November 8, 2024 • 37 mins
Rachel Zoe is joined this week by the wonderful and passionate entrepreneur and the founder of Poppi, Allison Ellsworth. Allison has built a fantastic and successful brand that is rooted in a product that she created truly out of necessity. Allison discovered the health benefits of apple cider vinegar and created (in her own kitchen) a healthier soda that has become one of the fastest growing beverages of all time… all while raising 3 young boys! Crack open your favorite Poppi and enjoy this episode!
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:07):
Hi everyone, I'm Rachel Zoe and you're listening to Climbing
in Heels for your weekly dose of glamour, inspiration and fun.
I'm joined today by the wonderful and incredibly passionate entrepreneur
and founder of Poppy, Alison Ellsworth. Allison has built the
most fantastic and successful brand that's rooted in a product
(00:29):
that she created truly out of necessity. She discovered the
health benefits of apple cider vinegar and created a healthier
soda that's become the fastest growing beverage of all time
that is insane well simultaneously giving birth and raising three
young boys. I'm so incredibly inspired by Alison's vision, So
(00:52):
let's jump right in.
Speaker 2 (00:54):
You are going to love this episode. I'm so excited
to have you on.
Speaker 1 (01:02):
You know, I drink Poppy, my team drinks Poppy.
Speaker 2 (01:06):
We all like my refrigerator is filled with Poppy.
Speaker 1 (01:10):
But I also want to say how cool it is
for me when I like a brand, when I see
like kind of all these different people coming in from
the wild holding the brand, which I imagine is the greatest
thing for you. So I want to talk about this
because I want to dive back to the beginning for
a second.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
So you grew up in Texas, born and raised.
Speaker 3 (01:29):
So born in Colorado, lived there for like a year.
But I don't claim that I'm a Texas girlie through
and through. I grew up here, lived here, forced my
husband to move back here. I'm obsessed with Texas.
Speaker 2 (01:40):
You are.
Speaker 3 (01:41):
I love that I love Texas.
Speaker 2 (01:45):
I love that I love that you love Texas.
Speaker 1 (01:47):
Having so many people in my life from Texas, there
is this overarching common thread of friendliness. And first of all,
everybody's tall, so I do want to really I am tall.
Speaker 3 (01:59):
Yes, literally every.
Speaker 1 (02:00):
Friend I've ever had from Texas is incredibly tall, except
for one. The guys are gigantic, they are actually gigantic,
and the women are also very very tall. But there's
this happiness about Texans. The people I've met from Texas
are driven, They're happy, they love Texas, love it.
Speaker 3 (02:26):
No I've always said I started the company in Texas,
and I always feel like if I wouldn't have, I
don't know if we'd be so successful. It was like
Texans love Texas brands, like everything about it. But also
other people like Texas brands yes, and usually don't get
a lot of better for you products right, usually are
like New York, LA, and so it was really exciting
(02:46):
to have like a better for you product coming out
of the South as well. Yes, so I love that
about it.
Speaker 2 (02:52):
I want to talk about that.
Speaker 1 (02:53):
I want to understand a little bit why you created
Poppy because you started in oil, which is funny because
I was saying earlier to my producer.
Speaker 2 (03:06):
It's funny because.
Speaker 1 (03:08):
When you're in LA, you're like, oh, are you in
the industry, And it's very clear what industry that is
when you're in LA. When you're in New York, it's like,
are you in the industry? Meaning fashion or art or theater,
but or finance. And then I feel like Texas, It's like, Okay,
you're in the industry and that's oil, right, So so
how do you go and why do you go from
(03:32):
working in the oil industry too saying I'm going to
start a wellness sparkling soda.
Speaker 3 (03:41):
It's interesting because I kind of come from a family
of entrepreneurs. So my sister and my dad are both
in the oil and gas industry, and I graduated and
I've never been from college. I've never been a person
to like want to go work in like a cubicle
or for another person, and there's a lot of financial
freedom and just like I don't know, career freedom. When
you work in gas and you're on the road and
(04:01):
you're you're basically have no boss, right, so you have
to be very much a self starter. And so I
did that, but I was never like I was good
at it. I was really good at it, but I
wasn't like passionate about it. And while I was on
the road, I'm sure you've spent many year where you're
like traveling and you're on the road, it's like what
I call is like this carier Like I got like
road warrior belly, like where your tummy hurts, you're tired,
(04:23):
and your spoon's off and you're dehydrated, and it's like
all of the above. And it was just really wearing
on me so much showed that I started like going
to the doctors and being like, what's going on, And
really it came down to my diet. Like at the
end of the day. This was like almost ten twelve
years ago, before the gluten free phase where people are like, oh,
(04:44):
what you put in your body, you can actually you know,
affect the way that you feel. And I discovered apple
cider vinegar. I started working out and reading ingredients and
nutrition panels, and I just came really passionate about just
better for you lifestyle. And I know there was no
like better for you soda. I grew up drinking soda.
(05:04):
It was just part of my household that it's like
this nostalgic filling that like you have it with movies,
you have it with you know, every get together, and
there was just nothing out there. So once I kind
of discovered that, I just went to my kitchen. I
love cooking, and I kind of just created the first
version and it was a total accident, not an entrepreneurial
(05:25):
journey at all. And I shared it with my husband
and with other people, and they were like, this is
really good. You should do something about it. My dad
was like, you should sell your hooge, and I was like,
I don't know, Okay, sure, but I was just so
excited to share it with others rather than like to
monetize it. And I kind of feel like some of
(05:45):
the most beautiful things come from like passionate emotion versus
like a business plan and I'm going to do this
to get rich, like type of situation.
Speaker 1 (05:55):
That's so interesting because they do know what you mean.
Because the first fifteen years of my career, I was
like on a plane, I wasn't sleeping. I mean, you're
eating on set, like you know, we had these there's
something on set called craft services, which I'm sure you know,
and you just graze and you eat like things that
and you just.
Speaker 2 (06:14):
Feel so sick every day.
Speaker 1 (06:16):
And then when you fly and you just feel constantly
out of sorts, really, and I don't think people recognize
until it's too late. Very often the impact of travel
on our bodies and work travel specifically, because it's not
elective most of the time. And I think as we
(06:38):
get older, our bodies are like, ooh, just kidding, that's
not going to work for you anymore, Like you got
to change something. And so being in Texas, which is
not the world of wellness, and you know, I always
think of it as the steak and potatoes and like
milk and all the things, because I'm sort of like,
maybe this is why everyone's tall, Like they actually do
(07:03):
drink the eight glasses of milk you're supposed to have
or whatever it is that you know, My my poor
thirteen year old son is so vertically challenged right now
and every day makes up He's like, should I start
drinking milk?
Speaker 2 (07:15):
Mob Like maybe I'm gonna go.
Speaker 3 (07:18):
It's okay. Men are late bloomers. My husband in every
way he grew no. I mean, I think like being
in Texas, yeah, definitely, I didn't grow up with the
emphasis on like health or wellness. And to your point, yeah,
steak potatoes. It was like a normal once a burger, tacos,
text mix, all of those things. So it was like
(07:41):
one of those moments where I felt like we had
discovered something, me and my husband on doing this, and
I was like, I just want to share with people.
So I wanted to also start a family. At the
time we bought a house in Dallas was kind of
putting our roots down and no kidding you, Like we
bought the house in December January, I got pregnant, like
(08:03):
so quick.
Speaker 2 (08:03):
We're doesnt work like that?
Speaker 3 (08:05):
You're like, it was not part of the plan, but
we embraced it, and I was like, I can't go
back in the road. So I want to just start
selling this that our local farmers market, which is what
I think a lot of better for you products start
off testing and within three weeks we had Whole Foods
come by our booth because they're a Texas company and
she's like, you guys should be in Whole Foods. And
it was the first moment I was like, oh, I
(08:27):
have a business here and I I don't that second
that conversation. I still remember her name, Kelly Landrew. She
changed my life. And I looked at my husband and said,
we're putting our life savings into this we're doing He's like,
what are you talking about. We just bought a house,
you're three months pregnant, Like like, what are you talking about?
And I'm like, we're doing this. Like it was so
determined from that How old were you then at that point?
(08:50):
So that was like six years ago. So I was
thirty twenty nine thirty at that point, and you know,
just started really going tow on that. We opened our
manufacturing facility, put our life savings in and just kind
of went all in and got to the point where
we needed funding. So of course the next step in
the American dream is Shark Tank, and went on Shark Tank.
(09:13):
At that point, it'd been like.
Speaker 2 (09:14):
You haven't got on Shark Tank. I mean that's like
that's not easy. It's not.
Speaker 3 (09:20):
And what I didn't realize is the show like reaches
out to people. We went stood in line and did
the open casting call with hundreds of other people. I'd
had my first, I was pregnant with my second. I
was like, let's just keep I was like, I refuse
to just pick one or the other, Like that's like
my model in life. I do too much, like all
(09:40):
the time. So I was pregnant with my second when
we went on to Shark Tank, and I was nine
months pregnant on Shark Tank, had the baby ten days later.
So stop it. It's been wild. Yeah, girl, what sign
are you? You?
Speaker 2 (09:54):
Virgo?
Speaker 3 (09:55):
I'm a Capricorn. I'm a pretty hardwore capcorn.
Speaker 2 (09:57):
Wow, I'm so infant.
Speaker 1 (10:00):
You read very virgo, by the way, but Virgo's and cops.
My baby son is a cap similar to you. I was,
I got pregnant, wasn't trying. Was launching my clothing collection
and launched it literally like I think it was like
three or four weeks before I had my first son,
and I remember standing there with the models and styling
(10:20):
the looks for the collection and women's were daily taking
picture of me. I had this tummy, I was wearing
thigh high boots, I was wearing like all the things,
and I'm like, Nope, nothing's going to change.
Speaker 2 (10:29):
Nope, nothing's going to change.
Speaker 3 (10:30):
Nope.
Speaker 2 (10:31):
I got this. I'm going to do this. But like,
I want to.
Speaker 1 (10:34):
Talk about how that was for you, going on Shark
Tank and doing this whole thing, and being pregnant, having
a child, like and honestly being young. I had my
kids late, right, I had already built my career, so
I was able to sort of say, Okay, my team's
going to come to the house to work today, or
I'm going to bring my son with me on this
(10:55):
trip or whatever. I was able, i think, to dictate
a little bit more of how that went for me,
but it was still incredibly challenging. So I want to know,
as you were launching this dream that you didn't even
know what's going to happen, you know, And I always say,
there's no blueprint for this, right, you can't. I'm sure
(11:16):
people ask you all the time like how did you
do this, Dada, and You're like, honestly, my passion.
Speaker 2 (11:20):
I loved it.
Speaker 3 (11:21):
It was you know, right, yeah, and you a lot
of sleepless nights lots of tears, lots of ups, lots
of downs, lots of fear, lots of you know, the
list goes on.
Speaker 2 (11:31):
But I see entrepreneurship by the way.
Speaker 3 (11:33):
Yeah, And I think we left an insanely successful career
to go into this. And I always say, like, unless
you really are passionate about it, like you're not going
to leave that security. And then just being a mom
was also just a really big goal in my life.
My husband grew up Mormon, like family is just like
a really big piece. He's like one of six, I'm
(11:54):
like one of four. We just like always wanted that
from like a young age, and I was just like,
why do I have to Like that's just how I am.
If you tell me no, I'm like, oh, I'm talking
to the wrong person. And I just feel like it
was just I wanted both and I didn't have to choose.
But was it way harder, Oh my gosh. Yes, Like
(12:14):
it got to the point where he had to get
like a second job. We were working bottling during the week.
I would work with the baby strapped to me. I
did delivers with them strapped, Like we could not afford
a babysitter like my mom would come down on the
weekends when she could help. You know, got to the
point where you know, we're just like, this is like
can we do this? The low lows, the high highest
(12:36):
type of situation. But just looking back on I wouldn't
change any of it. I remember with my first being
on the bottling line going into labor was back on
with the baby strapped to me two weeks later because
we like needed to keep going and I wouldn't. I
don't know, it didn't seem hard at the time looking back, like,
oh my gosh, I don't know if I could do
that again.
Speaker 1 (12:56):
No, But I mean I think we could say that
that was a adrenaline. You could say that that was
like excitement and determination. You could say that, you know,
when you tell your kids this story, they're going to.
Speaker 2 (13:08):
Be so proud of you. Is your husband your partner?
Speaker 3 (13:14):
Yes? So yeah, And he runs like at Poppy, I
run like all of our creative brand vision and he
runs like our innovation and our supply chain. So we're
very opposites as well, and he like I couldn't do
it with them, he couldn't do it without me. But
he does allow me to be crazy, which I like,
(13:36):
I think at Poppy, like like the level of quickness
that we work through and like we move at the
speed of culture, Like we have to be like really nimble,
crazy and willing to take risks. But it's funny because
I had my first two pregnancies and like children will
growing the business, and then I waited four years and
Poppy was like homming along great. And then I had
a third and that was such a different experience.
Speaker 2 (13:59):
Yeah, I was gonna you.
Speaker 3 (14:00):
Know, he was on flights with me twenty times, who
are six months old and like, and you are running
around doing interviews, will breastfeeding on the subway, you know,
like all of those things. So I think I got
to experience both. And you know, I look back and
it's just a built grit to get me to continue
to get where I am. And now I'm like, maybe
I need more good things happen at Poppy when I
(14:21):
get pregnant.
Speaker 1 (14:23):
I'm going to predict you are likely having a fourth.
I mean, even if you didn't say that just now,
I'm going to think that you are.
Speaker 3 (14:30):
I love chaos, I well, clearly.
Speaker 2 (14:33):
But I think it's interesting.
Speaker 1 (14:35):
I want to talk about the not making a choice
because I think I think that is the hardest decision
that women have to face if you want to have
a business. I think I don't want to say it's
totally different, but I want to say there are differences
between building a business of your own versus working for
an established business where you have job security, you have
(15:00):
hopefully you know, you have your health benefits, and you
have all these things. When you're starting a business ground up,
that is a real choice for women to say, you know,
I'm going to have kids later, let me build this
and then I'm going to have kids, or I want
to have my kids be a mom, and then I'm
(15:20):
going to start my business after I have my kids
and they're like all in school and whatever. I have
many entrepreneur friends, many successful, many of closed businesses, many
have grown and sold and all the things, and we
talk about a lot at our dinners and our events,
like how hard that is to do simultaneously. And I
(15:41):
don't want to skim over it because to your point,
I think being an entrepreneur in general, there is not
a woman I've had on this pod who would tell
you it is not the fucking hardest, most rewarding, most painful,
most exhausting, most exhilarating.
Speaker 2 (15:59):
All the things you want to quit, you want to.
Speaker 1 (16:01):
Throw it in, you have to keep it going, and
it's all the things.
Speaker 2 (16:05):
Being a mother is also like that, right because I
think we.
Speaker 1 (16:12):
There is so much guilt in that motherhood of I
don't want to miss anything. But I think what's evident
is your determination to succeed. And I think for me
what really stands out is doing this in Texas, where
it isn't the expected, the saturated. I mean here in
La I'm pretty sure there's a wellness brand launched every
(16:33):
hour in different categories. But there is a question I
wanted to ask you that I noticed and I'm not.
I'm not positive are you the CEO or No.
Speaker 3 (16:44):
I'm not, nor would I ever want to be. I
think it's so funny when people start their businesses is
and this is something that I speak on quite a bit,
and just I think a lot of people start your
business and you want to own it all right, You
want to your toys. That letting go of allowing people
to actually know better than you is one of the
(17:06):
hardest things you will ever go through in your career.
So started the company, me and my husband. You know,
I ran all of our marketing create like all of
this stuff, and about a year in, like Poppy, just
for context, is the fastest growing beverage in the history
of beverage. We're four years old. We are the fastest
growing beverage in the nation. We're the number one sold
on Amazon, We're in one in ten household. It's just
(17:28):
been absolutely crazy. And when you have that kind of
explosive growth, I've never done this before. Now, my intuition
has gotten us so far. But we got to the
point where we were like, hey, we have to bring
someone in and I we actually went to our barn,
We're like, we need to bring in a CEO. It
was really hard. I like cried. We were like going
(17:50):
through this, like how can we go through this? Once
we went through it and got it, we found the
right person. We were part of that decision. That's always
something I always try to say to other entrepreneurs. Be
part of the decision. Don't allow it to happen to
you and get to a point where it's like so
you're removed and it's like this dramatic No, it's okay,
it's growth. I'm learning from our CEO, right, And I
(18:11):
realized being a CEO. It's a lot of people management,
it's a lot of process, it's a lot of P
and L budgeting. There's so many things that I'm like,
oh wow, I don't want to do any of that.
Like I do run a team. I run our creative team.
We have like an internal agency, which I adore my creatives.
Like I'm not saying that, but it's like we have
over two hundred employees. And then a few a year
(18:33):
after that, I was running the marketing and I was like,
we're about to buy a Super Bowl ad, like we
are running teav Like I've never bought a Super od
like have you like, you know, And so we went
to once again. I said I want to bring in
a traditional CMO. And you know, that was one of
the hardest years of my life. And did coaching and
worked through that. But I think, like I think people
(18:56):
hold on to the word CEO, you know, and it's
like this thing where it's like, as an entrepreneur, our
founder is a really powerful title. My title is Chief
brand Officer and a run brand. But I wish more
people talked about that, you know.
Speaker 1 (19:10):
That's why I want to talk about it, because I
found that really interesting because I have. I can't even
count how many badass women that I have in my life,
and I'm going to say that most of them are CEO.
But what I would say to that is, over the
(19:31):
last year, many have stepped down as CEO.
Speaker 2 (19:36):
Many are dying to not be the CEO.
Speaker 1 (19:40):
And it's releasing that control and that title. And a
very successful friend of mine who has started five companies
successfully all of them literally this summer was like, I,
for the first time in fifteen years, don't.
Speaker 2 (19:59):
Have CEO title. And we were like, I'm like, how
does it feel.
Speaker 1 (20:03):
She's like weird, peaceful, like I can sleep. And so
I think, to your point, it's about being involved. And
I think the key to being a successful entrepreneur is
to recognize your strengths, recognize your challenges, and then hire
(20:23):
the best person around you to fill those spots.
Speaker 3 (20:28):
Right, I have this beautiful I think, like one of
my strengths as a leader or just in life is
I have this ability to get people to believe they
can do anything through by the way, yeah, through brainstorming.
Some of our most magnificent ideas have come from like
junior people and me just like, tell me a little
bit more about that or push the wiser why they'll
(20:50):
come up with the idea. I'm like, why can't we
do it? I'm like, why can't we do it? Like,
let's think about that, right, And I do think that's
one of my strengths to get us to think differently.
We move really quick and just like for example, last
year we did a Super Bowl ad. We bought that
super Bowl the Wednesday before the Sunday of Super Bowl.
Like that crazy we can have and be, but we'll
(21:11):
play in our calendars. We'll get like eighty percent of
it like super in Stone. But you can't be culturally relevant.
And if you're planning like what you're doing in twenty
twenty six, I don't know what's going to be cool
in twenty six. So this ability to move quick is
like such a gift. And I agree the team has
seen that and they've found ways to support me in that, right,
(21:33):
and like that my strength isn't going out and building
the most amazing retail program or media program or you know,
sales team. Right. So no, I love that. I love
that you asked that question because like, no, I'm not
coo and nor do I want to be.
Speaker 1 (21:47):
But I love how proud you are to not want
to be, because that's another thing I really try to
teach people is like not everyone has to be, not
everyone wants to be, and not everyone should be. And
I think that's the thing that what you're saying is
so important for young people to understand that it's absolutely
(22:07):
okay to not want that role. Right, Yeah, I mean
one hundred percent. I love that you said that.
Speaker 3 (22:14):
I love our CEO. We're great. I'm great friends with
this wife. So it's like it can be a beautiful
relationship as well. I should be, you know, look at
it as a downside. So no, I love that, and
it allows you know, back to like just being a
mother throughout all of this. It's funny like when you
were saying that stuff earlier, I you know, what came
to mind is the different challenges that were when we're
starting are so different now Now I'm gone a lot
(22:36):
and I don't get to be with my kids and
my husband's sit down at home more. And just recently
I'm like, wow, I'm missing a lot and I'm kind
of having to step back and be like I maybe
should say no more reprioritize stay home, and like that's
a decision that I've been like, never thought I would
have to think through. But I'm like, whoa I'm missing?
Speaker 2 (22:55):
How old are they?
Speaker 3 (22:56):
The boys to six and eight?
Speaker 1 (22:59):
So it's perfect because you can still really confidently make
those choices and not miss a thing.
Speaker 3 (23:06):
Yeah, but think.
Speaker 1 (23:07):
About that really, because I only say that because you
don't get it back. But you don't necessarily have to
make the choice. You can do both because you are
who you are in this company. You can do both.
And I think they're at ages where you can bring
them with you, so you do get to do both.
Because that's what I was doing because I was to
(23:27):
your point, I wouldn't make the choice, and so when
they were little, I would just take them. And then
in between everything, I got the hugs, and I got
the meals, and I got the bedtime. And then if
I had to go to an event, you go when
they go to sleep, you know. And there's that, and
that's also the gift. I want to talk to you
about a couple of things. I want to talk to
(23:47):
you about naming it Poppy because it was called the
Mother Beverage.
Speaker 2 (23:55):
Okay, why tell me?
Speaker 3 (23:56):
Okay, So when I first started, it's like Apple Side
vinegar was kind of like the key and like you
had the mother of vinegar, and it was like we
were almost this what I always used to like in
us too is like the sister to kombucha, right we
it was just more farmers marketing, health focused. But when
we rebranded and realized we were soda for the next
generation modern soda, what kept coming up over and over
(24:20):
again is like pop soda pop, And so we named
it Poppy off of soda Pop. And I just love
it because it just even when you just say it
makes you happy, the colors you're happy, it screams pop,
it screams soda. So it just made a lot of
sense to change the name. And I'm glad we went
from bottles to cans and then we launched Poppy, so
(24:42):
like all the Shark Tank and all the mother stuff
was previous, but then we launched Poppy March third, twenty twenty,
the first week of COVID, which is like absolutely crazy,
but I love it because I think, hold on, wait.
Speaker 2 (24:54):
Let me backtrack.
Speaker 1 (24:55):
So you went on Shark Tank, you were due in
ten days, you had a toddler or baby, yes, and
you went on Shark Tank. You do the whole pitch
at the time you went on Shark Tank. Was it
called the Mother Beverage or is it called Poppy? It's
called the Mother Beverage? Okay, So what happened on Shark
Tank and how nervous were you in that moment?
Speaker 3 (25:19):
So I actually wasn't that nervous good because I was like,
if you get too nervous, you're gonna go into labor.
Speaker 1 (25:26):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (25:27):
I was gonna say, you imagine.
Speaker 3 (25:30):
O praying the best days, just being like you have
to say so calm. On the other hand, I swear
because I was that way. Look over my husband's like
pouring sweat. He's seen he can't like there's these like
shots of him where it's like very close up and
he will never live those down. But no, we had
the baby, so we get the deal. We have the
baby ten days later, and then it usually takes like
(25:51):
four or so months for the episode air, And honestly,
if you get a deal, it's not even guaranteed the air,
so at the end of the day, it's a TV
show has to make it right. Of course, we did
spoiler alert, we did get a deal, closed the deal
the friday before the episode aired.
Speaker 2 (26:05):
So what did they offer you.
Speaker 3 (26:06):
We did four hundred thousand, I think for twenty percent
of the company and who which shark?
Speaker 2 (26:12):
Which shark?
Speaker 3 (26:13):
So his name was Rohan Oza and he was more
in the beverage world, which was amazing. And I love
guest sharks because they don't have a lot of deals.
So I think he's done one or two Shark Tank deals.
And it's nice because we get his time and his
team and I met an amazing person. Is right him person?
(26:34):
We just like from that moment decided to rebrand, change
the name and then decided, you know, the month of
covid to launch it.
Speaker 1 (26:42):
But so okay, I want to talk about that. So covid,
did you have a nervous breakdown.
Speaker 3 (26:52):
No. We'd flown out to California, though, like to set
up for Exos, a big event the first week, and
then they canceled. I remember like flying out that like
maybe three to ten cases and we were flying home
they had thousands and we were so devastated. It was
like our coming out yeah party basically, but it was
(27:13):
a blessing disguise. I wouldn't say like COVID was, but
just yeah, it forced us to really think differently. As
a business fundamentally from the beginning, because everything that traditionally
people would do when launching a company was off the
table from day one. We had to just try new stuff.
And really what it was is we were like one
of the first brands to get on TikTok. I have
(27:34):
over two billion views on TikTok. A third of platform
is seeing my face seven times. I always say it's
so fun. I'm thirty seven year old mom of three
and gen Z like loves me.
Speaker 2 (27:47):
I'm like, that's so great that. By the way, that
is no easy feat.
Speaker 3 (27:52):
It's not. I just think we jumped on. It was
the wild wild West. We digitally connected, We went all
in on Amazon on and we're just a digital first
brand and it's just stayed in our DNA since We've
just grown, grown, grown, and then now we're starting to
do in real life stuff and have had some amazing
pop ups this year. But we got scrappy at the beginning.
Speaker 1 (28:15):
I love it.
Speaker 2 (28:17):
What I'm so, I'm so impressed with it, I really am.
Speaker 1 (28:20):
I mean, how do you feel now about influencer culture,
because obviously the pendulum is swinging all over the place
at this point, and I think obviously given that you did,
you are digital first, and you did and do continue
to have insane success on TikTok and everything. What are
your thoughts on influencer, I guess marketing at this point branding,
(28:44):
How do you think the impact has shifted? And do
you consider your face the face of the brand or
do you use a lot of outside talent and will
you continue to do that?
Speaker 3 (28:55):
Yeah, So when we first launched, we did before we
ever did a paid app, before we ever used a
PR agency or anything traditional marketing, right in real life
sampling nothing, we can do anything. So we worked with
influencers and at the time I didn't realize that I
was building myself as face of the company. But it
(29:16):
was free for me. You get online and post of
course right right, and it just I did it with
no makeup on. I had my kids running around the
background like I was just posting it. It was desperate
for everyone to learn about Poppy and it just like
merikanically I became the face. And then we've always worked
the creators, and I'm obsessed with the creator just like
(29:36):
everything that they do and the strength and like they're
entrepreneurs theirselves. At the end of the day, right, Like
the amount of the good ones, Yeah, it's absolutely wild. Yes,
yes there's some good ones and there's not some good ones.
But we've also worked with celebrities, and what we're seeing
is it's just such a different level to work with
(29:56):
a celebrity as a creator. Creators get it where it's
like we need stories, you know, and there's so much
more willing because it's like they don't have the job themselves,
whereas if you were in the celebrity it's not as
authentic as it used to be. You have to find
like a real reason why you want to work with it.
So we just launched like a partnership with post Malone.
(30:18):
And why I liked it is he went on a
couple of podcasts saying he had given up Big Soda
and I was close friends with his manager and I
text him. I was like, oh my god, and he's like,
I know because I gave him poppy like and he
lost like thirty pounds. I was like, this whole thing
in complex like all these people. I was like, Okay,
that's authentic, right, that's a good reason not I want
to put so and so sure you don't have to.
Speaker 2 (30:40):
It's almost like you went in the you went in
the front door instead of the back.
Speaker 3 (30:44):
Yeah, totally, and so like for me. The one thing though,
as a brand, the creator economy is very expensive. Yeah,
and I don't know at what point smaller brands can
sustain it can't. It's really tricky because when we were
first starting out, it was kind of on the rise
(31:05):
of it, and you could get people for very affordable
whereas people when we start out were five thousand. Now
they're like and fifty thousand for a social post. And
so I don't know. Something I think eventually has to give,
and I don't know what.
Speaker 2 (31:18):
That is what I'll end up giving.
Speaker 1 (31:21):
And I've seen it sort of with the fashion influencer world,
is they don't they just don't get hired yea, and
then they have to and then they have to work
for less because at some point the brand is like,
uh h, we're taking the upper hand back because we're
not spending this money on you. And then all of
a sudden most of them aren't working, and so the
(31:41):
ones that want to work are either going to have
to charge less or not work. So I think that's
the only way it gives, truthfully, And the same thing
will happen eventually. I just think because of the virality
of certain brands and certain creators, I think all of
a sudden, once they have that virality, it's they have
the for hand, right. But I think it's always going
(32:02):
to do this but very interesting. I mean, authenticity through
and through.
Speaker 2 (32:07):
So what's next for you? I'm so excited. I'm such
a fan.
Speaker 1 (32:11):
I love my entire team drinks Poppee, and like, everywhere
I go there's Poppy. It's it's really amazing.
Speaker 3 (32:19):
Poppy is the official soda of the Los Angeles Lakers.
Speaker 2 (32:22):
So we just have like so insane is are you
pinching yourself?
Speaker 3 (32:26):
So I'm so annoying, and I'm going to say. People
ask me this all the time, and I think I
should reframe how I answer. Usually I'm like, you no,
because I still got shit to do. Yeah, I do
need to, Like that's my whole new balance that we
were kind of talking about earlier. I need to sit
back and enjoy this because it's so freaking special. But
(32:47):
also I'm like, I'm not done, Like I have I
am dominating, we are disrupting soda. It's like this whole
thing that I'm like, I'm not ready to sit back
and pitch myself. But I do have to.
Speaker 2 (32:59):
I think, no, I think listen.
Speaker 1 (33:02):
I always say complacency is the enemy, right, Like for me,
I think, I think for serial entrepreneurs, it's clearly you
have the bug.
Speaker 3 (33:12):
Right.
Speaker 1 (33:13):
But I would say, now, because I'm you know, like
a couple of years older than you, what I would
say is, in many ways, some of the most exciting
things that happened to me in my career are a
blur and I only remember them when people interview me
about them, and then I'm like, right, yes, because it
was and so and I never once stopped to recognize
(33:39):
what was happening.
Speaker 2 (33:40):
And people would say it to me in the moment,
do you have a leader? Do you believe you're on
a plane with so and so? Do you believe you're
flying to Monaco with Britney Spirit?
Speaker 3 (33:48):
Like?
Speaker 2 (33:48):
Do you believe these things?
Speaker 1 (33:49):
Because in the moment, it's work, it's your job, and
as much as you love it, you're like and you're
leading it.
Speaker 2 (33:56):
So what I would say to that into anyone listening
is because you stop for.
Speaker 1 (34:00):
Ten minutes to recognize what's happening, or to maybe have
a glass of champagne or whatever it is to just
be like, Okay, that does not mean you are resting
on success, and that does not mean you're stopping tomorrow.
That just means you're taking an hour to say, I
can't believe this is actually happening, and that's it, and
(34:21):
then you live in that moment for a minute and
then go onto your next thing the next day.
Speaker 2 (34:25):
But it is important to do that. It is important
to do that also, like document it.
Speaker 1 (34:31):
Doc you will obviously, especially the Lakers, that'll be documented
for you.
Speaker 3 (34:34):
But social media also makes it easier to document everyone's
like y rd a journal, I'm like, oh, that's my word.
Speaker 2 (34:40):
You don't even need to and there.
Speaker 3 (34:43):
I just I'll just go back on my TikTok feed. No,
I know it's true, Like it's this new level of
balance that I have to find in my life because
I've been working so much that everyone just like, I
don't know how you do it else. And look, I'm
a creative and I have to allow that space to
be creative. So I will take your advice.
Speaker 1 (35:03):
Just try to stop, even for an hour, just recognize
it and then move on to the next thing.
Speaker 2 (35:08):
But take it in for any of those beautiful boys.
Speaker 3 (35:12):
I love that you're a boy.
Speaker 1 (35:13):
Mom.
Speaker 2 (35:14):
Yes, next time you come here, let me know and
we'll go have drinks.
Speaker 3 (35:17):
I love it, happy in tequila, love slay.
Speaker 1 (35:23):
Thank you so much, Anny, Thank you so much to
Alison for being on the pod. I honestly lived for
our conversation, and I really really loved how loud and
(35:45):
proud she is about not holding the title of CEO,
because I think as females, over the last several years,
we have become so obsessed with having the title of CEO,
even if we don't know what it means, or even
if we don't know if we want it or not.
And I think that's been one of the biggest takeaways
(36:05):
for me, having gone to so many events and sitting
at so many tables with so many successful women, how
over the last year or two, how many women are
either stepping down and relinquishing that title, realizing they really
don't want it anymore, realizing what it truly means and
(36:27):
that that's not.
Speaker 2 (36:28):
Actually where they excel.
Speaker 1 (36:30):
That was a really big learning And I also love
how open she is about being young being accepted by
gen Z, which is really hard being adored by gen Z,
And I guess by definition being a millennial, having three
kids and really not sacrificing her brand vision and being
(36:50):
so proud of it. Anyway, loved this episode. Thank you
so much for listening to Climbing and Heels. If you
haven't already, please subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify,
the iheartapp, or wherever you get your podcasts so you
don't miss a single episode this season. Be sure to
follow me on Instagram at rachel Zo and the show
(37:12):
at Climbing Inhales pod for the latest episodes and updates.
Speaker 2 (37:16):
I will talk to you soon.
Hi everyone, I'm Rachel Zoe and you're listening to Climbing
in Heels for your weekly dose of glamour, inspiration and fun.
I'm joined today by the wonderful and incredibly passionate entrepreneur
and founder of Poppy, Alison Ellsworth. Allison has built the
most fantastic and successful brand that's rooted in a product
(00:29):
that she created truly out of necessity. She discovered the
health benefits of apple cider vinegar and created a healthier
soda that's become the fastest growing beverage of all time
that is insane well simultaneously giving birth and raising three
young boys. I'm so incredibly inspired by Alison's vision, So
(00:52):
let's jump right in.
Speaker 2 (00:54):
You are going to love this episode. I'm so excited
to have you on.
Speaker 1 (01:02):
You know, I drink Poppy, my team drinks Poppy.
Speaker 2 (01:06):
We all like my refrigerator is filled with Poppy.
Speaker 1 (01:10):
But I also want to say how cool it is
for me when I like a brand, when I see
like kind of all these different people coming in from
the wild holding the brand, which I imagine is the greatest
thing for you. So I want to talk about this
because I want to dive back to the beginning for
a second.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
So you grew up in Texas, born and raised.
Speaker 3 (01:29):
So born in Colorado, lived there for like a year.
But I don't claim that I'm a Texas girlie through
and through. I grew up here, lived here, forced my
husband to move back here. I'm obsessed with Texas.
Speaker 2 (01:40):
You are.
Speaker 3 (01:41):
I love that I love Texas.
Speaker 2 (01:45):
I love that I love that you love Texas.
Speaker 1 (01:47):
Having so many people in my life from Texas, there
is this overarching common thread of friendliness. And first of all,
everybody's tall, so I do want to really I am tall.
Speaker 3 (01:59):
Yes, literally every.
Speaker 1 (02:00):
Friend I've ever had from Texas is incredibly tall, except
for one. The guys are gigantic, they are actually gigantic,
and the women are also very very tall. But there's
this happiness about Texans. The people I've met from Texas
are driven, They're happy, they love Texas, love it.
Speaker 3 (02:26):
No I've always said I started the company in Texas,
and I always feel like if I wouldn't have, I
don't know if we'd be so successful. It was like
Texans love Texas brands, like everything about it. But also
other people like Texas brands yes, and usually don't get
a lot of better for you products right, usually are
like New York, LA, and so it was really exciting
(02:46):
to have like a better for you product coming out
of the South as well. Yes, so I love that
about it.
Speaker 2 (02:52):
I want to talk about that.
Speaker 1 (02:53):
I want to understand a little bit why you created
Poppy because you started in oil, which is funny because
I was saying earlier to my producer.
Speaker 2 (03:06):
It's funny because.
Speaker 1 (03:08):
When you're in LA, you're like, oh, are you in
the industry, And it's very clear what industry that is
when you're in LA. When you're in New York, it's like,
are you in the industry? Meaning fashion or art or theater,
but or finance. And then I feel like Texas, It's like, Okay,
you're in the industry and that's oil, right, So so
how do you go and why do you go from
(03:32):
working in the oil industry too saying I'm going to
start a wellness sparkling soda.
Speaker 3 (03:41):
It's interesting because I kind of come from a family
of entrepreneurs. So my sister and my dad are both
in the oil and gas industry, and I graduated and
I've never been from college. I've never been a person
to like want to go work in like a cubicle
or for another person, and there's a lot of financial
freedom and just like I don't know, career freedom. When
you work in gas and you're on the road and
(04:01):
you're you're basically have no boss, right, so you have
to be very much a self starter. And so I
did that, but I was never like I was good
at it. I was really good at it, but I
wasn't like passionate about it. And while I was on
the road, I'm sure you've spent many year where you're
like traveling and you're on the road, it's like what
I call is like this carier Like I got like
road warrior belly, like where your tummy hurts, you're tired,
(04:23):
and your spoon's off and you're dehydrated, and it's like
all of the above. And it was just really wearing
on me so much showed that I started like going
to the doctors and being like, what's going on, And
really it came down to my diet. Like at the
end of the day. This was like almost ten twelve
years ago, before the gluten free phase where people are like, oh,
(04:44):
what you put in your body, you can actually you know,
affect the way that you feel. And I discovered apple
cider vinegar. I started working out and reading ingredients and
nutrition panels, and I just came really passionate about just
better for you lifestyle. And I know there was no
like better for you soda. I grew up drinking soda.
(05:04):
It was just part of my household that it's like
this nostalgic filling that like you have it with movies,
you have it with you know, every get together, and
there was just nothing out there. So once I kind
of discovered that, I just went to my kitchen. I
love cooking, and I kind of just created the first
version and it was a total accident, not an entrepreneurial
(05:25):
journey at all. And I shared it with my husband
and with other people, and they were like, this is
really good. You should do something about it. My dad
was like, you should sell your hooge, and I was like,
I don't know, Okay, sure, but I was just so
excited to share it with others rather than like to
monetize it. And I kind of feel like some of
(05:45):
the most beautiful things come from like passionate emotion versus
like a business plan and I'm going to do this
to get rich, like type of situation.
Speaker 1 (05:55):
That's so interesting because they do know what you mean.
Because the first fifteen years of my career, I was
like on a plane, I wasn't sleeping. I mean, you're
eating on set, like you know, we had these there's
something on set called craft services, which I'm sure you know,
and you just graze and you eat like things that
and you just.
Speaker 2 (06:14):
Feel so sick every day.
Speaker 1 (06:16):
And then when you fly and you just feel constantly
out of sorts, really, and I don't think people recognize
until it's too late. Very often the impact of travel
on our bodies and work travel specifically, because it's not
elective most of the time. And I think as we
(06:38):
get older, our bodies are like, ooh, just kidding, that's
not going to work for you anymore, Like you got
to change something. And so being in Texas, which is
not the world of wellness, and you know, I always
think of it as the steak and potatoes and like
milk and all the things, because I'm sort of like,
maybe this is why everyone's tall, Like they actually do
(07:03):
drink the eight glasses of milk you're supposed to have
or whatever it is that you know, My my poor
thirteen year old son is so vertically challenged right now
and every day makes up He's like, should I start
drinking milk?
Speaker 2 (07:15):
Mob Like maybe I'm gonna go.
Speaker 3 (07:18):
It's okay. Men are late bloomers. My husband in every
way he grew no. I mean, I think like being
in Texas, yeah, definitely, I didn't grow up with the
emphasis on like health or wellness. And to your point, yeah,
steak potatoes. It was like a normal once a burger, tacos,
text mix, all of those things. So it was like
(07:41):
one of those moments where I felt like we had
discovered something, me and my husband on doing this, and
I was like, I just want to share with people.
So I wanted to also start a family. At the
time we bought a house in Dallas was kind of
putting our roots down and no kidding you, Like we
bought the house in December January, I got pregnant, like
(08:03):
so quick.
Speaker 2 (08:03):
We're doesnt work like that?
Speaker 3 (08:05):
You're like, it was not part of the plan, but
we embraced it, and I was like, I can't go
back in the road. So I want to just start
selling this that our local farmers market, which is what
I think a lot of better for you products start
off testing and within three weeks we had Whole Foods
come by our booth because they're a Texas company and
she's like, you guys should be in Whole Foods. And
it was the first moment I was like, oh, I
(08:27):
have a business here and I I don't that second
that conversation. I still remember her name, Kelly Landrew. She
changed my life. And I looked at my husband and said,
we're putting our life savings into this we're doing He's like,
what are you talking about. We just bought a house,
you're three months pregnant, Like like, what are you talking about?
And I'm like, we're doing this. Like it was so
determined from that How old were you then at that point?
(08:50):
So that was like six years ago. So I was
thirty twenty nine thirty at that point, and you know,
just started really going tow on that. We opened our
manufacturing facility, put our life savings in and just kind
of went all in and got to the point where
we needed funding. So of course the next step in
the American dream is Shark Tank, and went on Shark Tank.
(09:13):
At that point, it'd been like.
Speaker 2 (09:14):
You haven't got on Shark Tank. I mean that's like
that's not easy. It's not.
Speaker 3 (09:20):
And what I didn't realize is the show like reaches
out to people. We went stood in line and did
the open casting call with hundreds of other people. I'd
had my first, I was pregnant with my second. I
was like, let's just keep I was like, I refuse
to just pick one or the other, Like that's like
my model in life. I do too much, like all
(09:40):
the time. So I was pregnant with my second when
we went on to Shark Tank, and I was nine
months pregnant on Shark Tank, had the baby ten days later.
So stop it. It's been wild. Yeah, girl, what sign
are you? You?
Speaker 2 (09:54):
Virgo?
Speaker 3 (09:55):
I'm a Capricorn. I'm a pretty hardwore capcorn.
Speaker 2 (09:57):
Wow, I'm so infant.
Speaker 1 (10:00):
You read very virgo, by the way, but Virgo's and cops.
My baby son is a cap similar to you. I was,
I got pregnant, wasn't trying. Was launching my clothing collection
and launched it literally like I think it was like
three or four weeks before I had my first son,
and I remember standing there with the models and styling
(10:20):
the looks for the collection and women's were daily taking
picture of me. I had this tummy, I was wearing
thigh high boots, I was wearing like all the things,
and I'm like, Nope, nothing's going to change.
Speaker 2 (10:29):
Nope, nothing's going to change.
Speaker 3 (10:30):
Nope.
Speaker 2 (10:31):
I got this. I'm going to do this. But like,
I want to.
Speaker 1 (10:34):
Talk about how that was for you, going on Shark
Tank and doing this whole thing, and being pregnant, having
a child, like and honestly being young. I had my
kids late, right, I had already built my career, so
I was able to sort of say, Okay, my team's
going to come to the house to work today, or
I'm going to bring my son with me on this
(10:55):
trip or whatever. I was able, i think, to dictate
a little bit more of how that went for me,
but it was still incredibly challenging. So I want to know,
as you were launching this dream that you didn't even
know what's going to happen, you know, And I always say,
there's no blueprint for this, right, you can't. I'm sure
(11:16):
people ask you all the time like how did you
do this, Dada, and You're like, honestly, my passion.
Speaker 2 (11:20):
I loved it.
Speaker 3 (11:21):
It was you know, right, yeah, and you a lot
of sleepless nights lots of tears, lots of ups, lots
of downs, lots of fear, lots of you know, the
list goes on.
Speaker 2 (11:31):
But I see entrepreneurship by the way.
Speaker 3 (11:33):
Yeah, And I think we left an insanely successful career
to go into this. And I always say, like, unless
you really are passionate about it, like you're not going
to leave that security. And then just being a mom
was also just a really big goal in my life.
My husband grew up Mormon, like family is just like
a really big piece. He's like one of six, I'm
(11:54):
like one of four. We just like always wanted that
from like a young age, and I was just like,
why do I have to Like that's just how I am.
If you tell me no, I'm like, oh, I'm talking
to the wrong person. And I just feel like it
was just I wanted both and I didn't have to choose.
But was it way harder, Oh my gosh. Yes, Like
(12:14):
it got to the point where he had to get
like a second job. We were working bottling during the week.
I would work with the baby strapped to me. I
did delivers with them strapped, Like we could not afford
a babysitter like my mom would come down on the
weekends when she could help. You know, got to the
point where you know, we're just like, this is like
can we do this? The low lows, the high highest
(12:36):
type of situation. But just looking back on I wouldn't
change any of it. I remember with my first being
on the bottling line going into labor was back on
with the baby strapped to me two weeks later because
we like needed to keep going and I wouldn't. I
don't know, it didn't seem hard at the time looking back, like,
oh my gosh, I don't know if I could do
that again.
Speaker 1 (12:56):
No, But I mean I think we could say that
that was a adrenaline. You could say that that was
like excitement and determination. You could say that, you know,
when you tell your kids this story, they're going to.
Speaker 2 (13:08):
Be so proud of you. Is your husband your partner?
Speaker 3 (13:14):
Yes? So yeah, And he runs like at Poppy, I
run like all of our creative brand vision and he
runs like our innovation and our supply chain. So we're
very opposites as well, and he like I couldn't do
it with them, he couldn't do it without me. But
he does allow me to be crazy, which I like,
(13:36):
I think at Poppy, like like the level of quickness
that we work through and like we move at the
speed of culture, Like we have to be like really nimble,
crazy and willing to take risks. But it's funny because
I had my first two pregnancies and like children will
growing the business, and then I waited four years and
Poppy was like homming along great. And then I had
a third and that was such a different experience.
Speaker 2 (13:59):
Yeah, I was gonna you.
Speaker 3 (14:00):
Know, he was on flights with me twenty times, who
are six months old and like, and you are running
around doing interviews, will breastfeeding on the subway, you know,
like all of those things. So I think I got
to experience both. And you know, I look back and
it's just a built grit to get me to continue
to get where I am. And now I'm like, maybe
I need more good things happen at Poppy when I
(14:21):
get pregnant.
Speaker 1 (14:23):
I'm going to predict you are likely having a fourth.
I mean, even if you didn't say that just now,
I'm going to think that you are.
Speaker 3 (14:30):
I love chaos, I well, clearly.
Speaker 2 (14:33):
But I think it's interesting.
Speaker 1 (14:35):
I want to talk about the not making a choice
because I think I think that is the hardest decision
that women have to face if you want to have
a business. I think I don't want to say it's
totally different, but I want to say there are differences
between building a business of your own versus working for
an established business where you have job security, you have
(15:00):
hopefully you know, you have your health benefits, and you
have all these things. When you're starting a business ground up,
that is a real choice for women to say, you know,
I'm going to have kids later, let me build this
and then I'm going to have kids, or I want
to have my kids be a mom, and then I'm
(15:20):
going to start my business after I have my kids
and they're like all in school and whatever. I have
many entrepreneur friends, many successful, many of closed businesses, many
have grown and sold and all the things, and we
talk about a lot at our dinners and our events,
like how hard that is to do simultaneously. And I
(15:41):
don't want to skim over it because to your point,
I think being an entrepreneur in general, there is not
a woman I've had on this pod who would tell
you it is not the fucking hardest, most rewarding, most painful,
most exhausting, most exhilarating.
Speaker 2 (15:59):
All the things you want to quit, you want to.
Speaker 1 (16:01):
Throw it in, you have to keep it going, and
it's all the things.
Speaker 2 (16:05):
Being a mother is also like that, right because I
think we.
Speaker 1 (16:12):
There is so much guilt in that motherhood of I
don't want to miss anything. But I think what's evident
is your determination to succeed. And I think for me
what really stands out is doing this in Texas, where
it isn't the expected, the saturated. I mean here in
La I'm pretty sure there's a wellness brand launched every
(16:33):
hour in different categories. But there is a question I
wanted to ask you that I noticed and I'm not.
I'm not positive are you the CEO or No.
Speaker 3 (16:44):
I'm not, nor would I ever want to be. I
think it's so funny when people start their businesses is
and this is something that I speak on quite a bit,
and just I think a lot of people start your
business and you want to own it all right, You
want to your toys. That letting go of allowing people
to actually know better than you is one of the
(17:06):
hardest things you will ever go through in your career.
So started the company, me and my husband. You know,
I ran all of our marketing create like all of
this stuff, and about a year in, like Poppy, just
for context, is the fastest growing beverage in the history
of beverage. We're four years old. We are the fastest
growing beverage in the nation. We're the number one sold
on Amazon, We're in one in ten household. It's just
(17:28):
been absolutely crazy. And when you have that kind of
explosive growth, I've never done this before. Now, my intuition
has gotten us so far. But we got to the
point where we were like, hey, we have to bring
someone in and I we actually went to our barn,
We're like, we need to bring in a CEO. It
was really hard. I like cried. We were like going
(17:50):
through this, like how can we go through this? Once
we went through it and got it, we found the
right person. We were part of that decision. That's always
something I always try to say to other entrepreneurs. Be
part of the decision. Don't allow it to happen to
you and get to a point where it's like so
you're removed and it's like this dramatic No, it's okay,
it's growth. I'm learning from our CEO, right, And I
(18:11):
realized being a CEO. It's a lot of people management,
it's a lot of process, it's a lot of P
and L budgeting. There's so many things that I'm like,
oh wow, I don't want to do any of that.
Like I do run a team. I run our creative team.
We have like an internal agency, which I adore my creatives.
Like I'm not saying that, but it's like we have
over two hundred employees. And then a few a year
(18:33):
after that, I was running the marketing and I was like,
we're about to buy a Super Bowl ad, like we
are running teav Like I've never bought a Super od
like have you like, you know, And so we went
to once again. I said I want to bring in
a traditional CMO. And you know, that was one of
the hardest years of my life. And did coaching and
worked through that. But I think, like I think people
(18:56):
hold on to the word CEO, you know, and it's
like this thing where it's like, as an entrepreneur, our
founder is a really powerful title. My title is Chief
brand Officer and a run brand. But I wish more
people talked about that, you know.
Speaker 1 (19:10):
That's why I want to talk about it, because I
found that really interesting because I have. I can't even
count how many badass women that I have in my life,
and I'm going to say that most of them are CEO.
But what I would say to that is, over the
(19:31):
last year, many have stepped down as CEO.
Speaker 2 (19:36):
Many are dying to not be the CEO.
Speaker 1 (19:40):
And it's releasing that control and that title. And a
very successful friend of mine who has started five companies
successfully all of them literally this summer was like, I,
for the first time in fifteen years, don't.
Speaker 2 (19:59):
Have CEO title. And we were like, I'm like, how
does it feel.
Speaker 1 (20:03):
She's like weird, peaceful, like I can sleep. And so
I think, to your point, it's about being involved. And
I think the key to being a successful entrepreneur is
to recognize your strengths, recognize your challenges, and then hire
(20:23):
the best person around you to fill those spots.
Speaker 3 (20:28):
Right, I have this beautiful I think, like one of
my strengths as a leader or just in life is
I have this ability to get people to believe they
can do anything through by the way, yeah, through brainstorming.
Some of our most magnificent ideas have come from like
junior people and me just like, tell me a little
bit more about that or push the wiser why they'll
(20:50):
come up with the idea. I'm like, why can't we
do it? I'm like, why can't we do it? Like,
let's think about that, right, And I do think that's
one of my strengths to get us to think differently.
We move really quick and just like for example, last
year we did a Super Bowl ad. We bought that
super Bowl the Wednesday before the Sunday of Super Bowl.
Like that crazy we can have and be, but we'll
(21:11):
play in our calendars. We'll get like eighty percent of
it like super in Stone. But you can't be culturally relevant.
And if you're planning like what you're doing in twenty
twenty six, I don't know what's going to be cool
in twenty six. So this ability to move quick is
like such a gift. And I agree the team has
seen that and they've found ways to support me in that, right,
(21:33):
and like that my strength isn't going out and building
the most amazing retail program or media program or you know,
sales team. Right. So no, I love that. I love
that you asked that question because like, no, I'm not
coo and nor do I want to be.
Speaker 1 (21:47):
But I love how proud you are to not want
to be, because that's another thing I really try to
teach people is like not everyone has to be, not
everyone wants to be, and not everyone should be. And
I think that's the thing that what you're saying is
so important for young people to understand that it's absolutely
(22:07):
okay to not want that role. Right, Yeah, I mean
one hundred percent. I love that you said that.
Speaker 3 (22:14):
I love our CEO. We're great. I'm great friends with
this wife. So it's like it can be a beautiful
relationship as well. I should be, you know, look at
it as a downside. So no, I love that, and
it allows you know, back to like just being a
mother throughout all of this. It's funny like when you
were saying that stuff earlier, I you know, what came
to mind is the different challenges that were when we're
starting are so different now Now I'm gone a lot
(22:36):
and I don't get to be with my kids and
my husband's sit down at home more. And just recently
I'm like, wow, I'm missing a lot and I'm kind
of having to step back and be like I maybe
should say no more reprioritize stay home, and like that's
a decision that I've been like, never thought I would
have to think through. But I'm like, whoa I'm missing?
Speaker 2 (22:55):
How old are they?
Speaker 3 (22:56):
The boys to six and eight?
Speaker 1 (22:59):
So it's perfect because you can still really confidently make
those choices and not miss a thing.
Speaker 3 (23:06):
Yeah, but think.
Speaker 1 (23:07):
About that really, because I only say that because you
don't get it back. But you don't necessarily have to
make the choice. You can do both because you are
who you are in this company. You can do both.
And I think they're at ages where you can bring
them with you, so you do get to do both.
Because that's what I was doing because I was to
(23:27):
your point, I wouldn't make the choice, and so when
they were little, I would just take them. And then
in between everything, I got the hugs, and I got
the meals, and I got the bedtime. And then if
I had to go to an event, you go when
they go to sleep, you know. And there's that, and
that's also the gift. I want to talk to you
about a couple of things. I want to talk to
(23:47):
you about naming it Poppy because it was called the
Mother Beverage.
Speaker 2 (23:55):
Okay, why tell me?
Speaker 3 (23:56):
Okay, So when I first started, it's like Apple Side
vinegar was kind of like the key and like you
had the mother of vinegar, and it was like we
were almost this what I always used to like in
us too is like the sister to kombucha, right we
it was just more farmers marketing, health focused. But when
we rebranded and realized we were soda for the next
generation modern soda, what kept coming up over and over
(24:20):
again is like pop soda pop, And so we named
it Poppy off of soda Pop. And I just love
it because it just even when you just say it
makes you happy, the colors you're happy, it screams pop,
it screams soda. So it just made a lot of
sense to change the name. And I'm glad we went
from bottles to cans and then we launched Poppy, so
(24:42):
like all the Shark Tank and all the mother stuff
was previous, but then we launched Poppy March third, twenty twenty,
the first week of COVID, which is like absolutely crazy,
but I love it because I think, hold on, wait.
Speaker 2 (24:54):
Let me backtrack.
Speaker 1 (24:55):
So you went on Shark Tank, you were due in
ten days, you had a toddler or baby, yes, and
you went on Shark Tank. You do the whole pitch
at the time you went on Shark Tank. Was it
called the Mother Beverage or is it called Poppy? It's
called the Mother Beverage? Okay, So what happened on Shark
Tank and how nervous were you in that moment?
Speaker 3 (25:19):
So I actually wasn't that nervous good because I was like,
if you get too nervous, you're gonna go into labor.
Speaker 1 (25:26):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (25:27):
I was gonna say, you imagine.
Speaker 3 (25:30):
O praying the best days, just being like you have
to say so calm. On the other hand, I swear
because I was that way. Look over my husband's like
pouring sweat. He's seen he can't like there's these like
shots of him where it's like very close up and
he will never live those down. But no, we had
the baby, so we get the deal. We have the
baby ten days later, and then it usually takes like
(25:51):
four or so months for the episode air, And honestly,
if you get a deal, it's not even guaranteed the air,
so at the end of the day, it's a TV
show has to make it right. Of course, we did
spoiler alert, we did get a deal, closed the deal
the friday before the episode aired.
Speaker 2 (26:05):
So what did they offer you.
Speaker 3 (26:06):
We did four hundred thousand, I think for twenty percent
of the company and who which shark?
Speaker 2 (26:12):
Which shark?
Speaker 3 (26:13):
So his name was Rohan Oza and he was more
in the beverage world, which was amazing. And I love
guest sharks because they don't have a lot of deals.
So I think he's done one or two Shark Tank deals.
And it's nice because we get his time and his
team and I met an amazing person. Is right him person?
(26:34):
We just like from that moment decided to rebrand, change
the name and then decided, you know, the month of
covid to launch it.
Speaker 1 (26:42):
But so okay, I want to talk about that. So covid,
did you have a nervous breakdown.
Speaker 3 (26:52):
No. We'd flown out to California, though, like to set
up for Exos, a big event the first week, and
then they canceled. I remember like flying out that like
maybe three to ten cases and we were flying home
they had thousands and we were so devastated. It was
like our coming out yeah party basically, but it was
(27:13):
a blessing disguise. I wouldn't say like COVID was, but
just yeah, it forced us to really think differently. As
a business fundamentally from the beginning, because everything that traditionally
people would do when launching a company was off the
table from day one. We had to just try new stuff.
And really what it was is we were like one
of the first brands to get on TikTok. I have
(27:34):
over two billion views on TikTok. A third of platform
is seeing my face seven times. I always say it's
so fun. I'm thirty seven year old mom of three
and gen Z like loves me.
Speaker 2 (27:47):
I'm like, that's so great that. By the way, that
is no easy feat.
Speaker 3 (27:52):
It's not. I just think we jumped on. It was
the wild wild West. We digitally connected, We went all
in on Amazon on and we're just a digital first
brand and it's just stayed in our DNA since We've
just grown, grown, grown, and then now we're starting to
do in real life stuff and have had some amazing
pop ups this year. But we got scrappy at the beginning.
Speaker 1 (28:15):
I love it.
Speaker 2 (28:17):
What I'm so, I'm so impressed with it, I really am.
Speaker 1 (28:20):
I mean, how do you feel now about influencer culture,
because obviously the pendulum is swinging all over the place
at this point, and I think obviously given that you did,
you are digital first, and you did and do continue
to have insane success on TikTok and everything. What are
your thoughts on influencer, I guess marketing at this point branding,
(28:44):
How do you think the impact has shifted? And do
you consider your face the face of the brand or
do you use a lot of outside talent and will
you continue to do that?
Speaker 3 (28:55):
Yeah, So when we first launched, we did before we
ever did a paid app, before we ever used a
PR agency or anything traditional marketing, right in real life
sampling nothing, we can do anything. So we worked with
influencers and at the time I didn't realize that I
was building myself as face of the company. But it
(29:16):
was free for me. You get online and post of
course right right, and it just I did it with
no makeup on. I had my kids running around the
background like I was just posting it. It was desperate
for everyone to learn about Poppy and it just like
merikanically I became the face. And then we've always worked
the creators, and I'm obsessed with the creator just like
(29:36):
everything that they do and the strength and like they're
entrepreneurs theirselves. At the end of the day, right, Like
the amount of the good ones, Yeah, it's absolutely wild. Yes,
yes there's some good ones and there's not some good ones.
But we've also worked with celebrities, and what we're seeing
is it's just such a different level to work with
(29:56):
a celebrity as a creator. Creators get it where it's
like we need stories, you know, and there's so much
more willing because it's like they don't have the job themselves,
whereas if you were in the celebrity it's not as
authentic as it used to be. You have to find
like a real reason why you want to work with it.
So we just launched like a partnership with post Malone.
(30:18):
And why I liked it is he went on a
couple of podcasts saying he had given up Big Soda
and I was close friends with his manager and I
text him. I was like, oh my god, and he's like,
I know because I gave him poppy like and he
lost like thirty pounds. I was like, this whole thing
in complex like all these people. I was like, Okay,
that's authentic, right, that's a good reason not I want
to put so and so sure you don't have to.
Speaker 2 (30:40):
It's almost like you went in the you went in
the front door instead of the back.
Speaker 3 (30:44):
Yeah, totally, and so like for me. The one thing though,
as a brand, the creator economy is very expensive. Yeah,
and I don't know at what point smaller brands can
sustain it can't. It's really tricky because when we were
first starting out, it was kind of on the rise
(31:05):
of it, and you could get people for very affordable
whereas people when we start out were five thousand. Now
they're like and fifty thousand for a social post. And
so I don't know. Something I think eventually has to give,
and I don't know what.
Speaker 2 (31:18):
That is what I'll end up giving.
Speaker 1 (31:21):
And I've seen it sort of with the fashion influencer world,
is they don't they just don't get hired yea, and
then they have to and then they have to work
for less because at some point the brand is like,
uh h, we're taking the upper hand back because we're
not spending this money on you. And then all of
a sudden most of them aren't working, and so the
(31:41):
ones that want to work are either going to have
to charge less or not work. So I think that's
the only way it gives, truthfully, And the same thing
will happen eventually. I just think because of the virality
of certain brands and certain creators, I think all of
a sudden, once they have that virality, it's they have
the for hand, right. But I think it's always going
(32:02):
to do this but very interesting. I mean, authenticity through
and through.
Speaker 2 (32:07):
So what's next for you? I'm so excited. I'm such
a fan.
Speaker 1 (32:11):
I love my entire team drinks Poppee, and like, everywhere
I go there's Poppy. It's it's really amazing.
Speaker 3 (32:19):
Poppy is the official soda of the Los Angeles Lakers.
Speaker 2 (32:22):
So we just have like so insane is are you
pinching yourself?
Speaker 3 (32:26):
So I'm so annoying, and I'm going to say. People
ask me this all the time, and I think I
should reframe how I answer. Usually I'm like, you no,
because I still got shit to do. Yeah, I do
need to, Like that's my whole new balance that we
were kind of talking about earlier. I need to sit
back and enjoy this because it's so freaking special. But
(32:47):
also I'm like, I'm not done, Like I have I
am dominating, we are disrupting soda. It's like this whole
thing that I'm like, I'm not ready to sit back
and pitch myself. But I do have to.
Speaker 2 (32:59):
I think, no, I think listen.
Speaker 1 (33:02):
I always say complacency is the enemy, right, Like for me,
I think, I think for serial entrepreneurs, it's clearly you
have the bug.
Speaker 3 (33:12):
Right.
Speaker 1 (33:13):
But I would say, now, because I'm you know, like
a couple of years older than you, what I would
say is, in many ways, some of the most exciting
things that happened to me in my career are a
blur and I only remember them when people interview me
about them, and then I'm like, right, yes, because it
was and so and I never once stopped to recognize
(33:39):
what was happening.
Speaker 2 (33:40):
And people would say it to me in the moment,
do you have a leader? Do you believe you're on
a plane with so and so? Do you believe you're
flying to Monaco with Britney Spirit?
Speaker 3 (33:48):
Like?
Speaker 2 (33:48):
Do you believe these things?
Speaker 1 (33:49):
Because in the moment, it's work, it's your job, and
as much as you love it, you're like and you're
leading it.
Speaker 2 (33:56):
So what I would say to that into anyone listening
is because you stop for.
Speaker 1 (34:00):
Ten minutes to recognize what's happening, or to maybe have
a glass of champagne or whatever it is to just
be like, Okay, that does not mean you are resting
on success, and that does not mean you're stopping tomorrow.
That just means you're taking an hour to say, I
can't believe this is actually happening, and that's it, and
(34:21):
then you live in that moment for a minute and
then go onto your next thing the next day.
Speaker 2 (34:25):
But it is important to do that. It is important
to do that also, like document it.
Speaker 1 (34:31):
Doc you will obviously, especially the Lakers, that'll be documented
for you.
Speaker 3 (34:34):
But social media also makes it easier to document everyone's
like y rd a journal, I'm like, oh, that's my word.
Speaker 2 (34:40):
You don't even need to and there.
Speaker 3 (34:43):
I just I'll just go back on my TikTok feed. No,
I know it's true, Like it's this new level of
balance that I have to find in my life because
I've been working so much that everyone just like, I
don't know how you do it else. And look, I'm
a creative and I have to allow that space to
be creative. So I will take your advice.
Speaker 1 (35:03):
Just try to stop, even for an hour, just recognize
it and then move on to the next thing.
Speaker 2 (35:08):
But take it in for any of those beautiful boys.
Speaker 3 (35:12):
I love that you're a boy.
Speaker 1 (35:13):
Mom.
Speaker 2 (35:14):
Yes, next time you come here, let me know and
we'll go have drinks.
Speaker 3 (35:17):
I love it, happy in tequila, love slay.
Speaker 1 (35:23):
Thank you so much, Anny, Thank you so much to
Alison for being on the pod. I honestly lived for
our conversation, and I really really loved how loud and
(35:45):
proud she is about not holding the title of CEO,
because I think as females, over the last several years,
we have become so obsessed with having the title of CEO,
even if we don't know what it means, or even
if we don't know if we want it or not.
And I think that's been one of the biggest takeaways
(36:05):
for me, having gone to so many events and sitting
at so many tables with so many successful women, how
over the last year or two, how many women are
either stepping down and relinquishing that title, realizing they really
don't want it anymore, realizing what it truly means and
(36:27):
that that's not.
Speaker 2 (36:28):
Actually where they excel.
Speaker 1 (36:30):
That was a really big learning And I also love
how open she is about being young being accepted by
gen Z, which is really hard being adored by gen Z,
And I guess by definition being a millennial, having three
kids and really not sacrificing her brand vision and being
(36:50):
so proud of it. Anyway, loved this episode. Thank you
so much for listening to Climbing and Heels. If you
haven't already, please subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify,
the iheartapp, or wherever you get your podcasts so you
don't miss a single episode this season. Be sure to
follow me on Instagram at rachel Zo and the show
(37:12):
at Climbing Inhales pod for the latest episodes and updates.
Speaker 2 (37:16):
I will talk to you soon.
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