Positioning Poppi as soda, not health tonic

Allison Ellsworth went from oil & gas spreadsheets to building Poppi, the prebiotic soda that broke the internet, rewrote the rules on “healthy soda,” and sold to PepsiCo in a multibillion-dollar deal.

In this episode of The Burnouts, Allison joins Phoebe Gates and Sophia Kianni to share how a DIY apple-cider-vinegar tonic from her Texas kitchen turned into the soda of the next generation. She walks through the whole arc: farmers’ markets, Whole Foods, Shark Tank while nine months pregnant, a risky rebrand, and the TikTok storytime that quietly did $100K on Amazon overnight.

Allison also gets brutally honest about working with her husband, hiring too slowly while growth rockets, and what happens to your identity when you suddenly have both a Super Bowl ad and an exit. She shares the unglamorous side of lawsuits, burnout, mom guilt, and figuring out “what’s next” when you technically never have to work again.

If you’re building a consumer brand, obsessing over content, or just trying to stay ambitious without completely frying your nervous system, this episode is a masterclass in playing the long game — and still having fun.

Chapters
00:00 – From Texas kid to unexpected founder
02:00 – ACV shots, health issues & the Poppi spark
04:30 – Farmers’ market hustle → Whole Foods breakthrough
06:30 – Shark Tank at 9 months pregnant
08:30 – The risky rebrand: Mother Beverage → Poppi
11:00 – Launching Poppi during COVID
13:00 – TikTok virality & selling out overnight
16:00 – Creator-first marketing & celebrity fans
19:00 – Flavor wins, flavor fails & building a real soda
22:00 – Working with your husband (and being wrong sometimes)
24:30 – Sugar, lawsuits & building in CPG
27:00 – Inside the PepsiCo acquisition
30:00 – Life after the exit & what’s next for Allison

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About The Burnouts
The Burnouts brings you raw, unfiltered conversations with today’s top founders, creators, and culture-shaping entrepreneurs. Hosted by Stanford roommates turned startup co-founders Phoebe Gates and Sophia Kianni, the show goes beyond headlines to explore the real stories, breakdowns, and breakthroughs that define your 20s.

Past guests include Paris Hilton, Tommy Hilfiger, Kris Jenner, Karlie Kloss, and other entrepreneurs redefining our generation.

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