The Queen of Branding: Lynda Resnick’s $6 Billion Empire of FIJI Water, POM, & Wonderful Pistachios
Big Shot
Intro
This chapter explores the innovative tactics of a remarkable entrepreneur who turned basic agricultural products into brand powerhouses like FIJI Water. Through her keen understanding of consumer preferences and emotional marketing strategies, she successfully built multiple billion-dollar companies.
In this episode of Big Shot, we’re thrilled to welcome the legendary marketing visionary Lynda Resnick. As the co-owner of The Wonderful Company, Lynda has shaped iconic brands like POM Wonderful, Wonderful Pistachios, and FIJI Water into household names.
With her husband, Stewart, Lynda also turned The Franklin Mint into a cultural sensation and brought fresh ideas to the floral industry with Teleflora’s innovative, long-lasting gifts.
Join us as Lynda takes us on a journey through her extraordinary life—from her early days as a child actor to her recent retirement and her hands-on efforts to make communities healthier and stronger through impactful philanthropic initiatives.
• How Lynda built a successful business at the age of 19
• Turning The Franklin Mint into a cultural icon and making millions with a deluxe Monopoly game
• The incredible story of branding POM Wonderful and FIJI Water
• How she sold $150 million worth of Monopoly
• Lynda’s commitment to quality
• Why she’s never raised any outside capital
• The childhood experience that shaped Lynda’s decision to always self-fund her philanthropy
• A life-changing epiphany inspired by philosopher Michael Sandel
• Lynda’s philanthropic work building healthier, safer communities for her workers
• The role Judaism plays in her life, her marriage, and advice for young people
• And more!
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In This Episode We Cover:
(00:00) Intro
(02:35) Lynda’s early years in Pennsylvania
(05:14) Lynda Limited, the company Lynda founded at the age of 19
(08:37) Lynda’s activism and her involvement with the Pentagon Papers
(13:06) Thinking inside the box
(15:35) How Lynda reinvented the floral business with Teleflora
(19:00) Taking The Franklin Mint beyond coins
(24:00) The story of buying Jackie O’s pearls and making reproductions
(25:30) Why Lynda and her husband Stewart bought land in the Joaquin Valley
(28:58) How Lynda discovered the benefits of pomegranate
(30:20) Building the Pom Wonderful brand, including the packaging
(32:18) Early obstacles Pom Wonderful faced, including the court battle
(34:00) Why Lynda insisted on 100% pure pomegranate juice
(35:25) How Lynda was able to build brands around commodities
(39:11) The story about acquiring Fiji
(43:27) Lynda’s philanthropic philosophy
(45:10) Lynda’s epiphany inspired by Michael Sandel
(49:10) Lynda’s philanthropic work building better communities for her workers
(52:50) Lynda’s experiences with antisemitism, including rejection from The Campfire Girls
(54:43) The role Jewish culture plays in Lynda’s life
(56:07) Lynda’s time as a child actor—and an early lesson on always being prepared
(58:23) Lynda’s advice on staying true to your values
(59:10) How Lynda and Stewart have maintained their strong marriage and partnership
(1:02:40) Lynda’s thoughts on building lasting brands
(1:03:55) AI’s answer to what Lynda’s superpower is
(1:06:00) How “America’s Favorite Mom” got overshadowed by a golf game
(1:09:04) Why Lynda doesn’t have regrets
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Where To Find Lynda Resnick:
• Website: https://www.wonderful.com/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lynda-resnick-04103a101/
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Where To Find Big Shot:
• Website: https://www.bigshot.show/
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bigshotpodcast
• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bigshotshow
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bigshotshow/
• Harley Finkelstein: https://twitter.com/harleyf
• David Segal: https://twitter.com/tea_maverick
• Production and Marketing: https://penname.co
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