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How Toni Covington, Co-Founder of Oktane Energy, Broke Into C-Stores and Hospitals
Description
What does it really take to break into C-stores and hospitals in one of the most competitive categories in CPG?
In this episode of Shelf Talks, I sit down with Toni Covington, Co-Founder & CEO of Oktane Energy, to unpack how she scaled a clean energy drink brand into 120+ C-store locations — without outside investors.
Toni shares how Oktane:
- Landed its first distribution deal by walking into a warehouse unannounced
- Sold out at Olympia and used that momentum to grow
- Pivoted and reformulated after listening to consumer demand
- Secured hospital placements by leaning into cleaner ingredients
- Turned down Shark Tank (twice) because they weren’t ready
We also dive into inventory planning, grassroots marketing in the powerlifting community, saying no to expensive sponsorships, and building a brand while still working a full-time corporate career.
If you’re an emerging CPG founder trying to:
• Get into retail
• Approach distributors with confidence
• Decide when to pivot your formula
• Scale without investors
• Or protect your runway while growing
This episode is your retail playbook.
Press play and take notes because sometimes the biggest growth move is simply asking for the opportunity.
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