Without a doubt, Jesslyn Rollins is leading a thriving organization that has carved out an impressive base in a market dominated by the likes of Coca-Cola and Pepsi.
I’m not talking about canned sodas or soft drinks, but I’m referring to the realm where the names Gatorade and Powerade reign supreme.
Her company, BIOLYTE, has successfully achieved a foothold in the business of sports drinks, such that it was featured prominently on INC.’s 5000 list, and is slated to earn $25 million in sales in 2022.
Like many CEOs of new and expanding companies, Rollins had to excel in numerous areas of expertise. As such, attributing all her hard work and achievements to a single idea or course of action is difficult.
However, I believe her ability to perceive the potential in a situation, and then capitalize upon it is at the heart of her success.
I developed this theory after hearing her discuss her journey with BIOLYTE, and I saw this at play in her approach to the product itself, its marketing, and the company as a whole.
Necessity Is the Mother of Invention
When I first asked Rollins what was her key to success, her answer was as profound as it is simple and apparent. “We saw a need, that no one was supporting.”
Now the potential for success encapsulated in this concept is clear. It can be applied to every single industry, as a means of finding demand in need of supply. As necessity is the mother of invention, BIOLYTE was born from a distinct void in the market.
This hydration drink was the brainchild of Rollins’ father, who couldn’t find a suitable product to help his wife combat her dehydration. Rollins’ mother was battling cancer and having trouble staying hydrated enough to receive her chemotherapy.
She distinctly remembered that doctors had difficulty finding viable veins to administer treatments. After looking for a solution, they realized that there were limited options available for consumers, each with its own problems. Bottled water didn’t provide the necessary electrolytes.
Not even Gatorade, Powerade, Pedialyte, nor electrolyte packets contained the amount necessary to keep her hydrated for her treatments. Rollins’ father developed a drink with six and a half times the electrolytes of sports drinks, with one-third of the sugar.
Colloquially called an “IV in a bottle”, Rollins and her father saw the incredible potential that BIOLYTE had. She understood that this was a beverage that solved an ongoing problem, with minimal, direct competition.
The Best Marketing Doesn’t Feel Like Marketing
Now that she had a lucrative product on her hands, the next step was to unleash its marketing potential. Initially, she believed that BIOLYTE could be applied to countless applications, each one with a dedicated consumer base. Her mind flooded with all manner of individuals.
She saw an iron man athlete, pouring sweat on the fifteenth mile of his marathon. She saw an HVAC duct installer, crawling around a sweltering attic in the middle of a Mississippi summer. She saw expectant mothers, wanting to make sure their babies received all the nutrition they needed.
Her mind ultimately returned to her own mother and her struggle against dehydration in her battle with cancer. Just as Pedialyte is hampered in competing for BIOLYTE’s business by its marketing to children, Rollins knew that her branding strategy needed to appeal to the best demographic possible.
Despite her imagery of various potential customers, she understood that the 80/20 concept would apply, where 80% of sales are attributed to 20% of customers. Choosing the right target audience was difficult, as customers and her team offered conflicting advice.
Individuals who participated in long-distance running insisted BIOLYTE was custom-made for cross-country and marathon competitors. Others who enjoyed the nightlife believed that BIOLYTE was a godsend for staving off the ill effects of overindulgence.
In the end, she saw the greatest potential in branding BIOLYTE as a product focused on 360 degrees of health care. It now became a product for anyone wanting to live healthier and feel better, encompassing many people across the various marketing groups.
The slogan “IV in a bottle” now became the heart of Rollins’ approach to expanding the company's reach.
Don’t Be Afraid to Give up the Good to Go for the Great.
With a solid product, and a strategy to advertise and market it, Rollins now saw the grand potential that the BIOLYTE company had. As mentioned, the drink was created by her father, who received the very first palettes of bottles at his own doorstep.
With no staff, production facility, or administrative space to speak of, BIOLYTE was born from incredibly humble beginnings, and no one could be faulted for failing to see the potential of the company.
However, Rollins and her father did see that potential, and BIOLYTE saw numerous, consecutive years of doubling revenues, reaching the current year value of close to $25 million. This scaling was achieved without any outside investment, as BIOLYTE has been cash flow positive since 2019.
This fact is a source of identity and pride for Rollins and her team, as BIOLYTE has proven it is a sustainable company.
I have interacted with countless CEOs, and the desire to create a business that can last generations and weather the storms of market volatility is almost always a constant factor among them.
Rollins further clarified that she did not want BIOLYTE to be a shooting star, which fizzles away after a moment of brilliance.
She admits that BIOLYTE faces distinct challenges by relying on its own revenue for growth, but she is confident that carefully chosen investments and robust risk assessments will guide BIOLYTE to becoming a $50 million and eventually $100 million company.
Scaling to these sizes will be a challenge for Rollins, as she has fully acknowledged that BIOLYTE fits comfortably into $25 million shoes. With growth will come change that will shake the solid foundation she has established. Staff will have to report to different supervisors.
The sales department will need to reach further and call more often. New contracts with suppliers will need to be drafted. New buildings will have to be purchased or leased.
Rollins is fully aware that this is going to be a taxing, though rewarding endeavor, and I see no reason to doubt her intuition on the potential for BIOLYTE now.
I Plan to Eat With the People I Starved With
In her final words of wisdom, Rollins said “Never underestimate the power of a good massage.” I was confused at first, but she explained that this was a great way for her to let go of all the physical stresses plaguing her thoughts.
Once this became clear, I fully agreed that a healthy rejuvenated body can help clear the mind of anxiety and stress, enabling people to focus on what’s important. I then thought that this is the true essence of BIOLYTE itself.
Here’s a drink that can help heal and revitalize a tired and dehydrated body, so that the user can focus on what’s important. A rock climber can have fun on her mountain. An electrician can work on the high-voltage panel in front of him. A patient can focus on defeating an illness.
In closing, Rollins told me about driving through Atlanta, soaking in the beauty of the rolling hills and the changing colors of the leaves.
She drives past an old boyfriend’s place, before arriving at her parents’ house, where this journey began years ago on four-and-a-half palettes sitting by the front door.
The whole trip takes less than ten minutes, but she remembered all the positive changes and successes she has achieved in that short amount of distance and time.
As I mentioned, it’s difficult to quantify a successful entrepreneur’s entire journey into a single thought, but in Rollins’ case, I firmly believe her ability to see potential where others overlook or dismiss it has been the primary factor driving her numerous achievements in her market.