Joining us this week is Poppi co-founder Allison Ellsworth, who takes us behind the rise of one of America's fastest-growing beverage brands — from a kitchen counter experiment to a nearly $2 billion acquisition by PepsiCo.
In this conversation, we dive into:
00:00 Introduction
01:15: Growing up in a household of entrepreneurs, gaining confidence as a dancer and working cleaning bathrooms
03:28: Starting Poppi inside Allison's kitchen
05:11: The trial-and-error process
06:26: Allison's previous life working in oil and gas
07:31: Starting to sell at farmer's markets and being discovered by Whole Foods
08:49: Going all in— the truth behind the "overnight success,” including at one point almost losing their home and selling both cars
12:44: Product breakthrough after Allison's co-founder husband snuck sugar in
15:04: Pitching on "Shark Tank" while nine months pregnant
23:16: The rebranding and relaunch as Poppi
29:39: "Embarrassment is the most under-explored emotion when it comes to success"
30:45: The "black ops" budget/ playbook that helped Poppi stand out in one of the world's most competitive industries
33:05: Why Poppi gave equity to employees, advisors and ambassadors like Alix Earle — and how it actually fueled the company's growth
36:59: The rise of prebiotic sodas and competition like Olipop
40:55: Landing the PepsiCo deal — a landmark sale that underscored the rise of challenger brands in consumer goods
43:43: The emotional reality of handing over the company she and her husband built
44:15: What's next for Allison
47:36: Audience question
48:57: Rapid-fire round
🚀 Season 2 of Behind the Business is here, featuring the leaders of brands including Airbnb, Rivian, NYSE, Canva, Samsung, Poppi, Peloton, Revolve, Lucid Motors, PHLUR, The Points Guy and Away. New episodes Thursdays.
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🎙️About Behind the Business
Behind the Business is a Webby Award-winning, thoughtfully produced video podcast grounded in the belief that business is in fact personal. This is not a fawning interview show. We pair deep research with thorough interviews — asking the real questions and avoiding fluff, while keeping it fun! What’s the toughest day you’ve ever had at work? How do you mentally prep for a big event? Or what’s a pinch-me moment you’ll never forget? In each episode, guests get into it all. Each episode also connects guests with young founders/ CEOs who send in a question. New episodes every Thursday.
About Michelle Toh
Michelle is an award-winning international journalist, most recently a longtime reporter at CNN. She's covered top stories in global business, including the chip and trade wars, world-leading IPOs, the corporate response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Europe's energy crisis and China's property problems. Previously, she was with FORTUNE. She has reported for The New York Times, TIME and South China Morning Post.
Find her on Instagram: / bymichelletoh
TikTok: / behindthebusinessshow
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