Olipop’s co-founder, Ben Goodwin, is a college dropout who’s played a significant role in creating a gut-healthy soda on track to bring in over $200 million in revenue this year.
Goodwin claims his history as an overweight teen during his school years inspired him to co-create the popular beverages that offer Americans healthier alternatives to traditional soda.
Not Your Average Mixologist
Goodwin claims that much of his success comes from having a balanced routine that allows him to make the most of his time each day.
While the general population may find themselves watching Netflix come sundown, the Olipop founder will be in his laundry room working on the next flavor for his healthy soda brand. So far, he has created over 20 flavors.
Goodwin Questions American Diets’ Effect on the Microbiome
Goodwin, raised on a standard American Diet, was considered overweight during childhood. He also suffered from anxiety and, overall, wasn’t living a happy life.
However, at 15, he decided to make a dramatic change and became a vegetarian. Sometime after, Goodwin claims to have noticed significant improvements in his mental health, which led him down a path of studying the microbiome and its effects on the body.
Goodwin Begins Working on Fermented Products
Goodwin eventually decided to drop out of college and began working on products that would support a healthy gut.
Around 20 years ago, Goodwin began his first company, Kombucha Botanica, with a friend. They created six unique flavors and gained plenty of experience along the way, which would help him with projects in the future.
The Beginning of Olipop
Goodwin’s next major creation came in 2008 when he started the Obi Probiotic Soda company. He worked on this project, which featured a water kefir drink, for eight years until he decided to leave the company in 2016.
Luckily for Goodwin, he made the right decision, as this freed up all of his time, which led to the creation of Olipop in 2018. The popular beverage is estimated to bring in over $200 million this year alone.
Flavors For Everyone
The Olipop founder spends a significant amount of time ensuring that he creates the perfect blend of flavors for his gut-friendly beverages.
Throughout his long career, Goodwin has created more than 30 flavors for his probiotic drinks, 20 of which are currently on sale with Olipop.
New Flavors Soon to Hit the Market
During the company’s earlier years, Goodwin revealed he would work in the lab until the early hours of the morning every day of the week.
Now, he prefers to plan out a new formula in his head and ensure that it fits with his brand before he begins the hands-on work in the lab. “Blackberry Vanilla and Orange Cream are waiting in the wings and are in circulation,” Goodwin reveals.
Olipop Popularity Increases Drastically in 2023
Over the past year, due to a solid social media presence on apps such as TikTok, Olipop drinks have been flying off the supermarket shelves.
Olipop was valued at approximately $199.8 million last January, according to PitchBook.
Goodwin Places Special Reverence on Health
While the idea of Olipop is to help everyday Americans make healthier choices, Goowin also practices what he preaches and aims to live a healthy lifestyle.
The founder of the gut-healthy brand gave Fortune a look into how he spends his days and what practices bring him the mental strength and clarity to continue to craft unique drink flavors.
Starting the Morning with a Sauna
Goodwin wakes up around 6.30 a.m. every morning and has an ice bath accompanied by a sauna.
“I fill a big canister of water with electrolytes, lemon juice, and a little creatine, and I go down to the sauna,” said Goodwin.
Daytime Meetings to Stratageize
After a hearty breakfast typically consisting of boiled eggs and black coffee, he soon finds himself in back-to-back Zoom meetings. Topics include everything from departmental issues to strategies for the forthcoming business quarter.
While meetings are necessary for any company, Goodwin alludes to the idea that he has “too many meetings every day.”
The Fun Begins in the Evening
Finally, Goodwin gets to experience new flavors once he officially signs out of office at 5.00 p.m. on weekdays.
But first, he typically ends the work day with some form of fitness. Usually, Goodwin either enjoys a gym session from the comfort of his home or a guided workout with his health coach.
