We had the good fortune of connecting with Steven Vigilante and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Steven, what is the most important factor behind your success?
I think the most important factor behind our success is the growth mindset that our CEO Ben has instilled in the team since the business started. All of our employees are ‘yes and’ types who go above and beyond their job description everyday. Everyone is totally bought into our mission to provide a truly better-for-you option in the soda category, and it really does make an impact on the growth and profitability of the business on a daily and monthly basis.

What should our readers know about your business?
Launched in 2018, OLIPOP created the first healthy alternative to soda with only 2-5 grams of sugar and 9 grams of fiber. OLIPOP, now the fastest growing functional beverage, was formulated by CEO, Ben Goodwin, and a team of leading scientists to capture the nostalgic soda flavors you want, but with the benefits of plant-based fiber, prebiotics, and other botanical ingredients to support digestive health. OLIPOP is available in a variety of flavors including classic options like Vintage Cola, Classic Root Beer and Lemon Lime and innovative flavors like Strawberry Vanilla, Banana Cream, and Tropical Punch. The growth has been incredible and in 2023 alone, OLIPOP’s commitment to healthier choices resulted in an impressive reduction of 7.3 million pounds of sugar from the American diet and an addition of 1.9 million pounds of fiber.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
What a loaded question! My fiance and I are definitely ‘food explorers’ and love canvasing Los Angeles for the best eats. A few required food stops would be Gjusta (Venice) for lunch, Sonoratown (DTLA) for a chivichanga and tacos, Yangban (DTLA) for a Korean dinner, and if we wanted to take a bit of a drive, we’d drive east to City of Industry, where Bafang and Luyu Dumplings serve some of the best potstickers in all of Southern California. Also, no trip to LA is complete without a stroll down the iconic Venice Boardwalk, stopping for a glass of natural wine and a burger at Dudley Market while the sun sets over the pier.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I definitely wouldn’t be here today without the enduring support of my family [Penny (Mom), John (Dad), Peter (Brother), Kathryn (Sister)]. They keep me grounded and motivated and, as my mom always jokes, she’s our top unpaid sales rep in New Jersey (she buys an OLIPOP for the cashier every time she checks out at a grocery store).

I love the book Essentialism by Greg McKeown, and it has become required reading for all the people on our marketing team. The essence of the book is a famous German design principle “Weniger, aber besser”, which translates to ‘do less things, better’ in english. A great rule to live by!

Website: https://drinkolipop.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stevenparker__/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/%F0%9F%A5%A4steven-vigilante-06b64633/

Twitter: https://x.com/drinkolipop?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor

Image Credits
OLIPOP

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