcast episode that features insights from investors who launched their own CPG brand and revealed how they think about pricing, ingredients, and growth. The hosts also discuss Target's expanding focus on food and beverage and how founders can take advantage, highlight a major funding round for protein bar brand Mezcla and reflect on brands born during the COVID era. They sample several new products, including espresso sodas, probiotic mouthwash (yep) and cocoa-flavored bone broth. 32:27: Interviews from Taste Radio's Miami Meetup – We kick things off with Spencer Slaine, a founding member of The Angel Group, who explains how the early-stage investment network helps early-stage CPG brands bridge the funding gap with both capital and operator expertise. He is followed by Little Saints founder and CEO Megan Klein who shares how her functional, non-alcoholic cocktail brand was born out of  a personal shift toward moderation and has become an anchor in the fast-growing adult non-alcoholic beverage category. Rounding out the discussion is AB InBev's Conrad Barrett who talks about PerfectDraft, a countertop system designed to bring bar-quality draft beer into the home, highlighting how consumer feedback and AI-driven insights are shaping its growth.  Brands in this episode: Little Saints, PerfectDraft, Stella Artois, Guinness, Athletic Brewing, Lucky Energy, Kate Farms, Trip, Mingle Mocktails, Cadooz, Mezcla, Poppi, Fishwife, B.T.R. Nation, Unite Foods, Folkland, Farmwell, Painterland Sisters, One Degree Organics, Moozy, Singing Pastures, Esspo, Manhattan Special, Basicase, Pikora, PWR UP, Good & Gather

Husband and wife Allison and Stephen Ellsworth have 3 kids and 3 Super Bowl commercials - Because together they created Poppi, the better-for-you soda disruptor that PepsiCo bought for $1.95 Billion last year.Their biggest fight? The day they sold the company.They've got a spreadsheets/bedsheets policy you don't want to miss.Work/Life Balance? That's the wrong question for entrepreneurs.Plus, Stephen plays the Newlywed game, TBOY-style.In this live interview from State Theater in Austin, we discuss the Ellsworth's full-circle moment: They got a deal on shark tank, grew Poppi's stock 100,000%, then came back to Shark Tank… as Sharks.In this interview, you'll hear how Allison and Stephen design a business based on vibes, why the marketing metrics don't matter, how distribution is destiny… and why you celebrate the wins in Italy.It's one part TBOY hangout, one part couples counseling, and we had so much fun on-stage with them, Jack even stole their drinks.NEWSLETTER:https://tboypod.com/newsletter OUR 2ND SHOW:Want more business storytelling from us? Check our weekly deepdive show, The Best Idea Yet: The untold origin story of the products you're obsessed with. Listen for free to The Best Idea Yet: https://wondery.com/links/the-best-idea-yet/NEW LISTENERSFill out our 2 minute survey: https://qualtricsxm88y5r986q.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_dp1FDYiJgt6lHy6GET ON THE POD: Submit a shoutout or fact: https://tboypod.com/shoutouts SOCIALS:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tboypod TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tboypodYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@tboypod Linkedin (Nick): https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolas-martell/Linkedin (Jack): https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-crivici-kramer/Anything else: https://tboypod.com/ About Us: The daily pop-biz news show making today's top stories your business. Formerly known as Robinhood Snacks, The Best One Yet is hosted by Jack Crivici-Kramer & Nick Martell. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Reddit is an island of realness in a flood of AI… and our stock pick of 2026.President Trump says he's banning Wall Street home buying… but we want the Operation Warp Speed, for homes. Poppi and Olipop both launched Shirley Temples… it's the mocktail of dry january.The Heated Rivalry is making hockey hot again… Disney should make D4.$RDDT $PEP $KOBuy tickets to The IPO Tour (our In-Person Offering) TODAYAustin, TX (2/25): SOLD OUTArlington, VA (3/11): https://www.arlingtondrafthouse.com/shows/341317 New York, NY (4/8): https://www.ticketmaster.com/event/0000637AE43ED0C2Los Angeles, CA (6/3): https://www.squadup.com/events/the-best-one-yet-liveGet your TBOY Yeti Doll gift here: https://tboypod.com/shop/product/economic-support-yeti-doll NEWSLETTER:https://tboypod.com/newsletter OUR 2ND SHOW:Want more business storytelling from us? Check our weekly deepdive show, The Best Idea Yet: The untold origin story of the products you're obsessed with. Listen for free to The Best Idea Yet: https://wondery.com/links/the-best-idea-yet/NEW LISTENERSFill out our 2 minute survey: https://qualtricsxm88y5r986q.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_dp1FDYiJgt6lHy6GET ON THE POD: Submit a shoutout or fact: https://tboypod.com/shoutouts SOCIALS:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tboypod TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tboypodYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@tboypod Linkedin (Nick): https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolas-martell/Linkedin (Jack): https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-crivici-kramer/Anything else: https://tboypod.com/ About Us: The daily pop-biz news show making today's top stories your business. Formerly known as Robinhood Snacks, The Best One Yet is hosted by Jack Crivici-Kramer & Nick Martell. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.