# #123 Jeff Church's Lessons on Entrepreneurship, from Suja Juice $140 Million/year Success to Shutting down Rowdy Energy

- Show: [The Startup CPG Podcast](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast)
- Published: 2024-01-09
- Length: 50m
- Episode: 8
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2024-01-09-123-jeff-churchs-lessons-on-entrepreneurship-from-suja-juice-140-million-year-su
- Listen: https://share.transistor.fm/s/0e32f89e

## Summary

Jeff Church, CEO of Suja Juice and Rowdy Energy, discusses his journey from building Suja into a $140 million/year brand to shutting down Rowdy Energy. He details the strategic pivot to High Pressure Processing (HPP) and the critical importance of gross margin, noting that early focus on cost of goods sold (COGS) could have halved Suja's capital raise. Church explains that Rowdy failed due to entering an overcrowded energy drink market with insufficient velocity and high slotting fees, leading to a painful closure despite significant investment.

## Outline

1. Introduction: Jeff Church and Teamchurch Co.
2. Foundational Experience and Risk Tolerance
3. Nico Water and Consumer Connection
4. Suja's Origin, HPP, and Whole Foods Launch
5. Suja's Growth, Private Label, and COGS Lessons
6. The Suja Exit and Coke's Two-Step Deal
7. Rowdy Energy: Market Entry and Failure Analysis
8. The Rule of Twos and Future Consulting

## Topics

- [Validation & product-market fit](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/validation-and-product-market-fit)
- [Pricing, margins & unit economics](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/pricing-and-unit-economics)
- [Retail, wholesale & distribution](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/retail-and-distribution)
- [Materials & manufacturing processes](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/materials-and-processes)
- [Starting a product company](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/starting-a-company)
- [Growth, exits & acquisitions](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/growth-exits-and-acquisitions)

## Most relevant to

companies scaling up

## Mentioned

- Suja Juice (product)
- Rowdy Energy (product)
- Nico Water (product)
- Whole Foods (company)
- Coke (company)
- Goldman Sachs (company)
- Evolution Fresh (product)
- Blueprint Cleanse (product)
- Celsius (product)
- Monster (company)
- HPP (tool)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [5-Hour Energy: Manoj Bhargava](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2017-03-13-5-hour-energy-manoj-bhargava) (How I Built This)
- [Perfect Snacks: Bill and Leigh Keith](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2025-06-09-perfect-snacks-bill-and-leigh-keith) (How I Built This)
- [EO Products: Susan Griffin-Black & Brad Black](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2019-07-15-eo-products-susan-griffin-black-brad-black) (How I Built This)
- [Spindrift: Bill Creelman](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2020-01-13-spindrift-bill-creelman) (How I Built This)
- [Dogfish Head Craft Brewery: Sam and Mariah Calagione (2022)](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2025-02-03-dogfish-head-craft-brewery-sam-and-mariah-calagione-2022) (How I Built This)

## Citing this page

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