

27 Feb 2026 · 29m · 14 chapters

Description: A 20-minute business news podcast delivering three essential stories with fresh insights. Hosted by Jack Crivici-Kramer and Nick Martell.
The Ellsworths discuss their journey from Shark Tank to a $1.95 billion acquisition by PepsiCo. They share insights on entrepreneurship, work-life balance, and the dynamics of running a business as a couple.
Written by AI. May contain mistakes.
Allison and Stephen share their journey after selling Poppy to PepsiCo and the emotional implications of their success.
“new business model for his Airbnb hosting.”
Stephen discusses his new venture at Dropout Brands and their approach to product development.
“So neither of you are day-to-day at Poppy anymore.”
The Ellsworths reflect on the parallels between marriage and entrepreneurship, emphasizing commitment and trust.
“I think he put it out there a little too soon, if that makes sense.”
Learn about the challenges of balancing entrepreneurship with family commitments.
“I love a good spreadsheet in the bedsheets.”
Discover the journey from a $1.6 million valuation to a $1.95 billion acquisition.
“And the great thing about the sale of Poppy is 99 % of the employees also had equity.”
Understand the significance of brand awareness over immediate profits.
“From our research, the first ever former Shark Tank contestant to become a Shark Tank shark.”
Learn about the approach to Super Bowl commercials and brand presence.
“Something we learned from Allison in our interview with you last year, Poppy has an unlimited free sample budget.”
Explore the dynamics of competition and innovation in the beverage industry.
“In year three, this month, it's the first time it happened with PepsiCo.”
Discuss the risks big corporations take in product innovation and market competition.
“I'd also be remiss if I didn't ask you a couple questions about soda marketing.”
Reflect on the key lessons learned from rapid business growth and hiring.
“we have a lot of interaction with the Pepsi team is it's really hard in a big corporation to move really quickly.”
Learn the importance of hiring quickly and investing in talent for rapid business growth.
“Well, guys, before we go, we do have a rapid fire.”
Understand when and how to delegate tasks to foster team growth and efficiency.
“Yeah, I would say over, I would double down on that.”
Enjoy a light-hearted segment where Stephen answers fun rapid-fire questions about Allison.
“So we finish every interview with some rapid fire questions.”
Witness a ceremonial moment as the guests ring the bell before concluding their appearance.
“We've got to have you ring the bell before you leave the stage.”

Get the gist, explore an idea or ask about something said.
On The Best One Yet, what are the key points of this episode?
Automatic transcript. May contain errors.
0:00Allison Ellsworth: At Yetis, some couples go on dates, some couples go on vacation. But this couple went on Shark Tank and then sold their business for billions. Last year, we interviewed Allison Ellsworth on creating Poppy, the power pioneer prebiotic soda of the world. Today, we're bringing her back along with her co-founder, Stephen. I'm sorry, Jack, you mean husband Stephen. This interview is part T-Boy Hangout and part couples counseling. Because Allison and Steven bring pitch decks to their date nights. They bring product samples to their anniversary. Because eight years ago, they launched a gut health drink on Shark Tank.
0:38Allison Ellsworth: While Allison was actually nine months pregnant. But Allison didn't give birth to a human. She gave birth to a unicorn. Because last year, Poppy, an Austin-based company, sold to PepsiCo for$1.95 billion. There we go! Because Poppy was so disruptive, they made Pepsi pay up. It was so viral, it made Diet Coke cry. So beloved, they made Alex Earl thirsty for equity. This couple has created three Super Bowl commercials together. I'm sorry, Jack, this couple has created three kids together. Yeah. Please welcome to the stage the God and Goddess of the Gut. The King and Queen of Crushing Cans. The Bonnie and Clyde of bubbles.
1:29Allison Ellsworth: Because tonight, we have both Allison and Stephen Ellsworth, the co-founder power couple of Poppy in the house. And tonight's interview with Stephen and Allison is the best one yet. Let's hit it.
1:48Allison Ellsworth: Now, a quick word from our sponsor. Top hats, baseball hats, Von Dutch hats. We have so many hats on this podcast. Honestly, we're not great at all of them. No, we've been avoiding hiring someone to wear those hats instead of us, especially the Von Dutch one, because hiring and training can take forever. Well, proud to say that we are hiring right now at T-Boy, and this is a job for Indeed Sponsored Jobs. Because sponsored jobs posted directly on Indeed are 95 % more likely to report a hire than non-sponsored jobs. So besties spend less time searching and more time actually interviewing candidates who check all your boxes, less stress, less time, more results.
2:22Allison Ellsworth: When you need the right person to cut through the chaos, this is a job for Indeed sponsored jobs. And listeners of the show will get a$75 sponsored job credit to help get your job the premium status it deserves at indeed.com slash podcast. So just go to indeed.com slash podcast right now and support our show by saying you heard about Indeed on this podcast. That's indeed.com slash podcast. Terms and conditions apply. Need a hiring hero? This is a job for Indeed sponsored jobs. So yet he's Jack's instituted a new business model for his Airbnb hosting. And Jack, what is it? Here it is. Host equals guest.
2:56Allison Ellsworth: Yes. I funnel all my revenue from being a host on Airbnb into one bank account and use that same bank account to book travel for myself. And basically it's Jack's host guest bank account for when he hosts and when he's a guest somewhere else. When I lived in the city, Nick, every time my apartment was available on Airbnb, it would get booked like that. I mean, think about how often are you away from home? You got the bridesmaid, you got the shower, you got the bachelorette. You got the wedding. That's three weekends away just for one wedding right there. Plus, you got to visit your mother. Naturally.
3:25Allison Ellsworth: Well, that's a lot of potential hosting that you could be doing on Airbnb. Let someone else stay at your place while you're away. Take that host money and spend it when you're a guest somewhere else. Have a business model like me. If you want to travel more, hosting more is a great way to make it happen financially. Your home might be worth more than you think. Find out how much at Airbnb.com slash host.
3:48Allison Ellsworth: product placement hold on yes let's get that label out yeah she knows she knows would you
3:54Stephen Ellsworth: be upset if i snag that oh honestly it would make my day yeah i think there isn't i believe
4:01Allison Ellsworth: there's an asmr opportunity okay yeah do it right do it come on
4:12Allison Ellsworth: That was good. At Nick's summer camp, that was his special talent. He can make that sound.
4:18Stephen Ellsworth: Wait, that's kind of iconic. Now we just need some nail tapping.
4:22Allison Ellsworth: That's what I was waiting for. So, Allison, when we had you last on the show, you said, and I quote, I hope that you guys come to Austin next year for a live show. I believe Allison manifested everything here. You manifested this. It's happened. That's on brand for her.
4:41Stephen Ellsworth: It sounds like me.
4:43Allison Ellsworth: Now that Steven's here, we want to ask how the mommy and daddy of Poppy celebrated the incredibly successful acquisition with PepsiCo last year. Take us into the room. What happened when you finally signed and did the deal?
4:58Stephen Ellsworth: That's a great question because the day we actually signed the deal and we were waiting for the money to hit the bank, I think we actually got into one of the biggest fights ever.
5:09Allison Ellsworth: Really? No way.
5:10Stephen Ellsworth: Yes. And so we're like, you clear your schedule. Let's go to lunch. He didn't do it. I was like, okay, clear your afternoon. Wait, wait, wait. Let's go to dinner. Couple's counseling.
5:19Allison Ellsworth: We predicted this. We did predict this.
5:22Stephen Ellsworth: It was interesting. We were like, we didn't make time for this. And then the next day we were like, that was silly. Like, our lives are the same. Let's go to yoga and have a good day. And we were like, chill after that. but it's a stressful moment that I think people don't realize going through an exit can be kind of vulnerable and crazy, right?
5:41Allison Ellsworth: And it's emotional because you're also getting something, and that's what everyone's celebrating. You're popping the champagne for it, but you're also letting go of something. Yeah. But you did celebrate, right? We did.
5:53Stephen Ellsworth: We went to Europe for a month. It was very iconic. And then we got back, and we were like, oh, my gosh, now what?
5:59Allison Ellsworth: Did you bring your kids?
6:01Stephen Ellsworth: Unfortunately, yes.
6:01Allison Ellsworth: I think we brought maybe too many people on it. Too many people.
6:05Stephen Ellsworth: We have three boys, and they're tough.
6:07Allison Ellsworth: Did you get one of those seats that has the bassinet? I didn't know that planes had built-in bassinets. I think after that deal, did you guys get a special plane? Special plane?
6:16Stephen Ellsworth: Hey, don't call us out here. Come on.
6:19Allison Ellsworth: It was a celebration trip, okay? Congratulations. Which is a right-off. So, Allison, when we interviewed you last August, it was shortly after the deal with Pepsi had closed. and you described your feelings as freedom. Well, now we're a little bit further away. It's been almost a year since the deal closed. Has that feeling about the acquisition changed from freedom to anything else?
6:42Stephen Ellsworth: So freedom to do whatever I want, right? Freedom to start another company, freedom to have financial freedom. And you know what comes with that is not a lot of purpose. And I think in life you need purpose. So for me, it was a very overwhelming feeling of freedom. But then now that the dust has kind of settled, I'm like, wait, it's not what it's about. It's I think life is about purpose. And so finding the next purpose has kind of been the goal.
7:11Allison Ellsworth: And does that mean or do you feel more attached and more committed to the brand now than before?
7:16Stephen Ellsworth: You know, it's kind of like your child's off at college. So we both work as advisors still at Poppy. and it's like you are cheering them on from afar. You kind of come in like we just helped with our Super Bowl ad and I still go by the office and cheer on the team. But it's like they're at college. You kind of have to let it thrive on its own. And it's honestly really rewarding to see it just soar the way it is.
7:42Allison Ellsworth: And it's not calling you from college and asking you to send more money to it, basically.
7:47Stephen Ellsworth: No, thank goodness.
7:48Allison Ellsworth: So neither of you are day-to-day at Poppy anymore. But Stephen, you and peanut butter have a little bit of a story, right? Yeah. So in December, Stephen, you joined Dropout Brands, which is making peanut butter and jelly pouches and breakfast sandwiches. What's the playbook at Dropout? Is it do what you did with Poppy but for a different product? So spoiler alert, I think the cart was before the horse there. I'm actually not officially an operating partner at Dropout. But we are investors and we are helping out significantly with the brand which is which has been really really great and the thing that I'm the most excited about is I just believe in providing better for you options for the American consumer.
8:33Allison Ellsworth: So really excited about the product, really excited about the brand and what they're doing there but I think as we went through this journey of selling the business and sort of coming out on the other side I like to operate I don't like to influence and so I think we're just really excited about setting our sights on the next thing for me and Allison. People like to use
8:52Stephen Ellsworth: our faces. I think he put it out there a little too soon, if that makes sense.
8:59Allison Ellsworth: Well, the poppy principle exists. And Jack and I have seen the poppy principle. It's this idea that you can have the best of both worlds. You can indulge in a soda, but a soda that's better for you. Exactly. It says it right on the can. And it's a product. It is delicious. By the way, I feel like I just stole this from you. I'm sorry. For everyone listening, Allison kindly brought a poppy for herself and Jack started chugging it. Stephen Allison, like, so what do you see? What is the next frontier? Where do you see the poppy principle going next? Is there a category, a food product, one thing that you really want to poppy style disrupt?
9:35Stephen Ellsworth: I think what's really cool with poppy that we're so excited about is the ability to get into more venues. So for example, I love telling the story. We were the official soda of the Lakers, yet we were not allowed to be sold in the stadium like that is wild to me so now it's like stadiums I mean like think about like subway jersey mics taco bell starbucks like all of these places that just were not possible before that now we see poppy like I feel like it's like now I go into places like poppy's like poppy poppy like pull up the sheets poppy's there like it's crazy the distribution that pepsi's done so for me it's like we've always been on a mission to revolutionize soda for the next generation and it's like that is literally happening.
10:22Stephen Ellsworth: It's pretty cool.
10:23Allison Ellsworth: Jack, that reminds me of actually a takeaway we heard once which is that first time founders focus on the product but second time founders focus on the distribution and that's what you guys are doing now. Yeah, because every place is either a Pepsi place or a Coca-Cola place. Dr. Pepper kind of found their way in there too.
10:39Stephen Ellsworth: They try. It's crazy though.
10:41Allison Ellsworth: They're actually on a lot of Coca-Pepsi trucks. Yeah, they got a little thing going there. It's crazy though that these exclusionary roles can just make competition possible.
10:50Stephen Ellsworth: I mean, I probably shouldn't say this, but it's kind of like the mafia, right? It's kind of weird if you think about it.
10:56Allison Ellsworth: No, the distributors, they control the rails. By the way, you guys finish each other's sentences, and you co-founded this company as a couple, right? So, I mean, this is a rare interview. We have a co-founder married couple who successfully launched, operated, and exited. So, we have to ask. Our audience is filled with couples that listen to the show together. Can we get a little yelp if you're here with your significant other right now? Let's go. That's 130 % of the audience. So what have you learned about marriage from running a company together or vice versa? What have you learned about running a company from marriage?
11:38Stephen Ellsworth: We'll let him take this one.
11:42Allison Ellsworth: I think it just got really hot in here. I'm going to take this jacket off. No, I think one of the great things that's similar in both marriage, relationships, or building a business is there needs to be 100 % commitment from both parties. And I think that really played well into what we were doing at Poppy. We were both 100 % committed to each other, and we were both 100 % committed to the business. And so that's really required as the business goes up and down, as relationships go up and down. And I think it's so critical that each person comes to the table with that 100%. Because inevitably, I'm going to fall short.
12:21Allison Ellsworth: She's going to fall short. And if we're only 50-50 and we're falling short, we're less than 100%. So I think that that's the biggest thing that sort of marriage and business has taught us is just full on. Allison, you're not smiling.
12:35Stephen Ellsworth: So for me, it was probably a lot of white wine. And no. No, honestly, it was like really early on. we decided that we had this common goal for that would change our lives and our kids lives and our future and so it's so fun when you have a common goal to do it with someone and then by the way we are so opposite so i ran our creative and brand he did like our ops and um like kind of just the boring stuff hey hey i did the product yes the product which is iconic but i just think that um you know we know our lanes stay in your lanes like you guys finish each other's sentences
13:11Allison Ellsworth: It's so cute. So I'm not married to Nick, but... I can kind of piggyback off what you said, Stephen. Trust that... So you said both partners have to be 100 % in. I think why that's so powerful is because then you trust the person. Yeah, that's the key. So if Nick changes something I suggested for a story, I don't second-guess the motives because I know he's 100 % in on the company, and I trust him as a result. So I think the end result of both sides being 100 % in is trust. And that is so powerful. But take us to one of those random Tuesday nights. Like, let's go tactical here. Like, do spreadsheets stay out of the bedsheets kind of a thing?
13:53Allison Ellsworth: Like, do you not bring up work after 9 p.m.? Or do you feel like it's the kind of thing where it's actually better if you're discussing work and it's weaved in with your life? I love a good spreadsheet in the bedsheets.
14:05Stephen Ellsworth: Honestly, it's because after... Most productive time of the day. Well, the kids are in bed at that point. It's like kind of when you have to get a lot of the work done, right? I think, you know, early on it was funny. We would say, like, what are the most important things? Like, our marriage is good. Let's focus on the business and the kids and just know that we're okay. And I think it's crazy when people say, like, it's all about balance. And, you know, you have to shut the computer at 7 o 'clock. If you're an entrepreneur and you're shutting your computer at 7 o 'clock, like, what are you doing?
14:31Stephen Ellsworth: Right? We're all hustling. And so for me it was just always on, but we were both always on. and so I think that commitment was kind of easy.
14:40Allison Ellsworth: Yeah I think it's like you you work a job that you don't like they call it stress you work a job that you love they call it passion. Wow. And like that was that was us like we it was just work-life integration and it goes back to that common goal we were building something for ourselves I won't say that we weren't we're building something for our kids and for our families and ultimately having a lot of fun doing it and getting to work with amazing smart people. And the great thing about the sale of Poppy is 99 % of the employees also had equity. And so we changed so many people's lives. They bought homes, they retired their parents, they bought cars.
15:15Allison Ellsworth: It's so incredible to be working with such a motivated and talented group of people. He mentioned equity. He did. So we want to talk your Shark Tank full circle moment. Eight years ago, the two of you were on Shark Tank. You were nine months pregnant, which I still think is just insane. On Shark Tank. On Shark Tank. Huge. And you received... Literally huge. So you received an investment that valued the company at$1.6 million. Seven years later, the Pepsi acquisition happens. Can you please whip out the whiteboard and sprinkle on some context, Jack? Well, that sale was for$1.95 billion, which, in percentage terms, growth...
15:58Allison Ellsworth: Yes. You ever calculated this?
16:01Stephen Ellsworth: No.
16:03Allison Ellsworth: 100 ,000 % equity growth. Can we give a round of applause for that number? And that 99 % of your employees benefited from that growth is incredible.
16:15Stephen Ellsworth: Great return for our shark.
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17:27Allison Ellsworth: When I had student debt, I tracked my progress on an Excel spreadsheet I manually updated each month. Oh, I was Jack a spreadsheet jockey because when he was paying off his student debt, Monarch didn't exist yet. Well, one year ago, I proudly killed that spreadsheet I'd been building for 12 years. RIP spreadsheet. Because Monarch is a way better solution. All your financial accounts are linked to Monarch. every credit card, checking account, brokerage account, even our mortgages, lie balances updated in real time. I'm still paying down my mortgage and Monarch gives me the visibility and tools to do it.
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18:28Allison Ellsworth: That's 50 % off your first year at Monarch.com with code T-Boy. So that success actually earned you an invite back to Shark Tank. From our research, the first ever former Shark Tank contestant to become a Shark Tank shark. So we were curious, Allison, you know, you told us when we last spoke with you a year ago that you don't look for business leaders who are CEOs. You look for brand builders. So for any brand builders out there, what is it specifically that you look for?
19:00Stephen Ellsworth: When I get on a call with a founder and they start talking about bottom of funnel, ROAS, their KPIs, I'm like, oh my gosh, I cannot help you. like this is doomed. I want to be a ROAS killer. I want us to think about brand awareness, brand building, future, like disruption while also having process, right? But it can't be the first thing out of your mouth. You want to and need to have to build the brand. And it's really hard to change a founder's mindset when it comes to those things. And then fun fact, when I was talking to you guys last time, I had just filmed Shark Tank the day before. It was so hard not to tell you.
19:42Stephen Ellsworth: Oh my god, we want to say. It's so hard.
19:46Allison Ellsworth: That's so cool. Well, we loved watching the episode months later, which is really neat. So, to translate what you said, because I don't even know what ROAS is. But I think you're saying, like, don't be too focused on the profit. If your company's really young, you need to focus on getting out there, getting the attention of people, winning in the attention economy, which is what we're all playing in right now, and growing
20:09Stephen Ellsworth: the top line it's too early focus on the brand think about like how are you connecting with your you know your community not your customer right i think like we looked at just like poppy's community and like that's what built us on tiktok we have like over three billion views on tiktok and one third of the platform has seen my face seven times it's wild right and so i just think that like people focus so much on the stuff that doesn't build long-term brand growth and they just
20:40Allison Ellsworth: focus on the numbers yeah yeah i think like when you focus on the numbers bottom funnel conversion cac ltv like all of this stuff you miss brand building and one of the things we always said at poppy is we we always wanted to change the consumer's purchasing behavior from the head to the heart and that's what brand building does you get emotionally connected and invested in that brand and so how do you take them on that journey and bring them into the community it really changes how they purchase and make the decision around purchasing the product. Something we learned from Allison in our interview with you last year, Poppy has an unlimited free sample budget.
21:13Allison Ellsworth: Yeah, they just ship stuff to people who will help grow the brand, like sororities. I think if anybody posts about Poppy, you're getting a 12-pack. I think that's why I got this free sample. It's part of the free sample budget. It's part of the budget. But I think that's an example of not focusing on the numbers, right? And as a result of things like giving free samples to anybody who supports your brand in any way, just created this massive army of people who loved Poppy beyond a reasonable amount. Which is what a great brand is. It's beyond reason. Revolution.
21:52Stephen Ellsworth: It was a revolution.
21:53Allison Ellsworth: I guess the ultimate example of this kind of marketing work and brand work is the Super Bowl ad, right? Yeah. So, you have had three Super Bowl commercials in three consecutive years, most recently with Charlie XCX and Rachel Sennett. But in year one, you purchased the Super Bowl ad on the Wednesday before the Super Bowl, and then it aired right before Usher went on for the half-time. It was like an eBay deal for a Super Bowl ad, basically. In year two, you got Jake Shane and Alex Earl to star. In year three, this month, it's the first time it happened with PepsiCo. Were you involved in the creation of those Super Bowl commercials?
22:30Stephen Ellsworth: Yes, very involved. And I think something that was very intentional with this is to not look like a big corporate came in and got Poppy, right? And so first year was about storytelling. Second year was about soda occasions. And then this year was just kind of a vibe. And, like, that's literally what the Super Bowl was. It's like Poppy is a vibe. And it just speaks to us moving at the speed of culture. You know, Rachel and Charlie are just like culture makers. They're the moment, right? And so I just think it was something that was really important for us to just say, hey, we're still poppy.
23:08Allison Ellsworth: And do you measure the success of that Super Bowl ad? Or is it kind of like the success is that it just aired?
23:14Stephen Ellsworth: You know, I think when going in and doing a Super Bowl ad, some people want to get like the ad meter and like get all of the rating and stuff. Like we've never really cared about that stuff. For us, it's just how many people can learn about Poppy, feel some emotional connection. It goes back from the head to the heart piece. And for this one, it was just kind of like a vibe.
23:35Allison Ellsworth: Yeah.
23:36Stephen Ellsworth: Go back and watch it and you'll get why I'm saying that.
23:37Allison Ellsworth: That was the win, the vibe. Did people like it? The vibe is the vibe. But we also have, you guys are part of Pepsi. And you mentioned like you wanted to show that you still have this level of independence. there is something we were curious to ask you about which is Pepsi also now is launching a prebiotic soda so is that like a sibling rivalry situation, is that like a frenemy situation is that something you think about it's all in the family what I would say is like how flattering is it that
24:07Stephen Ellsworth: Pepsi, an iconic cola, is
24:11Allison Ellsworth: looking to Poppy and saying hey this prebiotic thing is pretty cool, like we created the category like we want to do that too And let's be honest, Pepsi Cola is a pretty iconic flavor. And so I think we have two very different cohorts of consumers that we're going after. And I think that there's enough room on the shelf for all of us to play. And at the end of the day, it all serves the same purpose. Sometimes business is just not zero sum. And there's plenty of room to grow the pie. There's just not a limited number of slices. I'd also be remiss if I didn't ask you a couple questions about soda marketing.
24:43Allison Ellsworth: So zero sugar soda is so popular right now. It's basically the same as diet soda, right? Why do consumers see it as so different? That is a great question. I think it just, there's really this movement. We always talked about this. In the beginning, it was great flavor, but it was high sugar. And then it went to great taste, but zero sugar, slightly artificial. And I think the reason that zero sugar or low sugar is working now is because there aren't artificial ingredients in it. And there's all of these scientific studies that say artificial sweeteners actually promote sugar cravings after the fact of consumption.
25:22Allison Ellsworth: And so I think people are just getting smarter and there's more options out there. And so if they can have a zero sugar soda and it's all natural, why not? You know, I'm thinking of that Rohan quote, one of their investors from Shark Tank, about this whole soda sibling situation and launching zero sugar sodas and prebiotics. Do you want to share it? Because Jack loves this quote. He tells it to me all the time. I did find it an inspiring quote. I've told it to you before, but I'll tell it again. Because Rohan said that big consumer packaged goods companies like Pepsi, like Unilever, like Procter & Gamble, they've decided to not take the risk of innovation.
26:00Allison Ellsworth: And instead, they've outsourced innovation to the startup sector. Now, the reason I love that intel so much is that it's inspiring to people who are trying to build a brand or start something new. You're not competing against the big guys. They're not into taking risks. So if you create something right now and you have the passion and you work on it and answer emails, there could be an amazing exit at the end because these big corporations are waiting to see who creates the next big thing. Is that still the case, you think? I think so. And I think sometimes the big guys forget. Simply Pop was a Coca-Cola brand, prebiotic competitor.
26:43Allison Ellsworth: They're just not very good at it. Yeah, so it leaves a door wide open to entrepreneurs like us to create these amazing products and ideas. And if they're great brands as well, they come up and snatch them and change people's lives.
26:55Stephen Ellsworth: I think you forget, too. Now that we're on both sides, the curtain's pulled back. we have a lot of interaction with the Pepsi team is it's really hard in a big corporation to move really quickly. And so when you're a small startup, you're allowed to move at the speed of culture. You can take more risks and there's more reward, right? There's, if you take a risk and you're a big company and something happens and you get canceled, like that's really scary. And so for us, I will say they're like looking to us a little bit of like, they, like, they actually like want Poppy to stay Poppy and they're like asking how do we do this?
27:33Stephen Ellsworth: But I don't know if I can name a single brand that they've launched any big company like that, like Pepsi or Coke recently that's been successful like a Poppy.
27:42Allison Ellsworth: Yeah, Jack, I don't picture Carol in accounting at Coca-Cola signing off on the unlimited influencer soda budget. Just send them any case. Or a Super Bowl commercial betting on vibes. Yeah. It's hard to measure vibes. They did sign off on it.
27:57Stephen Ellsworth: They owned us so we did it. So kudos to them.
28:01Allison Ellsworth: Well, guys, before we go, we do have a rapid fire. But we did have one quick final question. Because we have so many Yetis here who are building things. You've built something, man. I mean, is there anything, when you think back to that white wine at 11 p.m. on a Tuesday before you jump into the spreadsheets, bedsheets, you know, is there anything you would have done differently? And is there anything you would double down on?
28:21Stephen Ellsworth: I think the number one thing, look, poppy was the fastest growing beverage in the history of beverage. It was absolutely crazy. You know, basically like zero to 500 million in like almost five years. Like it's like crazy how fast we grew. So hire quicker. Like I think entrepreneurs really hold on to this I can do everything mentality. And the second you start letting go and not letting your ego get in the way of growth is really where you have real growth. And we just like didn't have time to think about it. We had to hire, and we had to almost hire what we say is like, what you're like, oh, we might need that person in 18 months.
28:59Stephen Ellsworth: We're like, we need them now, right? It's like the growth that we're having. And so that really stretched us as, I think, founders to when we do it again, we know the key to hire quick and hire good talent.
29:13Allison Ellsworth: Steven, any more? Yeah, I would say over, I would double down on that. Over-invest in talent. I mean, team is going to be your biggest asset. that's the way that you can multiply yourself, honestly. And one of the things is like, okay, if you're an entrepreneur, you have an idea, you obviously have a little bit of an ego because you think you can do it better. And maybe you can, but you can't do everything better. So if you have 50 or 60 % trust in somebody else, that's literally when you should start to delegate it. 50 or 60%. Yeah, 50 or 60%. You're like, maybe they'll get it right, maybe they won't.
29:45Allison Ellsworth: But that's when you should start to delegate and bring on the team to support you. So in order to grow, you have to let go. Yeah. So we finish every interview with some rapid fire questions. And we already did that with Allison last year. We wrote down her answers. So for this one, we're going to do the newlyweds game. Yeah. Stephen, we're going to ask you, what did Allison answer to these questions?
30:11Stephen Ellsworth: Oh, my God. I'm so excited.
30:12Allison Ellsworth: Oh my gosh. So rapid fire question number one. What is the best brand that isn't Poppy? Remember, this isn't you I'm asking, Stephen. What did Allison say to that question? What did Allison say to the best brand that isn't Poppy? Oh my gosh.
30:28Stephen Ellsworth: They say it on every interview. No hints. No hints.
30:31Allison Ellsworth: Do you say Skims?
30:33Stephen Ellsworth: Yes.
30:34Allison Ellsworth: Is it Skims? Skims and Starface. It's Skims. Let's go. Let's go. Hey, that goes one from one. That's why we're still married. Okay. Question number two What is Allison's Dream Poppy collab? You can't say Skims Oh my gosh I don't know this one Can we get a hint? It's another thing you wear but it's on your feet Oh yeah Crocs Question number three The best snack that Allison always has in stock Snack or snacks? Either. I like to snack. It's either got to be string cheese or pickles. I'll give you half credit because cheddar popcorn. Cheddar popcorn? Yeah. Best business leader, Allison, admires. Kris Jenner?
31:31Allison Ellsworth: Close. Emma Greed of Skips. Oh, yeah. Yeah, okay. Okay. It's all in the family. And best restaurant in Austin, Texas. Oh my gosh. The taco place. Okay, we're getting warmer. We're getting warmer. Keep going. So I think you really like La Piscina. But it's the one on the east side. I like this method of stalling.
31:58Stephen Ellsworth: Pink cups. Do you guys know? De nada!
32:01Allison Ellsworth: Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you. De nada. I think Stephen did pretty darn well on that one, Jack. Yeah, it was pretty darn good. We're going to round up and give you a five out of six on that. Kris Jenner was like one and a half degree of separation from Emma. Kris Jenner is like one and a half degree of separation from everybody in this room. But guys, we're going to do one final thing before you go. We've got to have you ring the bell before you leave the stage.
32:23Stephen Ellsworth: Yes, please. We would be honored. Where did the bell go?
32:26Allison Ellsworth: Right over there. On the way out. But let's give a round of applause. Yay, thank you. For Alison and Chief of the Power Couple, Puffins. Don't let me get on and down. It's always a good thing to say. It's been amazing. It's been amazing.
32:41Stephen Ellsworth: Are you guys ready? Oh, they're bringing it in the middle.
32:45Allison Ellsworth: You got to lift with your legs, not with your back on this bell. This is 40 pounds.
32:49Stephen Ellsworth: Anybody know Selling Sunset?
32:51Allison Ellsworth: You didn't go cheap on this bell, huh?
32:53Stephen Ellsworth: This is my Selling Sunset moment. I sold my company. Wait, how do you do it? Get a good one.
33:04Good night, guys.
33:05Stephen Ellsworth: He's like, you do it. Thank you so much, guys.
33:08Allison Ellsworth: Thank you.
33:09Stephen Ellsworth: One final applause for them.
33:39Allison Ellsworth: proven choice. Ready to talk with an expert? Visit bill.com slash proven to get started and grab a$250 gift card as a thank you. Terms and conditions apply. See offer page for details.
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.
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.
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