Alison Ellsworth built Poppy, a modern soda empire from scratch. No roadmap, just hustle,

TikTok and sheer grit. Then she sold it for $1.9 billion to Pepsi, a full exit from the company that

she started at her kitchen table. Today, Alison shares the steps, the real numbers and what it

actually takes to scale a business, only on the Aspire podcast.

Thank you. Thank you for having me.

I'm really excited to talk to you because I think the audience that listens to this podcast are the type of audience that are noodling about ideas in

their head, thinking whether they should start a business. And that's exactly what you did.

You took your own issues, created a solution, went out, created a business. You've grown that

business, eventually sold that business, which is so impressive. But what would you say to somebody

listening right now who's

thinking about whether or not to take that leap? What would be your advice, given all you've gone through?

So I think the most basic thing in the world is you just have to do it. I think that the rest of you

always think there's this perfect moment or perfect time, there's no such thing when it comes to business. And I look back at those days and I'm so blessed that I didn't know anything. Naivety is a really good thing. It's like there's no fear. You can just jump off a cliff. There's no risk. You don't care. You're putting your heart and soul into something. And so now it's

funny. Like, everyone's like, what are you going to do next? You start another business. I'm like, yes, but I know too much now. It's almost harder. So you just have to do it and just like have no fear. That's your advice. Just do it. I know. And it's so annoying because it's not the best advice, but it's true.

Like, people think there's a magic sauce,

and honestly, it's the person, I feel like.

It's the entrepreneurs. it's so annoying because it's not the best advice, but it's true. Like, people think there's a magic

sauce and honestly, it's the person, I feel like, it's the entrepreneur, it's the idea, it's the passion, it's the grit. You know, I think your advice is really truthful, though, because I often say the same thing. I'm like, you just got to do it. It's a bit like having a baby, there's no like perfect time. The stars don't align. It's like you just got to one day decide

that this is what I'm doing. And then you forget all the bad and then you do it again and then you forget all that. Hopefully. That's what that's about to happen to you now. You're going to forget it all and you're going to go full circle. So I want to understand a little bit about your upbringing and growing up. I think that you grew up around a lot of entrepreneurs. Did you know that you were going to start a business? Was that always in your path?

No, I think that you grew up around a lot of entrepreneurs. Did you know that you were going to start a business? Was that always in your path? No, I just know that I don't like

being told what to do. And I think if you have that, you don't want to be in a cubicle or have a

normal boss that's telling you what to do. And even throughout Poppy, that was like a really big

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