From Freight Broker to Brand Builder: The Prime Hydration Playbook - w/ David Hager | Ep 66

From Freight Broker to Brand Builder: The Prime Hydration Playbook - w/ David Hager | Ep 66

From Logistics & Leadership by Brian Hastings and Justin Maines

August 7, 2025 · 29 min

About this episode

David Hager shares his journey of scaling Prime Hydration and the lessons learned in logistics and entrepreneurship.

In this high-velocity episode of the Logistics & Leadership Podcast, Justin Maines sits down with David Hager—Director of Transportation and 3PL Administration at Congo Brands—to unpack what it really takes to scale a rocketship like Prime Hydration from the inside. David’s journey spans from grinding it out at Total Quality Logistics to becoming employee #18 at Congo Brands, where he helped build their freight and fulfillment engine from scratch. From sleepless startup nights to managing a 20-person team, he shares the hard lessons learned scaling one of the fastest-growing beverage brands on the planet—while staying rooted in hustle, ownership, and operational excellence. Whether you’re a freight broker hungry for a bigger seat at the table or a founder navigating explosive growth, David’s story is a masterclass in grit, systems-building, and showing up like an owner—even when your name’s not on the cap table. The Logistics & Leadership Podcast, powered by Veritas Logistics, redefines logistics and personal growth. Hosted by industry veterans and supply chain leaders Brian Hastings and Justin Maines, it shares their journey from humble beginnings to a $50 million…

People in this episode

Host: Justin Maines

Guest: David Hager

Topics covered

  • logistics
  • entrepreneurship
  • scaling businesses
  • personal growth
  • team management
  • beverage industry

Keywords

  • freight broker
  • brand building
  • startup
  • operational excellence
  • entrepreneurial spirit
  • team management
  • beverage brand

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Congo Brands, Total Quality Logistics, Veritas Logistics

Products: Prime Hydration

More episodes of Logistics & Leadership

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Logistics & Leadership podcast page.