Poppi to PepsiCo: Building a $2B soda brand the industry couldn't ignore
Poppi to PepsiCo: Building a $2B soda brand the industry couldn't ignore  
Podcast: Behind the Business with Michelle Toh
Published On: Thu Jul 23 2026
Description: Joining us this week is Poppi co-founder Allison Ellsworth, who takes us behind the rise of one of America's fastest-growing beverage brands — from a kitchen counter experiment to a nearly $2 billion acquisition by PepsiCo. In this conversation, we dive into: 00:00 Introduction 01:15: Growing up in a household of entrepreneurs, gaining confidence as a dancer and working cleaning bathrooms 03:28: Starting Poppi inside Allison's kitchen 05:11: The trial-and-error process 06:26: Allison's previous life working in oil and gas 07:31: Starting to sell at farmer's markets and being discovered by Whole Foods 08:49: Going all in— the truth behind the "overnight success,” including at one point almost losing their home and selling both cars 12:44: Product breakthrough after Allison's co-founder husband snuck sugar in 15:04: Pitching on "Shark Tank" while nine months pregnant 23:16: The rebranding and relaunch as Poppi 29:39: "Embarrassment is the most under-explored emotion when it comes to success" 30:45: The "black ops" budget/ playbook that helped Poppi stand out in one of the world's most competitive industries 33:05: Why Poppi gave equity to employees, advisors and ambassadors like Alix Earle — and how it actually fueled the company's growth 36:59: The rise of prebiotic sodas and competition like Olipop 40:55: Landing the PepsiCo deal — a landmark sale that underscored the rise of challenger brands in consumer goods 43:43: The emotional reality of handing over the company she and her husband built 44:15: What's next for Allison 47:36: Audience question 48:57: Rapid-fire round 🚀 Season 2 of Behind the Business is here, featuring the leaders of brands including Airbnb, Rivian, NYSE, Canva, Samsung, Poppi, Peloton, Revolve, Lucid Motors, PHLUR, The Points Guy and Away. New episodes Thursdays. 👇🏼 SUBSCRIBE + FOLLOW: YouTube: https://bit.ly/YTBTB Apple Podcasts: http://bit.ly/3IFGuIA Spotify: https://bit.ly/SpotiBTB Amazon Music: http://bit.ly/4pPZZPp 🎙️About Behind the Business Behind the Business is a Webby Award-winning, thoughtfully produced video podcast grounded in the belief that business is in fact personal. This is not a fawning interview show. We pair deep research with thorough interviews — asking the real questions and avoiding fluff, while keeping it fun! What’s the toughest day you’ve ever had at work? How do you mentally prep for a big event? Or what’s a pinch-me moment you’ll never forget? In each episode, guests get into it all. Each episode also connects guests with young founders/ CEOs who send in a question. New episodes every Thursday. About Michelle Toh Michelle is an award-winning international journalist, most recently a longtime reporter at CNN. She's covered top stories in global business, including the chip and trade wars, world-leading IPOs, the corporate response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Europe's energy crisis and China's property problems. Previously, she was with FORTUNE. She has reported for The New York Times, TIME and South China Morning Post. Find her on Instagram: / bymichelletoh TikTok: / behindthebusinessshow #Poppi #PepsiCo #Acquisition #Entrepreneur #Startup #Founder #CEO #Leadership #CareerStory #WomeninBusiness #FemaleFounder #BusinessPodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices