Don Vultaggio: AriZona Beverage Company - The Snap Decision That Outsmarted Snapple

Don Vultaggio: AriZona Beverage Company - The Snap Decision That Outsmarted Snapple

What does it take to turn a Brooklyn beer salesman into the king of iced tea?

In the early 1990s, the iced tea market was dominated by Lipton, Nestea, and Snapple. But Don Vultaggio saw an opening. A single moment—watching Snapple cases fly off a truck in winter—sparked an idea that would change his life: why not sell tea in a tallboy can?

AriZona exploded—outselling Snapple and becoming a multi-billion-dollar brand.

Behind the success was struggle: Don fought to keep the company private. and faced a painful 10-year legal battle with his former friend and co-founder.

In this episode, Don reveals:

  • How he stayed independent in an industry dominated by giants.
  • Why Snapple stumbled after being acquired—and how AriZona avoided the same fate.
  • Why he wants AriZona to remain a multi-generational family business.
  • Why packaging can be more powerful than advertising.
  • How AriZona holds onto its 99c price tag


Follow How I Built This:

Instagram → @howibuiltthis

X → @HowIBuiltThis

Facebook → How I Built This

Follow Guy Raz:

Instagram → @guy.raz

X → @guyraz

Substack → guyraz.substack.com

Website → guyraz.com


This episode was produced by Rommel Wood with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei.

It was edited by Neva Grant with research help from Iman Maani.

Our engineers were Maggie Luthar and Gilly Moon.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Avsnitt(760)

Dermalogica: Jane Wurwand

Dermalogica: Jane Wurwand

Jane Wurwand moved to Los Angeles with a suitcase and a beauty school diploma. She started what would become Dermalogica, an international beauty empire that set the standard for skin care. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

24 Okt 201638min

Airbnb: Joe Gebbia

Airbnb: Joe Gebbia

A chance encounter with a stranger gave Joe Gebbia an idea to help pay his rent. That idea turned into Airbnb — a company that now has more rooms than the biggest hotel chain in the world. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

17 Okt 201641min

VICE: Suroosh Alvi

VICE: Suroosh Alvi

Suroosh Alvi was a recovering addict when he started a scrappy underground magazine in Montreal. It grew into VICE Media — a multi-billion dollar company that has shaken up the world of journalism. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

10 Okt 201635min

Clif Bar: Gary Erickson

Clif Bar: Gary Erickson

Gary Erickson asked his mom, "Can you make a cookie without butter, sugar or oil?" The result was Clif Bar, an energy bar named after his dad — now one of the most popular energy bars in the U.S. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

3 Okt 201627min

Radio One: Cathy Hughes

Radio One: Cathy Hughes

As a kid, Cathy Hughes practiced her DJ routine while her siblings banged on the bathroom door. As an adult, she founded Radio One, the country's largest African-American owned broadcasting company. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

26 Sep 201631min

Instagram: Kevin Systrom & Mike Krieger

Instagram: Kevin Systrom & Mike Krieger

Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger launched their photo-sharing app with a server that crashed every other hour. Despite a chaotic start, Instagram became one of the most popular apps in the world. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

19 Sep 201628min

Spanx: Sara Blakely

Spanx: Sara Blakely

At 27, Sara Blakely was selling fax machines and desperate to reinvent her life. So she came up with Spanx — hosiery that eliminates panty lines — and set to work building her business. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

12 Sep 201626min

Introducing: How I Built This with Guy Raz

Introducing: How I Built This with Guy Raz

Guy Raz interviews the world’s best-known entrepreneurs to learn how they built their iconic brands. In each episode, founders reveal deep, intimate moments of doubt and failure, and share insights on their eventual success. How I Built This is a master-class on innovation, creativity, leadership and how to navigate challenges of all kinds.New episodes on Mondays and Thursdays for free. Listen 1-week early and to all episodes ad-free on Wondery+. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App or on Apple Podcasts.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

2 Sep 20161min

Populärt inom Business & ekonomi

framgangspodden
varvet
badfluence
uppgang-och-fall
rss-borsens-finest
svd-ledarredaktionen
avanzapodden
lastbilspodden
rikatillsammans-om-privatekonomi-rikedom-i-livet
rss-kort-lang-analyspodden-fran-di
affarsvarlden
rss-dagen-med-di
fill-or-kill
borsmorgon
dynastin
kapitalet-en-podd-om-ekonomi
market-makers
tabberaset
rss-inga-dumma-fragor-om-pengar
montrosepodden