In Episode 26 of BrandBusters, James and Sean sit down with Mike Rosinus and Julia Botsford, the father-daughter duo behind GoHydrate, the clean hydration brand redefining what’s in your water. With Mike’s background in private equity and Julia’s 15+ years in big CPG at Kraft Heinz and Mars Food, they’ve turned a family hobby into a fast-growing DTC brand that’s competing in one of the most crowded categories in CPG.
In this episode, we dive into:
-The decade-long journey of GoHydrate—from Wall Street to wellness—and how a pivot away from creatine led to a rebrand and product overhaul
-Why GoHydrate ditched traditional retail for a DTC-first model, and how they built a tight tech stack to support subscriptions, CRM, and rapid innovation
-Julia’s lessons from big CPG and what she had to unlearn to thrive in the startup world
-Building a high-performing influencer strategy: how they scaled up, what failed, and the ROI-driven toolkit that sets top creators apart
-The GoHydrate formula advantage—great taste, zero junk, and five essential electrolytes with vitamin D—and why low sodium is a brand differentiator
-Fail fast, but not reckless: how Mike and Julia evaluate channels like Meta, Amazon, and TikTok (spoiler: not all hyped platforms pay off)
-The dynamics of working as a family team, including how trust, ownership, and hard-earned lessons shape their decision-making every day
Mike and Julia bring sharp insight, vulnerability, and no-BS advice on what it takes to scale a bootstrapped wellness brand in today’s noisy market. If you’re navigating the DTC game, influencer marketing, or thinking about a CPG pivot, this episode’s packed with valuable takeaways.
Follow GoHydrate on social and check out their clean hydration line at gohydrate.com. Don’t forget to subscribe to BrandBusters on YouTube, LinkedIn, X, or wherever you get your podcasts!

In Episode 25 of BrandBusters, James and Sean sit down with Dylan Menter, founder of Bear Balanced, the world’s first creatine gummy brand. A Marine Corps veteran, SpaceX alum, and host of the How to Entrepreneur podcast, Dylan has built Bear Balanced into a category-defining brand in the booming sports supplement space.
In this episode, we dive into:
-The surprising origin story of Bear Balanced and how a gym mishap led to an industry-first innovation
-Why gummies have become a dominant format in supplements and how they compare to traditional powders in bioavailability and effectiveness
-The biggest challenges in launching a novel CPG product, from IP protection to manufacturing hurdles
-The role of Meta and Amazon in Bear Balanced’s explosive growth, including key insights on digital advertising and demand generation
-Lessons learned from navigating TikTok Shop, influencer marketing, and finding the right content strategy for high-performing ads
-Dylan’s "oh sht"* moment—how a $100K manufacturing disaster nearly sank the brand and the critical lessons learned in vetting suppliers
Dylan brings raw, unfiltered insights into what it takes to build a successful DTC brand, scale through paid media, and survive the ups and downs of entrepreneurship. If you're growing a CPG brand or thinking about launching one, this is a must-listen!
Follow Dylan on LinkedIn and Twitter for more insights, and don’t forget to subscribe to BrandBusters on YouTube, LinkedIn, X, or wherever you get your podcasts!

In Episode 24 of BrandBusters, James and Sean sit down with Martin Forde, a retail CPG sales expert whose career spans from PepsiCo to Dr. Squatch. Now running his own company, Martin helps brands craft winning retail strategies.
In this episode, we dive into:
-Why Martin chose to double down on retail sales over the popular DTC and Amazon-first approach
-Key considerations for brands moving from digital-first to brick-and-mortar, including retail readiness, pricing strategies, and retailer selection
-How DTC data can be leveraged to build a smart retail expansion plan
-The role of omnichannel strategies and the evolving synergy between digital and retail distribution
-The importance of execution at retail, including merchandising, marketing, and managing in-store compliance
-Lessons from the Dr. Squatch Walmart launch and navigating the challenges of retail pricing, Amazon competition, and trade promotions
Martin shares invaluable insights on retail expansion, retail media, and navigating the complexities of scaling in stores. If you're a CPG brand thinking about going into retail or looking to optimize your strategy, this is a must-listen!
Follow Martin on LinkedIn for more retail strategy insights, and don't forget to subscribe to BrandBusters on YouTube, LinkedIn, X, or wherever you get your podcasts!