Selling Zico to Coca-Cola and Buying It Back | Mark Rampolla

What happens when you build a global brand, sell it for $200 million, and realize it's not what you want? According to Mark Rampolla, the real lesson isn't about the exit or buyback. It's about understanding that growth isn't something you do. It's something you become.

In this episode of the Strategy & Leadership Podcast, Anthony C. Taylor speaks with Mark Rampolla, founder and CEO of ZICO Coconut Water, co-founder and managing partner of GroundForce Capital, and author of An Entrepreneur's Guide to Freedom. Mark spent nine years building ZICO into one of the fastest-growing beverage brands in the world, sold it to Coca-Cola in 2013, and later bought it back for a fraction of the sale price when the company was divested.

What Mark has learned from backing nearly 100 companies at GroundForce Capital, sitting on 40+ boards, and helping raise over $1 billion in capital changes how you think about what separates founders who break through from those who don't. Anthony and Mark explore why self-reflection and curiosity are the most powerful indicators of future success, why the founder to CEO transition breaks most people, and what it really means to treat people the way they want to be treated.

What You Will Learn in This Episode

• Why growth is an inside job and what that means for founders
• The surprising pattern across nearly 100 companies that separates high performers
• Why strategy and execution matter far less than people think
• How to spot real indicators of someone's future success
• What Mark learned building Zico twice and why the second time was different
• The founder to CEO transition and what determines who makes it
• How to identify the niche that makes your brand resonate
• Why the platinum rule changes how you lead
• What a $600 million asset management firm looks for in founder teams

About Mark Rampolla

Mark is co-founder and managing partner of GroundForce Capital, a $600 million institutional asset management firm. He has backed nearly 100 companies, served on 40+ boards, helped raise over $1 billion in capital, and contributed to creating over $5 billion in enterprise value. Before GroundForce, Mark founded and led ZICO Coconut Water from 2004 to 2013, selling it to Coca-Cola before buying it back years later as ZICO Rising. His investment portfolio includes Liquid Death, Osoba, Vive Organic, OWYN, Flying Embers, and Partake Brewing. Mark holds an MBA from Duke University and was a Peace Corps volunteer in Central America.

Connect with Mark Rampolla

Website: https://www.markrampolla.co/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marksrampolla/
Instagram: @markrampolla
Book: An Entrepreneur's Guide to Freedom

About the Strategy & Leadership Podcast

The Strategy & Leadership Podcast is hosted by Anthony C. Taylor, a strategic advisor to mid-market leadership teams ($30M to $300M). On this show, he interviews founders, executives, and industry leaders about what actually works when strategy has to survive execution.

Strategy Resources

Strategic Planning Facilitator: https://www.smestrategy.net/strategic-planning-facilitator
Anthony Taylor on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthonyctaylor604/
Produced by Rednyne Productions