Many years ago, when I started proclaiming that the best and brightest sports nutrition brands could compete against any large CPG incumbent when it comes to functional food and beverage…oldhead CPG industry folk (especially beverage people) thought I was crazy. But at this point…I can just let that one super important beverage category retail sales scan data do most the talking for me. Energy drink brands that have roots in the supplement industry now account for over $3 billion in retail sales. And while most know the growth stories of CELSIUS, C4 Energy, GHOST, and Alani Nu, by now…I’m going dig a layer just below those brands and highlight a fast-charging challenger that could soon crack the top 10 best-selling energy drink list. In my wide-reaching conversation with Nic Stella, we cover topics like how his ability to spot early internet content and commerce connections have become a foundational element to the growth behind RYSE and RYSE Fuel. We also talk through a few different strategic partnership strategies…from flavor licensing to sponsoring UFC champions and professional sport teams. Moreover, Nic gets REAL about the beverage business and outlines a growing trend that I’ve long dubbed “the great beverage mirage.” Finally, we talk through his decision to lean into TikTok...which made him a key character in the brand story and catapulted RYSE to the top categorical spot on TikTok Shop. But these are just some of the insightful topics we talked about in this episode...

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