C-Suite to Main Street: A Masterclass in Scaling With Authenticity

Every entrepreneur with dreams of scaling their business aims to do so without losing the values and vision that inspired them to start in the first place. But maintaining that authenticity while navigating rapid growth, investor expectations, and operational complexity is easier said than done.

In this installment of CO—’s C-Suite to Main Street series, Vice President and Editor-in-Chief Jeanette Mulvey sat down with Ben Goodwin, Co-Founder of OLIPOP, to discuss how he transformed a $100,000 personal investment into a nearly $2 billion business. Drawing on two decades of experience as a beverage entrepreneur, Goodwin shared practical lessons on thoughtful scaling, mission-driven leadership, and taking strategic risks while staying grounded in purpose.

Build your business around a mission that genuinely matters

For Goodwin, OLIPOP was never just about launching another beverage brand. The company was built around a larger mission: improving health outcomes at scale by reimagining soda itself.

Rather than asking consumers to radically change their behavior, Goodwin focused on creating a healthier version of a product people already loved.

“Soda is the largest non-alcoholic category,” Goodwin explained. “Full-sugar soda … is driving a lot of health issues … so that felt like a really good thing to go try to work on.”

That mission-driven focus shaped every aspect of the company, from product formulation to branding to investor partnerships. And according to Goodwin, a mission isn’t just a “nice to have” for entrepreneurs. It’s a competitive advantage.

“Mission-driven companies outperform the stock market,” he said, pointing to outcomes like stronger employee engagement, better talent attraction, lower turnover, and better long-term financial performance.

But a mission statement alone won’t create results.

“You have to find a way … [to] bring the mission to life inside of the culture,” Goodwin emphasized.

[Read more: How to Weave Your Company Mission Into Everything You Do] 

Smart scaling requires adaptability and the right partners

While OLIPOP’s growth story may appear meteoric from the outside, Goodwin described it as “the 20-year overnight success.”

Before launching OLIPOP, he spent years developing formulations, bootstrapping research, and learning through previous ventures. That experience taught him the value of staying lean early on and delaying outside investment until the business had meaningful proof of concept.

“The further you can get with the brand identity, the design … and especially if you can go start getting some real sales of the product, it not only helps you feel more comfortable … but it also goes a long way in helping investors see tangible value,” Goodwin explained.

Once OLIPOP did begin raising capital, Goodwin was intentional about choosing investors who aligned with the company’s mission and philosophy.

“If you accidentally find yourself in the wrong investor partnerships, down the road, it can be catastrophic for the business,” he cautioned.

Rather than prioritizing investors solely focused on financial returns, Goodwin sought partners who believed in OLIPOP’s broader purpose and trusted the leadership team’s vision. That alignment allowed the company to maintain operational autonomy even as it scaled rapidly. 

Today, OLIPOP generates more than half a billion dollars in annual revenue and continues to evolve its leadership structure, systems, and processes to support growth.

“As an entrepreneur operating in that environment, I have to be on top of my microhabits,” Goodwin told CO—. “I have to be ready to have fairly substantial overhauls to how I approach leadership, the business, [and] how I think about myself.”

[Read more: 3 Scaling Startups Unpack Customer Acquisition and Retention Strategies Driving Growth] 

Great businesses are built by great people and healthy cultures

As OLIPOP expanded, Goodwin realized that maintaining culture would become just as important as maintaining product quality. He noted that healthy company cultures are built on three key elements: mission, care for employees, and accountability.

At OLIPOP, these elements show up in practical ways, from flexible remote work and strong benefits to personal development stipends and incentives that encourage employees to actually take their unlimited vacation time. 

At the same time, Goodwin emphasized that high performance and commitment to the mission still matters.

“We’re going to take great care of you … but you’ve got to go kill it,” he said, describing the balance between employee support and accountability. “That's how we keep this whole thing running. We really want people, first and foremost, who genuinely are motivated by [our] mission.”

[Read more: How to Improve Engagement Through Employee Care] 

CO— aims to bring you inspiration from leading respected experts. However, before making any business decision, you should consult a professional who can advise you based on your individual situation.