Kat Cole, President and COO at Athletic Greens, shares her inspiring journey from Hooters waitress to leading billion-dollar companies. She discusses the authenticity in marketing and the power of partnerships with thought leaders to drive growth. Kat dives into Athletic Greens’ impressive trajectory, highlighting the unique qualities of their flagship product, AG1. She also offers valuable advice for aspiring professionals, emphasizing the importance of curiosity and hard work in carving a successful career path.
36:04
forum Ask episode
web_stories AI Snips
view_agenda Chapters
menu_book Books
auto_awesome Transcript
info_circle Episode notes
question_answer ANECDOTE
From Focus Brands to Athletic Greens
Kat Cole transitioned from Focus Brands to Athletic Greens after a period of advising.
This move was driven by aligning values, impressive growth, and the unique mission.
insights INSIGHT
Bootstrapped Growth and Product Quality
Athletic Greens, now a global business, achieved remarkable bootstrapped growth before its first major funding round.
Its success is largely attributed to the high quality and subscription model of its flagship product, AG1.
insights INSIGHT
Beyond Greens: Foundational Nutrition
AG1 is more than just greens; it's a comprehensive foundational nutrition drink.
It addresses gut health and nutrient absorption together, leading to improved overall well-being.
Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode
How a Few Companies Make It… and Why the Rest Don’t
Verne Harnish
This book, written by Verne Harnish, provides a comprehensive framework for scaling businesses. It focuses on the four major decision areas every company must get right: People, Strategy, Execution, and Cash. The book includes the updated One-Page Strategic Plan and the Rockefeller Habits Checklist, which have been used by over 40,000 firms to scale successfully. Harnish draws on decades of experience advising CEOs and executives, emphasizing the importance of routines, effective meetings, and clear communication to drive business growth and maintain organizational health[1][3][4].
Traction
Get a Grip on Your Business
Gino Wickman
In Traction, Gino Wickman provides a systematic approach to achieving business success through the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS). The book focuses on six key components: Vision, People, Data, Issues, Process, and Traction. It helps business leaders clarify their vision, align their leadership team, solve common business problems, and foster healthy communication and discipline within the organization. The EOS system is designed to help businesses overcome frustrations such as lack of control, people issues, insufficient profit, hitting the ceiling, and feeling stuck. The book offers practical tools, real-world examples, and actionable strategies to drive sustainable growth and improve business operations.
In episode #2121, Eric gets together with Kat Cole, President, COO, & Board of Directors at Athletic Greens, to talk about her career, including why she chose to become a key player in the company, and her ten years at Focus Brands. In our conversation, we discuss the mission and values that define Athletic Greens, why their rapid growth rate can be attributed to the merits and quality of their flagship product AG1, and how being bootstrapped has influenced their marketing strategy. Kat unpacks the marketing success they’ve achieved through their long-term partnerships with top thought leaders and creators, and explains why their performance marketing strategy has been more conservative than some might think. She also shares her advice for anyone who wants to pursue a similar career in business and champions the values of being a curious, hard-working student who is willing to go out there and gain experience. Kat has had an incredible career and it was wonderful having her on the show. Tune in to learn more about Athletic Greens, how to customize your marketing, and much more!
TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:
[00:20] Introducing today’s topic: Growth & Leadership Lessons from Leading $1B Athletic Greens and $5B Focus Brands with Kat Cole.
[01:29] Why Kat chose Athletic Greens for her next chapter.
[02:47] An overview of Athletic Greens and their incredible growth.
[06:22] The high quality of Athletic Greens’ comprehensive flagship product AG1.
[06:54] Why AG1 is more than just a green drink and the marketing challenge this poses.
[07:52] How Chris, the founder of Athletic Greens, helped establish foundational nutrition as a category.
[10:04] Learn what AG1 tastes like and different ways to drink it.
[12:41] A breakdown of Athletic Greens’ marketing strategy.
[13:21] The success they’ve found partnering with creators and influencers.
[14:11] How being largely referral-based made the iOS 14 update less difficult for them.
[14:33] How being a bootstrapped company has affected their marketing strategy.
[15:29] The rapid rate of growth they've experienced, based on the merits of their product.
[18:05] Insights into how marketing is changing.
[19:18] Kat’s advice to anyone who wants to pursue a similar career path.
[24:29] Kat’s monthly process for checking in with her loved ones.
[27:11] How Kat does a similar check-in with her work relationships.
[28:53] Learn where you can find Kat online.
[29:34] That’s it for today! Don’t forget to rate, review, and subscribe to this podcast!
Marketing School - Digital Marketing and Online Marketing Tips 
