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How I Built This with Guy Raz

Poppi: Allison and Stephen Ellsworth. From Farmers Market Vinegar Drink to $2B Soda Sensation

with Allison Ellsworth, Stephen Ellsworth

Published September 22, 2025
Visit Podcast Website

About This Episode

Allison and Stephen Ellsworth describe how a homemade apple cider vinegar drink that helped Allison's health issues evolved into Mother Beverage and ultimately the prebiotic soda brand Poppy. They walk through bootstrapping production in their house, early traction at farmers markets and Whole Foods, a pivotal Shark Tank deal with investor Rohan Oza, a complete rebrand and shift to cans, and rapid growth fueled by Amazon, Shark Tank exposure, and TikTok. The episode concludes with their creation of a new "modern soda" category, Poppy's sale to Pepsi for nearly $2 billion, and reflections on building a generational brand as a married co‑founder team.

Topics Covered

Entrepreneurship Business growth and scaling Branding and naming Direct-to-consumer brands Marketing and customer education Scrappiness in business Co-founder relationships Family business Online retail Manufacturing in China

Disclaimer: We provide independent summaries of podcasts and are not affiliated with or endorsed in any way by any podcast or creator. All podcast names and content are the property of their respective owners. The views and opinions expressed within the podcasts belong solely to the original hosts and guests and do not reflect the views or positions of Summapod.

Quick Takeaways

  • Allison's health struggles and apple cider vinegar experimentation led directly to the creation of the first vinegar-based drink that became Mother Beverage.
  • The couple self-financed initial production with $90,000 from themselves and family, hand-bottling in their house before moving into their own small manufacturing facility.
  • Early validation at farmers markets and local media coverage helped Mother Beverage get into Whole Foods and expand regionally despite very manual production.
  • A Shark Tank appearance in 2018 led to a $400,000 investment from beverage veteran Rohan Oza, who insisted on a complete rebrand and repositioning from "apple cider vinegar drink" to "prebiotic soda."
  • The rebrand to Poppy, shift from glass bottles to colorful 12-ounce cans, and clear soda positioning helped unlock national placements at Sprouts and Whole Foods.
  • Their planned Expo West 2020 launch was derailed by COVID, forcing a rapid pivot to Amazon where early Shark Tank updates and growing health consciousness drove strong online sales.
  • Allison's early, hands-on experimentation with TikTok led to viral content that produced six-figure Amazon sales in a single night and proved social media could be a primary growth engine.
  • Over a few years, Poppy helped create a new "modern soda" set in grocery stores and grew from roughly $100 million to $500 million in annual sales.
  • Pepsi acquired Poppy in March 2025 for almost $2 billion, largely for its brand, growth, and access to a new generation of soda drinkers.
  • As married co-founders, Allison and Stephen attribute their success to relentless hard work, clear commitment to each other, and being willing to accept help and expertise at key moments.

Podcast Notes

Opening teaser and Expo West launch that never happened

Expo West 2020 as the planned big launch for Poppy

The Ellsworths treat Expo West as the tentpole event for launching Poppy[2:53]
• They invest nearly $90,000 in a booth, show space, and product for the convention in Anaheim
COVID-19 cancels Expo West mid-event[2:53]
• They ship to Anaheim and begin the show just as COVID cases in the U.S. start to rise
• A day into the event, the convention is canceled, destroying their carefully planned launch moment

Introduction to How I Built This and the Poppy story

Guy Raz frames the episode and the apple cider vinegar angle

Guy explains his own daily ritual of drinking diluted apple cider vinegar[4:01]
• He notes that he has no formal health or nutrition credentials and only knows that it seems to work for him
Apple cider vinegar as a functional ingredient[5:04]
• Guy mentions research suggesting apple cider vinegar can help with insulin sensitivity and blood sugar
• He points out that many people dislike the taste of vinegar in water, creating a barrier to adoption

Overview of the Mother Beverage to Poppy journey

Allison's homebrew becomes Mother Beverage at a Dallas farmers market[5:51]
• She starts by mixing fruit juices into her vinegar water to make it palatable and shares it with friends
• She and Stephen bottle the drink and call it Mother Beverage, based on the vinegar "mother"
From farmers market to multi-billion-dollar acquisition[6:13]
• Guy summarizes that in under 10 years, the product evolves into Poppy, a prebiotic soda sold to Pepsi for nearly $2 billion
• He emphasizes the leap from a mom-and-pop curiosity to a national soda sensation

Founders' backgrounds and early careers

Stephen's discomfort in the corporate world and early entrepreneurship

Stephen describes himself as "unemployable" in corporate settings[6:56]
• He grew up earning money autonomously from age 11 with a paper route, mowing lawns, and shoveling driveways
• He struggled taking direction when he believed his own ideas were better than his bosses'

Allison's entry into oil and gas and motivation to make money

Allison graduates in 2009 and chooses oil and gas over a typical low-paid corporate job[7:43]
• Her father worked in oil and gas, and she saw it as a way to earn around $500 a day at a young age
• She frames her drive for money as a desire for freedom after growing up with less than others around her
Allison's role as a land professional[9:08]
• She worked like a "land man," researching land grants from the 1800s in small-town courthouses
• Her job was to track mineral ownership, find owners, and negotiate for drilling or research rights
• The work was self-directed, often alone in small towns, with strict deadlines

Stephen's sabbatical into the snowboard industry

Stephen arranges his college life around snowboarding[10:00]
• He becomes a buyer and manager at a snowboard shop in Salt Lake City's Gateway Mall
• The role lets him test gear, select inventory, and follow his passion for snow sports

How Allison and Stephen met and started their relationship

Chance encounter at the snowboard shop

Allison visits the shop to buy a backpack and bindings while working in Utah[10:46]
• She is living in a tiny town two hours away and doesn't know anyone in the city
Stephen asks for Allison's number and suggests getting ice cream[11:58]
• Stephen says this was the first time he'd asked out a customer; he normally avoided crossing that line
• Allison initially assumes he is Mormon because of the wholesome ice-cream invite
Shared religious and lifestyle background[12:19]
• Stephen is from a big, happy Mormon family; Allison was raised Seventh-day Adventist, a strict, health-oriented faith
• They quickly realize they share values and their relationship progresses fast
Fast engagement and shared work life[13:15]
• They get engaged seven months after meeting and marry in 2014
• Stephen leaves the snowboard shop and joins Allison on the road doing similar oil and gas work
• They live in a small motor home for a few months and move to Wyoming for projects

Allison's health crisis and discovery of apple cider vinegar

On-the-road lifestyle leads to worsening health

Allison experiences systemic inflammation and multiple symptoms[14:27]
• She recalls photos of being red, puffy, with severe acne and stomach problems
• She develops allergies to perfumes, makeup, and shampoos; her eyes sometimes swell shut
• The road lifestyle offers inconsistent sleep, no regular exercise, and poor food options
Doctors dismiss Allison's concerns[14:13]
• Repeated doctor visits result in being told she is fine or it's just "women problems"

Elimination diet and apple cider vinegar regimen

Allison undertakes a full elimination diet[14:48]
• She cuts out sugar, dairy, gluten, and reintroduces foods slowly
• She learns that drinking apple cider vinegar daily is recommended as part of the cleansing process
Rapid improvement from vinegar alone[15:10]
• Within two weeks of just adding apple cider vinegar, before fully changing food, she feels about 50% better
• She becomes convinced that food and simple functional ingredients can dramatically affect how you feel

Making vinegar drink palatable and early sharing

Original vinegar drink was hard to choke down[15:03]
• She mixed vinegar with a large volume of water, lemon, and cayenne and forced herself to drink it daily
• She wants to improve the taste without adding lots of sugar or compromising health benefits
Neighbors and family reactions to her early concoctions[17:33]
• A neighbor with health issues starts knocking on her door for weekly mason jars of the drink
• At Thanksgiving in Texas, Allison sets up a tasting but only her brother-in-law tries it; others think it sounds gross
Experimenting with flavoring methods[18:31]
• She tries simmering raspberries into purees and even using essential oils
• She lands on infusing vinegar with real ingredients like raspberries, rose petals, cinnamon sticks, lavender, and lemon
• She then mixes the infused vinegar with sparkling water (often from a SodaStream) and sweetens with stevia
• Early flavors include raspberry rose, orange cinnamon, and lavender lemon; raspberry rose survives into the later product line

Deciding to turn the drink into a business: Mother Beverage

Conversation about life plans and suggestion to "sell your hooch"

Allison, Stephen, and Allison's dad discuss their future as they consider starting a family and not wanting to live on the road[20:04]
• Allison's dad jokingly suggests they "sell your hooch," triggering the idea that this could be a real business
Relocating to Dallas and starting the company[20:48]
• They move to Dallas in December and Allison becomes pregnant in January
• They finish a long Wyoming project; Allison does not return to field work and instead focuses on the beverage
• Stephen takes a local job in Dallas to pay the bills while they work nights and weekends on the drink business

Home production setup and early manufacturing challenges

Their house turns into a mini-factory[21:18]
• The guest room holds multiple 50-100 gallon vinegar vessels, making the whole house smell like vinegar
• On the main floor, they jury-rig a bottling setup on a table; early attempts literally explode onto the ceiling
Manual dosing and bottling[21:30]
• They use syringes to measure exact vinegar amounts into each bottle, then top off with water and cap them
• At that stage they have no labels and are still working out the name, values, and messaging

Stephen's DIY approach to carbonation science

Stephen applies his hobby fermentation knowledge[22:33]
• He had brewed kombucha since 2006 and homebrewed beer in college, giving him a basic grasp of fermentation
• He researches pH, carbonation, sugars, and yeast, and learns water must be around 40°F for effective CO2 dissolution
Discovering that not all glass can handle carbonation[23:59]
• Their first square glass bottles explode from internal pressure during a photo shoot, teaching them about packaging constraints
• They switch to standard 12-ounce soda-style glass bottles designed for carbonation

Seed funding from family and their own savings

Raising $90,000 in total to get started[25:00]
• Allison's sister invests $30,000; Allison's dad invests another $30,000
• Allison and Stephen put in $30,000 of their own money, which Allison says was everything they had

Branding as Mother Beverage and first retail traction

Origin of the Mother Beverage name

Naming after the "mother" in vinegar[25:17]
• They call the drink Mother Beverage after the "mother of vinegar," the cloudy bacterial culture in raw vinegar
• People sometimes assume the name references Allison being a mother, but it is actually about vinegar science

Debuting at the Dallas farmers market

Farmers market as a discovery channel[25:47]
• They set up a table at the weekly Saturday market, selling 12-ounce bottles at $3.99 each
• Allison notes apple cider vinegar already had awareness, so many shoppers understood the premise quickly
• Some customers think they are crazy; others immediately get it and become fans
Consistent sellouts indicate real demand[26:41]
• They repeatedly sell out each week, then increase production and still sell out, signaling product-market fit

Whole Foods buyer discovery and the reality check

Whole Foods buyer sees uniqueness at the market[28:06]
• A buyer from Whole Foods, Kelly Landrieu, tells them nothing like this exists on Whole Foods shelves and they should be in the store
• At that time they lack professional labels, nutritional testing, and cannot legally make product in their house for retail grocery
Misunderstanding the scope of the Whole Foods opportunity[29:12]
• They sign a lease and build out a manufacturing facility, thinking they have a national Whole Foods deal
• They later learn they only have a "license to hunt" and must sell into each Dallas-Fort Worth store individually (about 14 stores)
• This becomes a lesson that early enthusiasm from a buyer does not equal instant nationwide distribution

Building their own manufacturing and expanding early retail

Why they couldn't find a co-packer

Co-manufacturers reject raw, unfiltered vinegar[34:16]
• Mother Beverage uses raw, unpasteurized, unfiltered apple cider vinegar, which scares potential co-packers
• Co-packers fear the vinegar "mother" could clog lines and acetobacter could sour other products like beer
Decision to rent a warehouse and self-manufacture[34:02]
• They rent their own warehouse and continue making everything themselves with small equipment and a tiny team

Technical and labor challenges of hand-bottling carbonation

Difficulty of bottling carbonated beverages at small scale[35:25]
• They use professional four-head fillers (two units, eight bottles at a time) but fighting foam and inconsistent fills consumes hours
• Stephen calls filling the hardest part of the business; making the vinegar base is relatively straightforward

Whole Foods rollout and distributor partnership

Initial presence in multiple Dallas Whole Foods[38:04]
• They sell into about eight Whole Foods stores at first, eventually covering most of the 14 DFW locations
UNFI as required distributor and gateway to other retailers[37:31]
• Whole Foods requires supplier brands to work with a distributor such as UNFI; this relationship then opens doors to other accounts
• They get into local chains like Royal Blue, some Natural Grocers, and sandwich shops, building a Dallas footprint

Sales traction, media coverage, and early growth

Gradual but steady performance in Whole Foods[38:04]
• Sales increase week over week and month over month, earning better shelf placement and some coolers and end caps
Local TV segment helps expansion[41:02]
• ABC's "Shaping DFW" runs a seven-minute segment on Mother Beverage as part of a new better-for-you wave
• They use the segment as proof to push for more Whole Foods regions and secure acceptance into seven regions
Revenue scale before Shark Tank[42:21]
• By the time they apply to Shark Tank, they've generated about $500,000 in revenue over the previous 12-18 months

Shark Tank journey and strategic investment

Turning down "dumb money" in favor of Shark Tank

An early investor offer prompts a rethink[42:47]
• A fan of the brand offers $200,000 but has no CPG experience, resources, or retailer connections
• Allison and Stephen recall the advice not to take "dumb money" and feel uneasy about the offer
Open casting call decision[43:37]
• Allison sees that Shark Tank is holding open casting calls in Dallas in three days
• They wait in line for eight hours with hundreds of others and deliver a two-minute elevator pitch
• Casting staff tell them on the spot that the product is fantastic and they will likely move to the next step
Long, uncertain casting process and investor decision[44:07]
• Shark Tank then goes dark for weeks at a time while asking for more paperwork, making it a drawn-out process
• They tell the original prospective investor they must first see if they can get a Shark Tank deal and ultimately say no to him

Filming Shark Tank while pregnant and aiming for a strategic partner

Pregnancy timeline around the show[45:16]
• Allison is three months pregnant with their second child at the casting pitch and nine months pregnant by the time they film
Producers help match them with suitable sharks[45:11]
• She notes that producers want entrepreneurs to succeed and try to pair them with sharks likely to invest
Shark Tank pitch experience and shark reactions[45:09]
• Guest sharks include beverage veteran Rohan Oza and Bethenny Frankel, along with other sharks like Kevin O'Leary
• Some sharks react harshly; Kevin O'Leary calls them an "apple cider vinegar roach" and others don't understand the product
• Bethenny Frankel is upset about being made to take a shot of apple cider vinegar during the pitch
Valuation and final deal with Rohan Oza[46:47]
• They ask for $400,000 for 10% equity, implying a $4 million valuation, which producers had advised them to set high
• Rohan signals interest but stresses the business will require more capital and a higher equity stake than they propose
• They close a deal with Rohan for $400,000 in exchange for 25% of the company

Complete rebrand from Mother Beverage to Poppy

Rohan's blunt critique and the need for new positioning

Branding called "shit" by their new investor[48:51]
• Rohan tells them their story and product are fantastic but their branding is terrible
• Allison and Stephen are not offended because they know they had focused on product and neglected branding and marketing
Reframing from vinegar drink to soda[48:18]
• Up to that point they positioned as an apple cider vinegar drink; Rohan insists it should be framed as soda
• Initially they aim to play in a "functional soda" space adjacent to traditional soda rather than fully confronting the category

Nine-month branding exercise to create Poppy

Deep dive into brand personality[49:00]
• They ask questions like: If Poppy were a car, what kind would it be? If it were a girl at a party, what would she be like?
• The core team for rebrand is Allison, Stephen, Rohan, and Rohan's partner Stevie over about nine months
Choosing the new name and visual direction[49:26]
• They land on the name "Poppy," a play on soda pop
• They debate white cans (health halo, "clean girl" aesthetic) versus bright colors (flavor and fun)
• Allison initially sides with white cans along with Rohan; Stevie and Stephen prefer colorful cans
• They print both options and place them on grocery shelves; colorful cans clearly stand out, and Allison concedes she was wrong
• They decide to approach health and wellness through a fun, colorful lens instead of a niche, sterile "better for you" look

Managing the existing Mother Beverage business during rebrand

Operating two brands in parallel for a period[51:25]
• They continue selling Mother Beverage in Whole Foods and other accounts while planning the Poppy transition
• They secure a rollout of Mother Beverage across seven Whole Foods regions but then must tell Whole Foods they are changing everything
Shifting from glass bottles to cans and scrambling for manufacturing[52:42]
• They decide a product calling itself soda must be in 12-ounce soda cans, not glass bottles
• They cancel a large PO for glass bottles just two days before renewal to pivot fully to cans
• They face a near-national Sprouts rollout and a broad Whole Foods presence with no co-manufacturing locked in and only six weeks of inventory

Rebranded Poppy launches into COVID and pivots online

Planned Poppy launch at Expo West collapses due to COVID

Heavy investment and commitment to Expo West[55:36]
• They spend almost $90,000 on their Expo West booth, show space, and shipping Poppy to California
• On their flight to Anaheim, there are roughly 10,000 COVID cases in the U.S.; they assume it will blow over quickly
Cancellation mid-show and emotional impact[56:07]
• A day into Expo West, the event is canceled, which Allison describes as devastating
• On their flight home, case counts have escalated and they realize the scale of the disruption

Pivot to Amazon and early COVID health mindset tailwind

Focusing on Amazon when grocery resets stall[56:50]
• Grocery retailers delay new product cut-ins, prioritizing essentials like toilet paper over new brands
• The team concentrates on Amazon, where they had already pre-loaded a significant amount of inventory
Health and pantry dynamics during early COVID[57:11]
• For the first time, everyone is thinking about health and wellness and looking for shelf-stable, good-tasting products
• Poppy leans into these consumer needs during the first month and a half while people adjust to COVID realities

Shark Tank update, Amazon spike, and TikTok breakout

Shark Tank update drives massive Amazon demand

National exposure from Shark Tank update in April 2020[58:14]
• A Shark Tank update segment on Poppy airs in mid-April and acts as a national commercial
• They quickly hit number one on Amazon's "hot new product" list
• Stephen says they go from roughly 3,000 on Amazon to about $250,000 per month on Amazon over the following months

Discovery and early experimentation on TikTok

Initial exposure to TikTok during a Whole Foods shoot[1:00:19]
• During filming of the Shark Tank update in a Whole Foods, some TikTokers are dancing in the store
• One of them grabs Allison's phone and installs TikTok, introducing her to the platform
Recognizing TikTok as a "Wild West" marketing opportunity[1:00:50]
• At that time few, if any, brands are on TikTok; it is mostly creators, especially with people bored at home in COVID
• Allison believes it can be a powerful, free marketing channel and calls it the next "Wild Wild West"
• Rohan, Stevie, and even Stephen are skeptical or indifferent at first
Allison's content experiments and viral story video[1:01:03]
• Allison spends nights and weekends posting recipes, dances, transitions, and clips featuring her kids and Stephen
• One evening she casually records a one-minute video telling the Poppy story: kitchen beginnings, Shark Tank deal, nutrition stats
• She posts the video and goes to sleep; by morning they have sold $100,000 on Amazon overnight
• Internal stakeholders initially look everywhere but TikTok for the cause, until Allison points to the viral TikTok post

Category creation, growth trajectory, and sales scale

Positioning Poppy within and against soda

From adjacent set placements to creating a "modern soda" category[1:02:13]
• Early on, retailers don't know where to place Poppy, so it lands near sparkling water and enhanced water like Bai and Vitaminwater
• With a higher price point, they fear a direct comparison against 99-cent sodas initially
• As awareness grows, Poppy gradually earns space inside the traditional soda set
• Eventually retailers create a separate "modern soda" set, which Allison says did not exist five years earlier
Boldly labeling Poppy as "prebiotic soda"[1:03:53]
• Stephen notes they were the first in their space to put "prebiotic soda" on the front of the can
• He recalls that at the time, soda was viewed as a "dirty word" while sparkling water was considered virtuous

Consumer motivations: taste, brand, and nutrition

Designing the consumer journey from can to nutrition label[1:05:02]
• They want consumers first to think "that's so cute" when seeing the can
• Next, the goal is for the taste to surprise them as delicious
• Finally, when consumers flip the can and read the panel, they should realize it's also better for them (low sugar, some fiber)

Scale, strategic options, and acquisition by Pepsi

Hypergrowth and supply chain stress during COVID

Triple-digit growth and expensive cans[1:05:51]
• Stephen says the business grew triple digits year over year after the Poppy rebrand
• Aluminum can costs spike from 11 cents to 40 cents during COVID
• They ship containers of empty cans from China, essentially sending "air" across the ocean to keep up with demand

Sales milestones and interest from strategics

Rapid sales ramp from nine figures to mid-nine figures[1:01:55]
• By 2023, Poppy hits about $100 million in sales; the next year sales reach around $500 million
• They initially expect to double from 2022 to 2023 but instead 4x the business, largely due to a Super Bowl ad
Super Bowl ad as a brand-defining moment[1:02:23]
• Their first Super Bowl commercial declares, "the future of soda is now," repeating the word soda 17 times
• Allison says this ad marks a tipping point where Poppy shifts from mom-and-pop to challenger to established brand
• She notes that awareness tripled overnight after the Super Bowl spot and strategics began reaching out

Strategic paths in beverage: IPO vs sale to a major

Allison outlines typical beverage exits[1:06:36]
• She says in soda you generally either sell to a big strategic player or go public (IPO)
• Going public does not provide an automatic distribution partner, whereas selling to Pepsi does
Distribution constraints as an independent brand[1:06:49]
• Poppy is the official soda of the Lakers but is not allowed to be sold in the stadium due to existing contracts
• Allison explains that with Pepsi's distribution system they can go from about 50,000 locations to around 350,000

Pepsi acquisition details and emotional toll

Timeline and size of the deal[1:07:15]
• Guy states that Pepsi acquired Poppy in March 2025 for almost $2 billion
• He notes it was essentially five years from the time of the rebrand launch to the sale
Long courtship with Pepsi and reassurance about brand autonomy[1:07:15]
• Allison says the process with Pepsi takes over a year and feels like dating, not a quick transaction
• Pepsi repeatedly emphasizes the motto "let Poppy be Poppy," promising not to smother the brand's identity
• Allison admits common founder fears that a big acquirer will change or dilute the brand and says Pepsi wants to avoid past mistakes
• She describes feeling sad, happy, stressed, and excited-often all in the same day-throughout the acquisition process

Working as married co-founders and reflections on luck vs hard work

Navigating marriage, kids, and a startup simultaneously

Choosing which areas of life to prioritize[1:09:22]
• Early on, Allison is upset about not getting flowers or holiday gestures and they feel overwhelmed by jobs, kids, and the business
• They eventually decide their marriage is solid and to consciously prioritize the kids and the business, releasing some expectations
• After that shift, occasional romantic gestures feel more special rather than obligatory
Would they do it again as partners?[1:09:18]
• Allison says she would not do it again without Stephen
• Stephen says he would absolutely do it again and highlights that they stayed 100% committed even through dark days without salary or health insurance

Assessing the roles of luck, timing, and grit

Stephen's perspective on hard work creating luck[1:12:22]
• He quotes, "The harder I work, the luckier I get," and says their success required timing, luck, hard work, grit, passion, and intensity
Allison's reluctance to call it luck[1:12:22]
• She struggles with attributing the outcome to luck because she knows how hard they worked
• She credits their willingness to push, accept help, and step back when appropriate, along with many "open doors" others might view as luck
Seeing Poppy as a generational brand[1:13:11]
• Stephen calls Poppy a once-in-a-lifetime generational brand
• Allison notes that few people can say they created a product their kids and grandkids will know simply as "soda"

Epilogue and future visibility

Allison's return to Shark Tank as a shark

From contestant to investor[1:13:43]
• Guy notes that Allison is returning to Shark Tank as a shark in a new season
• He points out she is one of only two former contestants ever to appear as a shark; the other is Jamie Siminoff of Ring

Lessons Learned

Actionable insights and wisdom you can apply to your business, career, and personal life.

1

Build something that genuinely solves your own problem first, then systematically refine it so that others can enjoy and adopt it without friction.

Reflection Questions:

  • • What persistent personal problem have you solved for yourself that might also resonate with others if you packaged it correctly?
  • • How could you simplify or improve your current solution so that someone who doesn't share your tolerance (for taste, effort, or complexity) would still love it?
  • • What small experiment could you run this month-like a farmers market stall or a small pilot-to see if others actually value the solution you use every day?
2

Be deliberate about the capital you take by prioritizing investors who bring expertise, networks, and strategic alignment rather than just money.

Reflection Questions:

  • • Where in your current projects are you tempted to accept "dumb money" or misaligned help simply because it's available?
  • • How might your trajectory change if you insisted that every major partner or investor bring specific skills or connections you don't currently have?
  • • What criteria could you define this week to evaluate future partners so you can say "no" decisively when the fit isn't right?
3

Brand positioning and language can unlock entirely new markets; naming and framing your product boldly (like "prebiotic soda") can create a category instead of competing as a niche add-on.

Reflection Questions:

  • • How are you currently describing your product or work, and does that language place you in a crowded box or a distinctive new space?
  • • What bolder, clearer positioning statement could you experiment with that would immediately signal who you are and why you're different?
  • • Where could you test a new framing-on packaging, a landing page, or social media-to see how it changes interest and engagement?
4

Scrappy, hands-on experimentation with emerging channels (like TikTok) can outperform large budgets, especially when you tell a simple, authentic story.

Reflection Questions:

  • • Which marketing or communication channels are currently underused in your field that you could start learning by actually posting and iterating?
  • • How could you distill your origin story or value proposition into a one-minute narrative that feels honest and human rather than polished and corporate?
  • • What small, consistent content experiment could you commit to over the next four weeks to gather real data instead of theorizing about what "might" work?
5

When building something intense with a partner or spouse, explicitly decide what you are prioritizing together and adjust expectations so the relationship supports the mission instead of being eroded by it.

Reflection Questions:

  • • Have you and your partner (business or personal) explicitly agreed on what matters most right now-career, family, finances, health-and what will inevitably get less attention?
  • • In what ways are unspoken expectations (like certain holidays or gestures) creating pressure or resentment that could be eased by a candid conversation?
  • • What concrete boundary or agreement could you create this week-about time, roles, or recognition-that would make your collaboration more sustainable over the long term?

Episode Summary - Notes by Quinn

Poppi: Allison and Stephen Ellsworth. From Farmers Market Vinegar Drink to $2B Soda Sensation
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