Today, I’m joined by Kat Cole, CEO of AG1.
Evolving from a $160M single-SKU brand to $500M+ revenue, AG1’s in hypergrowth mode — adding flavors and sleep aid AGZ, entering Costco, and investing $20M in clinical research.
In this episode, we discuss building foundational capabilities before scaling complexity.
We also cover:
- Handling criticism and competition
- Insights from early operational mishaps
- Strategies for retail expansion and packaging redesign
The Fitt Insider Podcast is brought to you by EGYM. Visit EGYM.com to learn more about its smart fitness ecosystem for fitness and health facilities.
Chapters:
(00:00) Introduction
(01:50) Kat stepping into CEO role
(02:30) Multi-product, multi-channel evolution
(03:05) US blending capacity expansion
(04:00) First flavors after 10+ years
(04:45) AGZ launch: consolidating sleep stack
(07:01) Operating gaps despite hypergrowth
(09:00) New Zealand supply chain dependency
(10:30) Leaky shaker bottles insight
(13:00) Real growth at scale
(14:20) Delaying retail expansion
(16:00) Packaging redesign for shelf
(18:20) NSF certification delays
(20:10) D2C relationship advantages
(22:05) $30M research commitment
(23:15) Double-blind trials and skepticism
(25:20) Larger studies: 100 vs. 30 participants
(27:00) Why competitors don’t invest in research
(28:20) Handling criticism and competitors
(30:00) Apple, Lululemon comparison
(32:00) Using critique to improve
(33:30) Marketing science strategy
(35:00) Scientific advisory council
(36:21) Podcast marketing reality
(38:25) Referral and gifting conversion
(40:00) Multi-channel integration
(41:20) Retail as billboard
(42:20) Costco untapped awareness
(43:20) Slow operational work pays off
(44:02) Future retail expansion
(45:00) Stacking products customers request
(45:39) Conclusion
