The Empowered Challenger

Did you know that the world drinks more than a million colas per minute but almost none of the money goes back to the farmers who originally discovered cola in the first place? That’s where Karma Cola comes in!

On this episode of The Empowered Challenger, Prentice talks with New Zealand native Simon Coley, the co-founder of Karma Cola, a challenger soft drink brand that aims to do good.

The company, which was founded in 2012, is taking on massive brands like Coca-Cola with Fairtrade and organic drinks that give back money from each bottle sold to cola nut producers in Sierra Leone. How do they do it? Have a listen.

Eric Bandholz, founder and CEO of Beardbrand, is on a mission to bust beard stereotypes and in true challenger fashion, has been carving his own path to get there. Beardbrand, a men’s grooming company with products for styling and maintaining beards, hair, skin, and mustaches, is less about the products and more about the community they’re building. Eric doesn’t care about Lamborghinis and planes, he wants to build a business that he enjoys.

In this episode of The Empowered Challenger, Eric shares his story of how Beardbrand grew from a side hustle to a full-on branded company and what really happened on Shark Tank.

With experience from a U.K. coconut water startup under their belts, Hugh Thomas, CEO of Ugly Drinks, and his co-founder Joe Benn mapped out an idea (in a British pub, no less!) to change the beverage game by crafting something that tasted good without making you feel bad.

One look at their current product line, which consists of fruit-flavored sparkling water with no sugar, sweeteners, calories, or anything artificial, along with a new zero-calorie, zero sugar energy drink (thanks to advice from their consumers), tells us they’ve done just that!

Listen in as Hugh shares how he educated an entire marketplace and initiated a positive rebellion against the sugar-laden soda and energy drink culture.

From humble beginnings brewing kombucha in the kitchen of his family’s Southern California home to his current $300 million a year empire, it’s clear to see how GT Dave’s passion, dedication, and unparalleled personal commitment towards his products have remained the driving force behind the most consumer-trusted kombucha brand on the market today.

Join us as the King of Kombucha himself shares how he got here, what he’s learned along the way, and how he continues to dial in on the multi-million dollar brand he’s built.

In today’s bonus episode we sit down with Zach Cochran, our media director here at Door No. 3. We discuss data, analytics, and digital advertising as well as Zach’s involvement in helping our challenger brand clients drive brand awareness to ultimately drive conversions.

Most people have their passion, then their work. But Rick Wittenbraker’s unconventional journey in marketing has led him to positions that have seamlessly combined the two. His marketing genius paired with his passion for the outdoors has been the secret weapon for companies like YETI Coolers, uShip, and currently, Howler Brothers. Listen in as one of the coolest CMO’s around gives insight into what makes Howler Brothers unique and successful in a flooded market.

In today’s episode, Neil Hoyne chats with Prentice about all things consumer analytics. Neil is the global head of analytics at Google and senior fellow at the Wharton School - this, combined with a number of achievements makes him a leading voice in the customer data and analytics world. But Neil’s not just about the numbers (or: not just a numbers guy), he shares how this information can translate into better relationships and build a platform for creative messaging and powerful storytelling.

Jeni Britton Bauer is an American ice cream maker and entrepreneur. She opened her first ice cream shop, Scream, in 1996, then founded Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams in 2002. Her first cookbook, Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream At Home is NY Times Bestseller and won a James Beard award. As Founder and Chief Creative Officer, Jeni remains the beating heart of the company and is in charge of all creative output—from the ice cream itself to the supporting details that enhance the experience of eating it.

Jessica Honegger is Founder and co-CEO of Noonday Collection, author of Imperfect Courage and host of Going Scared podcast. She sits down with Prentice Howe to discuss the challenges and victories she’s had in launching and running a world-changing company for women. She shares how Noonday has not only had global impact but also challenged her personally and creatively. She shares how the power of gathering together fuels everything they do and why that keeps her going.

Ashley Longshore isn’t your average artist. After shaking up the traditional gallery sales model, she’s taken over Instagram and branded herself as a pop-feminism icon. From working with celebrities such as Blake Lively and Salma Hayek, to being the first-ever female to do a solo show at the store Bergdorf Goodman, Ashley has gone from “unmarketable” to making $1.3M on social media in under two hours. She joins Prentice to chat about blazing her own path, and why surrendering to your weirdness can be your best marketing tool.