Ep. 212: How The Unlikely Duo Of NASCAR’s Kyle Busch And Suja’s Jeff Church Are Attempting To Defy The Odds In Energy

Individually, Kyle Busch and Jeff Church have highly accomplished resumes within their respective fields. Busch is a two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion and has been one of the top drivers in the sport for nearly two decades, while Church is a seasoned business executive and beverage entrepreneur, best known for his work as the co-founder and former CEO of cold-pressed juice leader Suja. 

Together, they comprise a formidable team as the co-founders of Rowdy Energy, an energy drink brand formulated with natural ingredients that launched earlier this year. Named after Busch’s sobriquet, Rowdy is attempting to capitalize on a thriving, albeit consolidated, market for energy drinks and growing consumer demand for better-for-you options. 

In an interview included in this episode, Busch and Church spoke about their decision to launch a challenger brand in the energy category and the timing of Rowdy’s debut, leveraging Busch’s fame and fan base in a way that’s authentic to the brand and its positioning, managing conflict in their personalities and ways of doing business and how Church is incorporating lessons from the Suja playbook into Rowdy’s business strategy.

Show notes: 

0:40: Kyle Busch & Jeff Church, Co-Founders, Rowdy Energy -- Taste Radio editor Ray Latif sat down with Busch and Church for a conversation that explored the two-time NASCAR champion’s race preparation, his longstanding ties to the energy drink category, how his interest in launching Rowdy led him to Church and why neither was turned off by the naysayers. They also explained why they’re embracing a long-term view of success, why Rowdy is targeting millennial and female consumers, the decision to focus on building a brand that’s not reliant on Busch’s fame and how they collaborate on company strategy.

Brands in this episode: Rowdy Energy, Monster Energy, NOS Energy, BodyArmor, AQUAhydrate, Once Upon A Farm