The Logan Bartlett Show

EP 116: John Fieldly (CEO, Celsius) How He Saved Celsius From Near Bankruptcy to a $10B Company

Aug 30, 2024

John Fieldly, CEO of Celsius, a nearly $10B energy drink company, reveals the brand's hair-raising journey from near bankruptcy to market dominance. He discusses overcoming massive revenue losses and legal challenges while redirecting the brand's focus from weight loss to energy. John shares insights on securing pivotal distribution deals, including a major partnership with Pepsi, and leveraging digital marketing and influencers to connect with younger consumers. His leadership journey showcases resilience and strategic vision in transforming Celsius into a health-oriented powerhouse.

01:06:53

Creator website

Episode guests

John Fieldly

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Episode notes

Intro

2min

Reviving Celsius: From Struggles to Success

12min

Navigating Beverage Distribution Challenges

19min

From CFO to CEO: A Journey of Growth

3min

Reviving a Beverage Brand Through Strategic Partnerships

4min

The Rise of Performance Energy Drinks and Strategic Funding Moves

2min

From Seed Investment to Market Leader

11min

From CPA to CEO: A Journey of Growth

14min

Many know Celsius as a top energy drink brand today, but few are aware of the tumultuous journey CEO John Fieldly took to get it here. In the episode, John shared how the company nearly went bankrupt multiple times, lost 50% of its revenue overnight and even got delisted from the NASDAQ.

Despite these challenges, John stepped up to rebuild the brand to the nearly $10B company it is today. We discuss how he shifted focus from weight loss to broad-based energy, secured key distribution deals, landed a major partnership with Pepsi, and much more.

(00:00) Intro

(01:34) The Origins of Celsius

(03:30) Going Public: The Early Days

(06:07) Challenges and Lawsuits

(09:17) Rebuilding and Rebranding

(13:18) Strategic Shifts and Market Positioning

(30:40) The Role of Influencers and Social Media

(32:03) John Fieldly's Leadership Journey

(33:34) Reflecting on the Stock Price Journey

(34:12) Navigating Public Company Challenges

(35:25) Distribution Deals and Market Perception

(38:00) Strategic Moves and Competitive Advantage

(44:08) Marketing Strategies and Consumer Engagement

(52:35) Leadership and Company Culture

(01:02:01) International Expansion and Future Goals

(01:06:01) Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Executive Producer: Rashad Assir

Producer: Leah Clapper

Mixing and editing: Justin Hrabovsky

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About the Show

Logan Bartlett is a Software Investor at Redpoint Ventures - a Silicon Valley-based VC with $6B AUM and investments in Snowflake, DraftKings, Twilio, and Netflix. In each episode of The Logan Bartlett Show, we sit down with the people behind today’s most important startups and extract the tactics, lessons, and frameworks they’ve learned the hard way. Conversations span hiring to GTM, product, growth, fundraising and everything in between - collectively forming the ultimate playbook to make you a better CEO, investor or board member.

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