How Today’s Leaders Are Building Tomorrow’s Billion-Dollar Brands

In this special edition of the podcast, we feature highlights from interviews with seven innovators, leaders and disruptors who joined us on the show during the second half of 2024. Our guests include Ben Goodwin and David Lester, the co-founders of Olipop; Poorvi Patodia, the founder and CEO of Biena; Charles Coristine, the CEO of LesserEvil; Peter Rahal, the co-founder of RXBAR & David; Olivia Ferdi, the co-Founder of Trip; and Justin Rosenberg, the founder and CEO of Honeygrow.

Show notes:

0:32: Interview: Ben Goodwin & David Lester, Co-Founders, Olipop – Let’s kick things off with Ben Goodwin and David Lester, the co-founders of leading better-for-you soda brand Olipop, In this clip, pulled from an episode published on August 20, Ben and David talk about why marketing doesn’t lean heavily into the products’ functionality. They also explain why its mission and economic outcome “will forever be entwined” and why hiring talented leaders at the strategic level is “beyond critical.”

11:44: Interview: Poorvi Patodia, Founder & CEO, Biena – Next up we have Poorvia Patodia, the founder and CEO of pioneering chickpea snack brand Biena. In a clip pulled from an episode featured on October 22, Poorvi discusses the “trifecta” of attributes that make for a great brand, how Biena incorporates long-term trends into its innovation strategy and how building to win means learning in small ways.

20:36: Interview: Charles Coristine, CEO, LesserEvil – Let’s keep it going with Charles Coristine, the CEO of fast-growing better-for-you snack brand LesserEvil In this clip, from our episode published on July 30, Charles discusses the value of self-manufacturing for end consumers, why he advocates that founders be “super scrappy” and not over-hire, and his belief that being an entrepreneur is “a hero’s journey.”

25:44: Interview: Peter Rahal, Co-Founder, RXBAR & David – Next we have Peter Rahal, the co-founder of groundbreaking protein bar brands RXBAR and David. In the following clip, pulled from an episode published on October 15, Peter talks about his obsessive work ethic and leadership style, how to create “the best business strategy” and what he means when he says that happiness is “irrelevant.”

31:29: Interview: Olivia Ferdi, Co-Founder, Trip – We continue with Olivia Ferdi, the co-founder of calming beverage platform Trip. In this clip, pulled from an episode aired on November 5, Olivia explains why she never did a market analysis prior to launching Trip and why being obsessed with the details from the outset gave the brand a foundation for rapid scale and success.

35:57: Interview: Justin Rosenberg, Founder & CEO, Honeygrow – Finally, we hear from Justin Rosenberg, the founder and CEO of Honeygrow, the innovative and rapidly growing fast-casual restaurant chain. In the following clip, pulled from an episode published on December 3, Justin talks about Honeygrow’s focus on using “great” ingredients, “the common denominator” among its leadership team, and how consumer feedback influences menu decisions and new product development.

Brands in this episode: Olipop, Biena, LesserEvil, RXBAR, David, Trip, Honeygrow