Uploaded June 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
What You’ll Learn in This Episode
In this episode, David Lester, co-founder of OLIPOP, shares how he and his co-founder turned a failed first startup into a $1.85B soda sensation disrupting one of the most iconic categories in the world.
He reveals:
✅ Why their first venture failed - and the brutal lessons they took into OLIPOP
✅ How they launched with zero marketing but still went viral in retail
✅ The product philosophy that drove them from 24 stores to 20,000+
✅ Why “break one rule hard” is their secret to category innovation
✅ What it’s really like to partner with celebs like Camila Cabello
✅ His masterclass-level advice for launching CPG products profitably
If you're building a consumer brand, launching into retail, or looking to differentiate in a saturated space - this is a goldmine of hard-won wisdom.
SAVE 50% ON OMNISEND FOR 3 MONTHS
Get 50% off your first 3 months of email and SMS marketing with Omnisend using the code FOUNDR50.
Start here → your.omnisend.com/foundr
✅ Want 1-on-1 mentorship to launch or scale your brand faster? Apply for eCommerce coaching:
→ Starting your ecom biz? foundr.com/pages/coaching-start-application
→ Already selling and want to scale? foundr.com/pages/coaching-growth-application
✅ Want all-access to step-by-step training from 7, 8 & 9-figure founders? Start your Foundr+ $1 trial today → foundr.com/startdollartrial
🔗 Connect With Nathan Chan
📸 Instagram → instagram.com/nathanchan
💼 LinkedIn → linkedin.com/in/nathanhchan
🔗 Connect With David Lester & OLIPOP
🌍 OLIPOP Website → drinkolipop.com
📸 OLIPOP Instagram → instagram.com/drinkolipop
📸 David’s Instagram → instagram.com/davijee
💼 David’s LinkedIn → linkedin.com/in/david-lester-4b71b512
00:00 - Reinventing Soda: The OLIPOP Origin Story
00:21 - From Corporate Life to Gut Health Disruptor
02:33 - Lessons from a Failed First Startup
04:14 - Why Obie Didn't Work & What Changed
06:11 - Learning to Say No as a Founder
08:25 - The Power of Focused Retail Rollout
10:59 - Building OLIPOP with Scientific R&D
13:37 - Testing, Packaging, and Finding Product-Market Fit
15:05 - Raising Capital & Navigating Expensive Manufacturing
17:24 - From 24 Stores to 20,000+ Nationwide
20:44 - Why Slow, Profitable Growth Beats Fast Burn
24:55 - OLIPOP's "Break One Rule Hard" Philosophy
28:05 - Keeping Soda Fun, Fixing the Health Problem
30:55 - Celebrity Partners & Doing Interesting Things
34:05 - Building Brand Through TikTok and Community
38:55 - The Truth About Early Marketing (and Why Most Fails)
42:20 - How to Get Into Retail Without Burning Cash
44:55 - Final Advice: Only Do Exceptional Marketing
🎯 Follow Foundr for More Business Growth Strategies
📺 YouTube → bit.ly/2uyvzdt
🌍 Website → foundr.com
📸 Instagram → instagram.com/foundr
📘 Facebook → facebook.com/foundr
🐦 Twitter → twitter.com/foundr
💼 LinkedIn → linkedin.com/company/foundr
🎙️ Podcast → foundr.com/podcast
What You’ll Learn in This Episode
In this episode, David Lester, co-founder of OLIPOP, shares how he and his co-founder turned a failed first startup into a $1.85B soda sensation disrupting one of the most iconic categories in the world.
He reveals:
✅ Why their first venture failed - and the brutal lessons they took into OLIPOP
✅ How they launched with zero marketing but still went viral in retail
✅ The product philosophy that drove them from 24 stores to 20,000+
✅ Why “break one rule hard” is their secret to category innovation
✅ What it’s really like to partner with celebs like Camila Cabello
✅ His masterclass-level advice for launching CPG products profitably
If you're building a consumer brand, launching into retail, or looking to differentiate in a saturated space - this is a goldmine of hard-won wisdom.
SAVE 50% ON OMNISEND FOR 3 MONTHS
Get 50% off your first 3 months of email and SMS marketing with Omnisend using the code FOUNDR50.
Start here → your.omnisend.com/foundr
✅ Want 1-on-1 mentorship to launch or scale your brand faster? Apply for eCommerce coaching:
→ Starting your ecom biz? foundr.com/pages/coaching-start-application
→ Already selling and want to scale? foundr.com/pages/coaching-growth-application
✅ Want all-access to step-by-step training from 7, 8 & 9-figure founders? Start your Foundr+ $1 trial today → foundr.com/startdollartrial
🔗 Connect With Nathan Chan
📸 Instagram → instagram.com/nathanchan
💼 LinkedIn → linkedin.com/in/nathanhchan
🔗 Connect With David Lester & OLIPOP
🌍 OLIPOP Website → drinkolipop.com
📸 OLIPOP Instagram → instagram.com/drinkolipop
📸 David’s Instagram → instagram.com/davijee
💼 David’s LinkedIn → linkedin.com/in/david-lester-4b71b512
00:00 - Reinventing Soda: The OLIPOP Origin Story
00:21 - From Corporate Life to Gut Health Disruptor
02:33 - Lessons from a Failed First Startup
04:14 - Why Obie Didn't Work & What Changed
06:11 - Learning to Say No as a Founder
08:25 - The Power of Focused Retail Rollout
10:59 - Building OLIPOP with Scientific R&D
13:37 - Testing, Packaging, and Finding Product-Market Fit
15:05 - Raising Capital & Navigating Expensive Manufacturing
17:24 - From 24 Stores to 20,000+ Nationwide
20:44 - Why Slow, Profitable Growth Beats Fast Burn
24:55 - OLIPOP's "Break One Rule Hard" Philosophy
28:05 - Keeping Soda Fun, Fixing the Health Problem
30:55 - Celebrity Partners & Doing Interesting Things
34:05 - Building Brand Through TikTok and Community
38:55 - The Truth About Early Marketing (and Why Most Fails)
42:20 - How to Get Into Retail Without Burning Cash
44:55 - Final Advice: Only Do Exceptional Marketing
🎯 Follow Foundr for More Business Growth Strategies
📺 YouTube → bit.ly/2uyvzdt
🌍 Website → foundr.com
📸 Instagram → instagram.com/foundr
📘 Facebook → facebook.com/foundr
🐦 Twitter → twitter.com/foundr
💼 LinkedIn → linkedin.com/company/foundr
🎙️ Podcast → foundr.com/podcast
