"Don't forget where you came from, but don't you dare ever let it solely define you. Our truth is in our roots, but our past should not be our anchor." The mantra I use for myself, teams, brands, and businesses. We all have permission (and often a responsibility) to change.
Stoked to be stepping into the CEO role
@drink_AG1
.
I'm so proud of our product, brand, and team that have achieved serious scale and impact.
And I'm constantly inspired by our customers and community.
Much to do -- here's to your health!
New:
@drink_AG1
, the nutritional-drink business formerly known as Athletic Greens, has named Kat Cole as CEO
The company is “projected to do well over $600 million in revenue and be profitable this fiscal year”, Cole said.
Long on cannabis, super-healthy food & bev, sleep & wellness tech, crypto (the entire ecosystem, not just currency), creator economy (especially "crossover creators"), and technology for SMBs. What a time for founders, investors, and creators!
There are a lot of Burning Man headlines, many way overblown, some accurate. The burn has been epic -- yes more extreme than the usual extremes (it's always inclement, intense, etc) -- but don't believe most of the dramatic headlines. It is a muddy mess, but that's after we had a
Assume positive intent. If given the chance, people will often prove that assumption right.
Then in the rare instances where they don't, act kindly, but swiftly.
@WalshFreedom
I have so appreciated your perspective. I'm sure we disagree on many issues, but if you ever want to jam on shared love of freedom, country, and democracy with a once republican, turned libertarian, now mostly-progressive that believes in a more contemporary capitalism, I'm here!
I’m thrilled to join the board of this strong, growth stage company bridging the worlds of technology, small biz, and food. The challenge for indie operators serving delicious pies: cost-effectively keeping up with technological capabilities required to compete.
A bit more...
On
@clubhouse
, Dr. Fauci shared that each time he enters the White House, he remembers it could be the last time, as the truth is not always pleasing. This reminds me of my "I could always go back to being a waitress" mindset. Manage your motivations. Always go with the truth.
Wow! Nearly 3300
#TeamBeans
beanies sold already. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your kindness and generosity. For more info & to purchase a beanie in memory of Francesca “Beans” Kaczynski visit . Proceeds benefit research at
@DanaFarber
. 🙏❤️
Almost every "boss" I had from the time I was 15 until 11 years later, when I first reported to a CEO, was a woman. There were a few exceptions, but from working in a mall selling clothes, to my store managers and all my VPs at Hooters...almost all women.
Time to keep building... so excited for this chapter
@AthleticGreens
- closing our raise of $115 million valuing the business at over $1 Billion. Much work to do!
I am excited to announce that
@AthleticGreens
has completed a $115 million funding round led by Alpha Wave Ventures that values the company at over $1 billion.
This is an huge step for the entire AG community and our mission. We are just getting started
Ok
@DICKS
Between this step up...and your latest commercial & women's initiatives, I would love to interview your CEO + other featured women on this leadership team on Leadership Lab
@joinClubhouse
. I am impressed and want to learn more & help tell your story.
@NCAA
Our teammates have worked quickly to get truckloads of fitness equipment ready to send to the women’s
@ncaawbb
@marchmadness
bubble – we are standing by to deliver it and have your facility outfitted within hours! Let’s make this happen.
My husband
@daleyervin
is continuing his circumnavigation of the globe on only human power. He rowed the Atlantic, now leg 1 of cycling the US. Left (5am 😴) to get one more kiss in the ATL airport. Send good vibes for his trip! (will post updates on IG)
Loved this chat!
@ShaneAParrish
@farnamstreet
and I had an insight-packed discussion on
@TKPPodcast
on trust, leadership, checking-in, criticism, and more. If you are leading teams & managing high growth & change - this one is especially for you!
@hubermanlab
Would love to hear about the research on tap water, filters, and related topics (toxicity? short and long term implications? mechanisms that effectively test for or remedy pollutants? etc.). Also - therapeutic benefits of different water-involved recovery modalities. 🥤🌊
I have saved
@LewisHamilton
's audio from this video as my alarm clock. (I actually wake up without an alarm clock, but I'm listening to it in the morning anyway) 😉. Be like Lewis, drink your AG1,
@AthleticGreens
friends. 😍💚
"Drinking AG1 each morning is a non-negotiable part of my routine. Long term habits are necessary for performance, fitness, and overall health. The energy I get from this every day has made a world of difference. Thanks
@athleticgreens
🌱🥬
#ad
"—lewishamilton
While you are sitting there, leaning into your laptop so much that you could easily fuse with it to become one, working to make magic happen and close out the year strong, remember to stand up, stretch, and take 5 deep breaths looking up
I'm projecting. Now taking my own advice.
Got my 72 year old stepdad (retired computer systems engineer) into crypto a year ago. He started w/ BTC and moved more of his portfolio into crypto. He researches hours a day, and now he's more educated than me! Anyone else's holiday family chats including crypto/NFTs?
Just back from spending a week with my team
@drink_AG1
. In a global, fully remote company, that time together is powerful. They are a world-class group of seasoned leaders, builders, and professionals who are so proud of the product, brand, and broader teams we are building.
I
A marketplace startup I'm advising (killer early traction + wrapping up raise w/ amazing investors) is looking for rockstars in key roles as soon as Q2. If you know possible fits (next tweet), DM me. Want to see high % Women & leaders of Color in these roles!
If your head of people is buried layers below the CEO, you are not likely driving optimal organizational and talent outcomes. Whatever "the" table is, they should have a seat at it.
This is one of my favorite
@hubermanlab
podcasts in a while. Dr Stacy Sims has so much knowledge for women to help navigate the data and practices that have previously not been centered on females (and gender nuances in areas where that is relevant).
In particular the
On Huberman Lab podcast out now Dr Stacy Sims makes a case for not training fasted, especially for women & offers a solution (protein + caffeine) that can improve performance. Also discussed: hormone cycles, why circuit training is not effective & more:
Beyond big jobs & cos, later yrs = bigger
3⃣7⃣- Married
@daleyervin
@burningman
3⃣9⃣- 👶
#1
+ ↗️ investing
4⃣1⃣ - 👶
#2
+ grew 9 global teams
4⃣2⃣- Led $5bil co ↗️2020 🙏 + voting activism
4⃣3⃣- Advising CEOs, investing, boards, web3, start a fund? run +cos? TBD, It's day 1 😉
Tomorrow: Think Again with
@AdamMGrant
,
@Gladwell
, and some amazing friends discuss changing our perspectives and opening minds
with Leadership Lab. 11:00 AM EST on
@joinclubhouse
.
(PST fam grab your coffee)
Join us!
@david_perell
Agree. I was opening franchises around the world at 19, first corp gig at 20, exec by 26 and so many experiences in that decade. That head start (and many of the benefits you posted) made me a more seasoned leader and more capable business person a decade earlier than most.
in a a hotel lobby - every convo is a meme (including mine)...VCs, NFTs, crypto, art, community, DTC, web3, etc.
...but it's all good. Just !vibes from us all doing this human thing the best we can while shifting gears, learning, sharing, & building the future. I love humans.
digging these -- derivative love child of CoolCats & Doodles = Coodles ... and I found the cousin
@coodles_nft
of my CoolCat with the purple robe and a hat!
Welcome
@simonsinek
to
@joinClubhouse
! We'll be hanging tomorrow 2pm EST! Love his books, insights, and perspective and look forward to that being shared with the CH community - swing by to say hi!
I like to shape the environments I'm in. Early in my career, I joined local & nat'l restaurant assoc. As an executive, I got deeply engaged in women's ldrshp orgs. After 1yr on
@joinClubhouse
, I'm repeating the pattern. Thanks
@TaylorLorenz
for this story.
From
@Hooters
, to
@Cinnabon
, and now
@drink_ag1
,
@KatColeATL
has a track record of scaling iconic brands. On Masters of Scale, the newly-minted CEO shares the importance of asking the right questions to forge a path forward.
“It’s really hard to change the culture of a company once it’s been set.”
@alex
and I talk about lessons learned from profitable, high growth SaaS cos like ServiceNow + Veeva, + why companies like Canva, Zapier, Calendly + Slice may be the companies to emulate in today’s market…
A new era of audio creators has arrived. Born out of
@joinClubhouse
, helping brands, studios, leaders, and great creators navigate the space and build great the communities and experiences we want to see.
@weareaco
is first of many
Marketplaces (most) are hard. So very hard. Those who win have put in some serious work. Love this take from
@lennysan
- which was just referenced in a food tech chat amongst several of us in the space.
How marketplaces (generally) win:
1. Deliver a much more convenient experience
2. Deliver a significantly cheaper product
3. Unlock desirable supply and then build a market around it
Loved chatting with
@crunchbase
about
@AthleticGreens
$115M raise, with the co valued at over $1Bil and our awesome investors on the journey (tagging many of them mentioned in the article in the thread below)
Just filmed a series of videos that required full-blown studio equipment be sent to my house. I boxed up all the crazy-heavy things and asked my husband for help bringing them downstairs.
His reply: Be sure to lift with your legs so you don't hurt your back
🙄😂
This convo still gives me chills.
Huge thanks to
@KatColeATL
, President & COO of Athletic Greens, for sharing her journey.
Enjoy the sneak peek of my new show, Imposters👇
My husband leaves in a few days for yet another ocean row. I am entering the super emotional phase. This time is 21-25 days instead for 45, but we have two toddlers now. I will really miss him. 🥺 (This was his before and after from his previous Atlantic crossing)
So stoked to bridge my background in food, innovation, franchising, and brands with this badass tech platform and team alongside incredible investors. What an opportunity to help a great group build while getting to learn and be on the journey alongside them. 🍕🍕🍕
@KatColeATL
(3541) - Kat brings extensive knowledge of what it takes to grow and scale a business. She is an early adopter and highly respected in the space.
We dig into my decision to drop out of college, opening franchises around the world at 19, my experience at Hooters, the power of female mentorship, finding my groove as a leader, and more...
I LOVE helping people build high-growth teams, businesses, and brands. I'm constantly reminded: humans are fascinating, customers & employees have most answers, brand matters, communication & affecting velocity are magic muscles, and we are more alike than different.
Married at Burning Man?! Tattooed Wedding Rings?! Could
@katcoleatl
be any more of a legend!! So excited for this Power Lunch episode launching here tomorrow at 1 PM est. 🔥‼️
#POWERLUNCH
⚡️⚡️
chapter 2... of
@CPGCLUB
...Pop minting in 3 min, beautiful collab of web3 communities. Congrats
@chriscantino
@jaimeschmidt
and all those who have been busting arse to bring it to life. Only this could get me stoked to mint in such a bananas market!
For your turkey-basting — a conversation w/ Kat Cole
@katcoleatl
, an executive with expertise building global brands.
On gyms: “I do believe some of these brands have moved to a pit of irrelevance that will be difficult to recover under the same brand.”
Representation matters - for all of us - for every type of diversity. Want to make the most of your talent & our communities? It's easier when they "see themselves" in leadership and key roles in the company & industry.
#InternationalWomensDay
Thats a wrap for todays Midjourney Workshop!
3h on the clock, thank you for everyone tuning in. Really appreciate it. Humbled.
I hope you learnt something, and that you share your creations with me.
Hubs is traveling, kids bummed that mommy is cooking (not my jam), stepped in dog 💩, hunkering down for Atlanta's 1-2 inches of snow tomorrow 😂... but I crushed today's
#wordle
, made my son laugh so hard he farted, and drank an extra AG1. Feelin' pretty good.
Beware of startups/competition that are nipping away at your customer base. You may not see them right away, but eventually you feel them. Stay close to your customers & employees, and prioritize their needs for retention & growth.
According to the youngest president ever of
@Cinnabon
,
@KatColeATL
, resilience & heart are key to success. Using lessons learned from childhood & as COO of
@FOCUSBRANDS
, Kat advises on how to create excellent teams, drive innovation & sustain growth.
Storytelling is important in any business. I'm joining
@AdamMGrant
to explore this topic with
@HarlanCoben
w/31 novels & 75 Million books in print 🤯 incl. THE BOY FROM THE WOODS, RUN AWAY, TELL NO ONE + creator & EP of
@netflix
dramas. 3/24 8pmEST
Kat you have 1.3M followers on clubhouse which is pretty new, but you have only 45k here. Once i had the chance to participate in your session at SHRM 2017 in New Orleans. You are a very good keynote speaker,that is why I guess you have more “listeners” than “readers”
@KatColeATL
This latest post, Learning from Reflection, is a deep dive into one of my growth practices applied to my 10-years at Focus, including "stuff" that happened in between professional milestones. I hope it's helpful no matter where you are in your journey.
@TheDailyShow
It's horrifying to see the clips and be reminded how this content diet (and those enabling it) has radically shaped beliefs. Not the first time, and likely not the last, but important to learn and be better, for anyone willing to acknowledge it.
@sweatystartup
It's
@drink_AG1
for me no question - supports my energy, gut health, sleep for less than $3/day - even before I was with the co. Under 5k - it was my local sauna franchise membership until I got my own sauna at home. My cold plunge
@thecoldplunge
and IR sauna
@HealwithHeat
are a
Surrounded by women leaders, along w/ a few amazing men, I had a broad range of examples of how to "be" a woman in business. By the time I ended up in board rooms with all men, I was so confident as a woman, that I didn't struggle trying to find myself or be like the men.
I just had a 3 min convo with someone I thought was an early coffee meeting - both meeting with Twitter NFT anons - assumed we were it. Nice dude. We had a good laugh. WAGMI
Some
@nytimes
@athleticgreens
ink on becoming a household name w/print headline "Broccoli Pretending to be a Milkshake"😂OMG (It's a multivitamin, probiotic, greens powder, +more, of course it doesn't taste like a dessert)💚You know you've made it when...
Loved sharing the story of brand, strategy, leadership, and and unexpected complexities of building
@Cinnabon
- focusing on becoming the largest CPG/omnichannel business by a restaurant brand in the world.
Our breakdown of Cinnabon, with
@zbfuss
and
@KatColeATL
A must listen if interested in:
- omni channel brand strategy
- franchisee model
- relevance and differentiation
- “equity buckets”
The story about Burger King is remarkable.
Kat is a master.
Woohoo!!!
@house__of__wise
@AmandaMGoetz
shipping product, growing like a weed 😉! So happy to be invested + rounding out our SPV! Keep crushing it, sista!
Now that I have
@AthleticGreens
. Do I have super powers yet?
Can’t wait to be like
@janelspilker
and do a morning ski at 5 am before dropping into work 😎.
What we are today won't be what we are tomorrow. See people & companies for their potential vs. a present snapshot.
We are all on a journey as individuals, teams, platforms, companies, and brands. I use this acronym for hires & investments: MAP Merit, Ability, Potential.
Some cos are hiring 2, 20, or 200 people a month! And many of you are changing roles & cos with this season of growth + the "YOLO economy". Here are a few tips if you're starting a new gig or hiring new team members.
New Hires & the First 40 Hours
Culture eats strategy for lunch every day, and if you don't invest in your company's cultural fitness & wellness, you'll be forced to deal with its cultural weakness. Architecting a culture that gets stronger with growth is possible, but not easy.
Friday night was a call you don't want to get, thank goodness it did not turn out to be the worst, but very bad.
@daleyervin
capsized twice when he rowed the Atlantic w/ a hurricane north of them, so for him to say this is the worst, it was bad. The ocean, always, is in charge.
ROWING UPDATE: We got caught in the worst possible place at the worst possible time as we were trying to make it around Statia Island. A big storm came w/ 20ft swells and 30 knot winds and pushed us close into the cliffs. Definitely the worst weather I’ve ever been in at sea.
Love
@BAYC2745
's mission and this discussion with
@NicoleBehnam
- such a fan of supportive and educational mental health communities being enabled in web3
Yeah! Loved chatting with
@SahilBloom
@gregisenberg
In The Room Where It Happens pod!! I'm a fan of these two, the communities they build, and the insights the share. Hope you get to listen and enjoy!
New Episode: The Power of Becoming a Feedback Magnet with
@KatColeATL
It’s no secret that I’m a massive fan of Kat Cole—her wisdom, business operating insights, and ideas are worth their weight in gold.
This discussion was wide-ranging and you’re going to love it! Links below.
The temple at Burning Man has meant so much to me. It's time to support this year's temple being built. Donate time, $ via kickstarter, or resources. This amazing crew has put forth an epic design and it's time to build. I'm in!
@elamadej
and team are leading this with heart.
It’s hard for me to ask for support.
But today:
If you’ve been to Burning Man, you know how special the temple is. ~250 volunteers build her so we can be more human, feel deeper, process grief. RT & consider backing and sharing the Temple of the Heart's Kickstarter. 🙏❤️👇
Hyper-growth phases, love, babies, miscarriages, business wins, teams I love, and more. There's richness and learning in between highs and lows, and the reflection process helps to mine that learning. Link to deep dive here & a few notes in this thread.
@jennifer
@witheiler
You are right. I became President and COO of
@focusbrands
at 7 mos, 60 days before going on mat leave. I had a great team, and it worked out beautifully. And did again 2 years later with the company having added 2 brands. Celebrate this, and normalize it! Way to go,
@away
!!
There is no free lunch. Everything has a cost or a tax. I regularly ask, "is the juice worth the squeeze
(capital allocation, human effort, company initiatives, etc)?"
If no, adjust/reallocate. If yes, still be aware if the squeeze is draining or leaves a "resource bruise".
@HarryStebbings
It's super hot, actually. Getting aligned, talking through upcoming activities + how we can support each other, protecting time as a couple = max energy for kiddos/fam, fun, & work + still having big energy x good vibes through the week = pretty 😍🔥.
@daleyervin
can confirm
Talked with
@andrewrsorkin
@BeckyQuick
and
@JoeSquawk
@SquawkCNBC
in my first interview as CEO. We covered AG1’s incredible growth, how (and why) I was an AG1 customer before I joined, getting high-quality foundational nutrient and gut health support, why pro athletes and busy