Brian Ansah is a former University of Minnesota track athlete whose journey into entrepreneurship began not on the podium—but in recovery. After tearing his ACL, Brian suddenly found himself with time on his hands, and a lot of uncertainty about what came next. But instead of sitting still, he teamed up with his best friend, who, at the time, was recovering from an accident, to figure out their business futures. The result was X Hydration.

X Hydration isn’t your typical sports drink. In fact, it’s not a sports drink at all—it’s wellness water with aloe as its secret weapon. In this episode, Brian shares how they went from a $3,000 check from his brother to developing a product in professional labs, surviving a few taste-test disasters, and eventually landing on something that actually works—and tastes good.

We’ll also talk about the brand’s very intentional marketing strategy. Forget follower counts—Brian and his team are seeking authentic athlete partnerships and word-of-mouth from people who really believe in what they’re drinking.

Brian also delves into the mental challenge of leaving athletics behind and stepping into a whole new identity as a founder. There’s a lot of honesty, a lot of hustle—and maybe even a little talk about diamonds, believe it or not.

ABOUT THIS PODCAST

The Sports Business Conversations podcast is a production of ADC Partners, a sports marketing agency that specializes in creating, managing, and evaluating effective partnerships between brands and sports. All rights reserved.

YOUR HOST

Dave Almy brings over 30 years of sports marketing and sports business experience to his role as host of the "1-on-1: Sports Business Conversations" podcast. Dave is the co-Founder of ADC Partners.

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