Olipop: Ben Goodwin

Update: 2024-09-02

Digest

This episode of How I Built This features Ben Goodwin, co-founder of OliPop, a prebiotic soda company. The episode explores Ben's journey from a difficult childhood to becoming a successful entrepreneur. Guy Raz, the host, discusses the importance of failure in entrepreneurship, using James Dyson's story as an example. Ben shares his early entrepreneurial experiences, including selling coconut water, DJing at raves, and working in a health food store. He also discusses the impact of Gary Erickson's book "Raising the Bar" on his decision to become an entrepreneur. Ben describes his early interest in the beverage industry and his experience working with Adam Goodman at Kombucha Botanica. He explains how this experience led him to learn about the microbiome and its importance for human health. Ben shares his decision to create his own probiotic beverage, Obi, and the challenges of scaling up fermentation. He discusses his collaboration with a microbiologist, Jim LaDier, and the unconventional approach he took to building his microbiology lab. Ben recounts the long and arduous process of developing a delicious fermented beverage, sharing the story of how he stumbled upon the winning formula after hundreds of experiments. He discusses the importance of finding the right business partner, sharing his experience with a previous partner who wasn't the right fit and how he eventually found David Lester, who became his co-founder. Ben and David join forces to launch Obi, a probiotic soda, raising $2 million in funding and beginning sales in natural food stores in Santa Cruz. Ben explains the circumstances surrounding the acquisition of Obi, revealing that the company was growing but faced challenges with its corporate structure and partnerships. Ben shares his journey after the acquisition of Obi, including his trip to Japan and his realization that prebiotics could be the next big thing in the beverage industry. Ben and David team up again to launch OliPop, a prebiotic soda with fiber, focusing on creating delicious flavors and emphasizing the health benefits of fiber for gut health. Ben discusses the early success of OliPop, which quickly gained traction in natural food stores and eventually expanded to mainstream retailers like Walmart. He shares how OliPop thrived during the pandemic, despite the challenges of reduced consumer spending and limited marketing opportunities. Ben discusses OliPop's ambitious plans for the future, aiming to become a major player in the soda industry and capitalize on the decline of traditional soda consumption. He addresses the possibility of OliPop being acquired by a larger company like Coca-Cola or PepsiCo, emphasizing his desire to see the brand continue to grow and make a positive impact on the world. Ben reflects on the factors that contributed to his success, acknowledging the role of luck, hard work, and his natural abilities. He emphasizes the importance of resilience and self-awareness in navigating life's challenges. Ben announces OliPop's partnership with the LA Clippers' new sports arena, the Intuit Dome, a significant achievement for the brand. Guy Raz concludes the episode with a call to action for listeners to subscribe to the podcast and sign up for his newsletter. He also promotes Wondery Plus, the premium podcast subscription service.

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