In this episode, entrepreneur Pete Roberts details the complex and risky strategy behind scaling his two nine-figure companies, Jocko Fuel and Origin, at the same time. He reveals how for years he used the high-margin cash flow from his successful supplement partnership with Jocko Willink to fund a seemingly impossible dream: a vertically-integrated, "Made in America" manufacturing operation. This synergy fueled incredible growth, but the pressure of managing two fundamentally different business models eventually led to a crisis. After taking on a private equity partner, Pete faced his most challenging year as a leader, navigating millions in losses and a catastrophic inventory overage. To save the enterprise, he had to make a critical, unconventional decision that few founders would dare to consider. This is the unfiltered story of the brutal lessons of hyper-growth and the strategic thinking that led him to fire himself.
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
11:58 Building a Brand with Jocko Willink
22:38 Shared Resources and Team Structure
30:15 The Role of Private Equity
39:47 The Emotional Journey of Brand Separation
52:11 Leadership Challenges and Trust in Decision Making
01:00:50 Learning The Importance of Data
01:15:40 The Evolution of Customer Demographics
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