The Best One Yet – Live with Poppi Co-founders Allison & Stephen Ellsworth
Episode: Pepsi’s $2B Power Couple
Date: February 27, 2026
Hosts: Jack Crivici-Kramer & Nick Martell (with guest host Anna)
Guests: Allison & Stephen Ellsworth (Co-founders of Poppi)
Episode Overview
This lively, in-person episode of The Best One Yet brings together Allison and Stephen Ellsworth, the married co-founders of Poppi, the revolutionary prebiotic soda brand. The discussion delves into their journey: from a famously pregnant appearance on Shark Tank, to scaling Poppi into a viral sensation, and ultimately achieving a $1.95 billion acquisition by PepsiCo. The episode blends business insight, couples’ dynamics, entrepreneurial lessons, and fun rapid-fire games for a fast-paced, inspiring look at what it takes to build, scale, and sell a beloved consumer brand.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Celebrating the PepsiCo Acquisition
2. Building Poppi: Brand vs. Numbers
3. Distribution vs. Product: The Next Frontier
4. Operating as a Couple: Marriage & Business
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Full Commitment and Trust
- Stephen distills the couple’s formula for both marriage and successful partnership: total commitment from both sides is needed—going 100% in, not 50/50.
- Quote: “…there needs to be 100% commitment from both parties… as the business goes up and down… So I think that's the biggest thing that sort of marriage and business has taught us is just full on.” (11:50, Stephen)
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Division of Labor & Knowing Lanes
- Complementary strengths helped: Allison on creative/brand, Stephen on ops and product. “We know our lanes. Stay in your lanes.” (13:09, Allison)
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Work-Life Integration over Balance
- They embrace work-life blur and late-night collaborations, challenging the myth of strict “balance.”
- Quote: “If you’re an entrepreneur and you’re shutting your computer at 7 o’clock, like, what are you doing? Right. We're all hustling.” (14:15, Allison)
- Quote: “You work a job that you don't like, they call it stress. You work a job that you love, they call it passion. And, like, that was us.” (14:48, Stephen)
5. Shark Tank Full Circle & Employee Equity
6. Super Bowl Ads: Building a Cultural Vibe
- Three Consecutive Super Bowl Commercials
- Each approached differently, intentionally maintaining Poppi’s indie brand feel even after acquisition. Super Bowl ads are “about vibe, not just numbers.”
- Quote: “We’ve never really cared about [ad ratings]... for us, it’s just how many people can learn about Poppi, feel some emotional connection… It goes back from the head to the heart.” (22:55, Allison)
7. The Soda Industry, Disruption, and Big Brand Dynamics
8. Entrepreneur Advice: Talent, Delegating, and Growth
- Scale Requires Letting Go
- Allison’s top lesson: hire faster, let go sooner—don’t let ego slow you down. Hire for what you need in a year, not just now.
- Quote: “The second you start letting go and not letting your ego get in the way of growth is really where you have real growth.” (28:02, Allison)
- Delegation Threshold: “If you have 50–60% trust in somebody else, that's literally when you should start to delegate it.” (28:59, Stephen)
- Host summary: “In order to grow, you have to let go.” (29:29, Jack)
9. Notable Moments, Quotes & Humor
- ASMR Soda Opening: Early “product placement” and a can opening moment for the crowd. (04:12)
- The Mafia of Beverage Distribution: Allison compares locked-up soda venue relationships to the mafia. (10:58)
- Poppi’s Explosive TikTok Strategy: “1/3 of the [TikTok] platform has seen my face seven times.” (19:52, Allison)
- Rapid Fire: The Newlyweds Game
- Stephen guesses Allison’s favorites: Skims (brand), Crocs (dream collab), cheddar popcorn (snack), Kim Kardashian ("leader”), East Side pink cups taco place (restaurant). (29:55–31:45)
Key Quotes by Timestamp
- On Acquisition Stress:
- "We actually got into one of the biggest fights ever..." - Allison (05:06)
- On Purpose After Big Success:
- "I think in life, you need purpose..." - Allison (06:51)
- On Brand Building:
- “I want us to think about brand awareness, brand building, future like disruption…” - Allison (18:41)
- On Employee Equity:
- “99% of the employees also had equity… they bought homes, they retired their parents...” - Stephen (14:48)
- On Entrepreneurial Delegation:
- “If you have 50–60% trust in somebody else, that's literally when you should start to delegate it.” - Stephen (28:59)
- On Big Brand Dynamics:
- “They've decided to not take the risk of innovation and instead they've outsourced innovation to the startup sector.” - Jack (25:25)
Important Timestamps
- Acquisition Story & Emotions: 05:06–07:19
- Brand vs. Metrics Philosophy: 18:41–20:48
- Super Bowl Ad Strategy: 22:12–22:55
- Soda Industry & Big Brand Mentality: 23:43–27:04
- Best Lessons on Hiring & Growth: 28:02–29:32
- Rapid-Fire Newlyweds Game: 29:46–31:45
Tone & Style
The episode is fast-paced, witty, and full of camaraderie, with plenty of light teasing and candid revelations. The speakers are authentic and transparent, often poking fun at each other and themselves while dropping actionable, hard-won business lessons.
Takeaways for Entrepreneurs & Couples
- Build community, not just a customer base.
- Brand is everything for early-stage startups; numbers come later.
- Equity shared with employees creates outsized motivation and loyalty.
- Founders: hire fast, let go, and over-invest in talent—you can’t do it all.
- Work-life integration is natural for the passionate entrepreneur; embrace the blur.
- Trust, complete commitment, and knowing lanes are foundational in any partnership—business or marriage.
Memorable Moment
[04:12] The live ASMR soda can opening, setting a fun, celebratory tone for the show and symbolizing Poppi’s branding prowess.
Summary Prepared By: The Best One Yet Podcast Summarizer
For: Listeners, entrepreneurs, and aspiring couples in business who want the inside track on building something great—and having fun doing it.