Episode 1241: The Long Game of Success: Zico’s Journey from Concept to Coca-Cola with Mark Rampolla
If your brand feels too small to matter, this blueprint shows why that might be your unfair advantage.
In this episode of Sharkpreneur, Seth Greene interviews Mark Rampolla, Co-Founder and Co-Managing Partner at GroundForce Capital, who unpacks how a niche idea became a global category. Mark shares the strategy that took ZICO from yoga studios in NYC to nationwide shelves, the discipline behind constant pitching and fundraising, and why exits aren’t the finish line. He also discusses his new book on putting freedom first, and his work at Ground Force Capital (backer of brands like Liquid Death and Beyond Meat), helping founders scale both their companies and their lives.
Key Takeaways:
→ Why “inch-wide, mile-deep” focus beats broad launches for breakthrough CPG growth.
→ How pairing a product with a specific usage occasion (post-hot yoga) created early traction.
→ The surprising first hurdle: taste—and how “preach to the choir” accelerates momentum.
→ Fundraising reality: why you either get profitable fast or get great at raising—continuously.
→ The nine-year “overnight success” mindset and the decade-long horizon most wins require.
Mark Rampolla is Co-Founder and Co-Managing Partner at GroundForce Capital (GFC), where he works closely with founders and teams to build impactful businesses. He has represented GFC on the boards of leading companies, including Vive Organic, OWYN, Liquid Death, Kinder Farms, Flying Embers, and ZICO Rising. Prior to GFC, Mark founded and served as CEO of ZICO Beverages, pioneering the coconut water category and growing the brand into a global leader before its acquisition by The Coca-Cola Company in 2013. Earlier in his career, he held senior management roles at International Paper, overseeing joint ventures across Latin America and the Caribbean. A Peace Corps alum, Mark has advised more than 100 CEOs, raised over $1B, and invested in 40+ social-impact startups. He is the author of High-Hanging Fruit and holds degrees from Marquette University and Duke University.
Connect With Mark:
Website: https://www.markrampolla.co/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/markrampolla/
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