Michael Fedele, a beverage industry veteran who cut his teeth as an executive with BodyArmor, explains building a team with complementary skills is essential to achieve the dream of a successful CPG business.
“There is no way for one singular individual to grow a business. You have to have a team effort. You have to have experts in specific disciplines contribute,” he told FoodNavigator-USA.
He acknowledges that hiring full-time staff can be risky, but he adds not hiring a team can be even riskier because without support a founder will not have the headspace to make necessary decisions long-term.
“It is important for any founder or entrepreneur to staff up” and “find experts in spaces that you may not necessarily be an expert in, in some way, shape or form, to help create a well-rounded management team or group that can move the needle,” he explained.
Startups need staff who will ‘roll their sleeves up’
Early in building a company, this means hiring staff who are willing to “roll their sleeves up and grow with you and grow with the brand,” and who will do what it takes to hit milestones, he said.
Among those at Throne Sport Coffee who Fedele says exemplifies that qualities founders should look for when building an initial team is Kansas City Chief quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
Fedele explains that Mahomes is the face of the brand and constantly promotes it by wearing a Throne Sport Coffee jersey at events, carrying the coffee to press conferences and posting about it on social media to his fans. He also helps with logistics by meeting with retailers, added Fedele.
Hire staff who believe in the mission
Beyond Mahomes, Throne Sport Coffee has also nearly doubled its full-time staff since it launched in May with six employees, all of whom Fedele says contribute different skills and believe in the startup’s mission.
He explained that Throne Sport Coffee was created as a better-for-you alternative to many ready-to-drink coffees, which Fedele described as “milkshakes” due to their high sugar and calorie content and their dairy, which can “feel heavy” for health-conscious consumers on-the-go.
The brand includes a “Coffee Plus” formula that blends 150 milligrams of natural caffeine, 100% of daily B vitamins, electrolytes and branch-chain amino acids to support energy, muscle metabolism and hydration.
Three of the company’s initial four SKUs include natural flavors and only 8 grams of natural cane sugar for a touch of sweetness. The original line up includes Salted Caramel, French Vanilla, Mocha Java and Black, which is unsweetened. None of the beverages include dairy – which Fedele said the company realized after launching was a key differentiator and unmet need of many consumers.
The brand also stands out on shelf from the “same brown, beige, boring packaging” of other RTD coffees by sporting bright contrasting colors, like blue and yellow, and zig-zags, which Fedele says resonates with retailers and pops in the cooler.
Expanded distribution, new deliver formats on deck for 2025
Between the star-power of Mahomes, the eye-catching packaging and the beverage’s functional benefits, Throne Sport Coffee “had a great launch” with notable growth in its first seven months, said Fedele.
He adds the company is eager to expand in 2025 by entering new retailers and channels and by innovating beyond flavor with new product delivery formats.
