Howdy! It’s Doone here, your hype girl 💗 let’s all take a moment to hype-girl Allison Ellsworth’s Poppi acquisition to PepsiCo for $1.95B…. We love to see it! I’ve jotted down some of my thoughts and predictions below 👏 

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From Markets to Billion Dollar Business: Allison Ellsworth's $1.95B Poppi Acquisition

In August 2021 I interviewed Allison Ellsworth, the founder of Poppi, a prebiotic soda brand that was glowing up faster than she expected. Fast-forward to now, PepsiCo acquired Poppi for a casual $1.95 billion. Yep, she’s a billy.

At the time Poppi was growing crazy fast… partially thanks to TikTok (Allison’s unfiltered founder stories went super viral), but also because it genuinely filled a gap in the market. It wasn’t just soda, and it wasn’t kombucha… it was something entirely new, tasty and functional. PepsiCo obvs agreed. But why exactly?

Here’s what I reckon PepsiCo saw (and what I took away as a founder myself):

🍋 Community trumps traditional marketing Poppi built a passionate community through TikTok and influencer relationships (she got organic love from JLo, Kylie Jenner, and Billie Eilish!). Authentic, relatable content made customers feel part of Poppi’s journey. Big lesson: community and authenticity sell more effectively than slick ads.

🌟 Brand isn’t fluff, it's everything Incase you didn’t know… Poppi wasn't always Poppi. It started as "Mother". Allison literally paused everything post-Shark Tank to rebrand for eight months. That bold move paid off big-time, catching PepsiCo’s eye because Poppi became not just a beverage, but a cool Gen Z lifestyle brand.

🚀 Growth solves most problems Poppi was doubling sales yearly, scaling faster than competitors. PepsiCo had already tried (and failed) with its own functional soda line, Soulboost. (Never heard of it btw). Instead of gambling again, PepsiCo chose the proven, skyrocketing brand. Proof again: exponential growth opens doors.

🧠 Founder instincts beat the playbook Allison told me on the pod she walked away from early investors who were offering money without strategic value (what she called "stupid money"). Bold move when you need cash! But that decision allowed her to hold out for Shark Tank’s Rohan Oza. The guy is literally in the business of consumer beverages. Who better than to have him on the cap table and opening the right doors. This was a key smart money partnership that changed everything. The takeaway? Gut instinct can be smarter than standard startup advice.

📈 Big brands buy what they can’t build Unlike Coca-Cola which is now scrambling to build a Poppi-like product in-house, PepsiCo chose the shortcut… buying authenticity and community. It’s clear proof: major brands will pay top dollar for the real deal rather than spend years chasing it. As the small business owner, you can infuse love and charm into every corner of what you do. It’s near impossible for the big players to do that.

Here’s my bet for what happens next:

• Global domination (or at least significant expansion!) now that Poppi has PepsiCo’s powerhouse distribution.

• Poppi evolving into a full-fledged wellness brand beyond just beverages (think snacks, supplements, lifestyle products).

• Coca-Cola racing to keep up and potentially looking to acquire or rapidly build similar authenticity.

The bottom line is that if you’re building a brand: authenticity, community and a founder’s courage can literally be billion-dollar differentiators.

If you want to revisit the full chat with Allison from 2021… before Poppi became a billion-dollar deal, it’s right here 👇

✨ Hit reply and if you’re coming to LA for the Create & Cultivate festival so we can hang! (I’ve got a cheeky promo code for ya!)