Stephen Ellsworth, co-founder of Poppi, joins Due To My Role to break down what actually goes into building — and exiting — a modern consumer brand.

Poppi started as a scrappy apple-cider-vinegar drink sold at farmers markets, became a breakout Shark Tank success story, and ultimately sold to Pepsi for $1.95 billion. But the real story isn’t the TV moment — it’s the decade-long grind between launch and liquidity.

Stephen walks through the realities founders don’t post on LinkedIn: maxed-out credit cards, Medicaid coverage, payroll panic, and watching friends live comfortably while you bet everything on belief. He explains why the beverage category is one of the hardest in consumer, how branding only works when it carries founder DNA, and why distribution—not hype—is what finally breaks a brand open.

They dig into what life looks like after the exit: confidence earned (not imagined), choosing what to work on next, and why creative problem-solving is the real addiction founders never quit.

This episode is for founders, operators, and investors who want the truth behind consumer exits, Shark Tank mythology, and what it actually takes to sell a brand at scale.

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