ContenderCast with Justin Honaman

Mark Rampolla built ZICO Coconut Water over nine years and sold it to Coca-Cola for over $200M. Then seven years later, bought it back. Now he's rebuilding it bigger than ever, going for $1B+, and documenting the entire process. Mark also leads GroundForce Capital, a $600M firm investing in companies like Liquid Death, Bobbie, and Humm Kombucha. And he's using this rebuilt operating system—FreedomOS—to take ZICO past where it was when he sold it the first time. Not with more grind. With more clarity, more ease, and more fun. Mark joins Justin to discuss beverage, entrepreneurship and more.

Everbowl is a Southern California-based fast-casual restaurant chain specializing in customizable superfood bowls and smoothies aimed at promoting a healthy, "unevolved" lifestyle. Founded in 2016, it features fruit-based bases like acai, pitaya, and graviola topped with fresh fruit, granola, and nuts. Founder Jeff Fenster joins Justin to discuss this fast-growing brand!

Olowo-n'djo Tchala (Olo) is the founder of Alaffia, the fair-trade beauty brand he built for two decades. Olo joins Justin to discuss launching and growing this clean, green, fair-trade brand!

Jason Wong is the award-winning Founder and CEO of Paking Duck, a revolutionary packaging manufacturing company that's redefining how consumer brands bring products to market. Born in Hong Kong and immigrating to America at age 8, Jason combines his bicultural perspective with serial entrepreneurial success—starting his first business at age 14 and achieving his first major win at 23 with Doe Lashes, building it to a $15 million valuation in one year from a $500 investment after solving his girlfriend's struggle with uncomfortable false lashes. Through Paking Duck's award-winning Packaging Network Model and proprietary AI-powered tools, Jason has created a strategically-partnered manufacturing business that serves everyone from Fiji Water to emerging beauty brands, delivering the speed, flexibility, and creative freedom that traditional factories cannot provide. His approach embodies innovation, transparency, and founder empowerment, turning packaging from an operational headache into a strategic advantage for scaling consumer brands. Jason joins Justin to unpack Paking Duck products and services!

When Clara Sieg was pregnant with her daughter, she became acutely aware of what she was putting in and on her body. She focused on avoiding toxins and plastics, and there seemed to be thoughtful alternatives in nearly every category - from food to personal care to home cleaning. But when it came to water, things got murky. She couldn't make sense of what was actually in tap water, and the more she learned about bottled water, the more she becamse interested in developing a new better-for-you product. What started as an effort to protect her growing family quickly became an interest in creating something better. That's how Loonen was born. Co-founder Clara Sieg joins Justin to unpack the Loonen story.

Boston-based American Vinegar Works is bringing artisanal vinegar back to the US, reviving a centuries-old fermentation process from the 1820s, transforming it into a modern craft brand that meets growing consumer demand for authentic, clean-label, premium pantry staples. The vinegar market is a $10.8B global industry, and specialty vinegars are among the fastest-growing categories, projected to expand nearly 7% annually. Founder Rodrigo Vargas joins Justin to share how artisanal vinegar is not just a culinary trend, but a growing landscape of consumer demand and what it takes to reimagine a historic American industry in 2026.

Every goal that you're pursuing has two hidden numbers attached to it—a probability of success and a probability of failure. Whether you're trying to start a business, run a marathon, get a promotion, earn a pilot's license, grow a bumper crop of tomatoes, or sign an acting deal, these two percentages are always lurking in the shadows predicting what is going to happen. But most of us never think about them. We assume our odds are unknowable and unchangeable. This dangerous lie leads millions of people to fail at goals where they were perfectly capable of succeeding. You can choose a smarter path. Author Kyle Austin Young joins Justin to discuss his new bestselling book.

PeeSport is America's #1 Pee Bottle Company. They're making life easier and more fun for thousands of people. Their product is fun, useful, and life changing. Thousands of truckers, travelers, clinics, festival-goers, and adventurers trust PeeSport for relief on the go. But they are not just selling pee bottles, they are building something bigger. A brand that makes people laugh, that's all about adventure, and that's going to be as wild as Red Bull one day. Founder Henry Snow joins Justin to discuss this fast-growing brand!

Introducing the world's first AI-powered, fully automatic safe smart cooking system (www.CookTopSafety.com) and SensorAI – AI innovators specializing in predictive and preventative technology solutions. The CTS focus is on aging in place, multi-family and student housing, IoT connected kitchen and SaaS. Cooktop Safety (CTS) founder and CEO David Eby joins Justin to discuss innovation in tech and AI.

High Level, co-founded by Ashley Parker Angel and Bobby Klebanoff, is revolutionizing the wellness industry with a unique dual-business model. When the worlds of entertainment and medicine come together, something extraordinary happens. Ashley Parker Angel, known for his dynamic stage presence and transformation coaching, and Dr. David Rizik, a global leader in cardiovascular medicine, teamed up to create High Level Science — a line of medical-grade supplements redefining wellness with a foundation in solid science and real-world performance. Their groundbreaking formulations include High Level Heart + Body + Mind, designed to support overall physiological wellness, and High Level Man, a 12-in-1 advanced men's vitality formula crafted to help support energy, endurance, circulation, and overall wellness with clean, science-informed ingredients. Ashley Parker Angel and Bobby Klebanoff join Justin to discuss this fast-growing brand.