INTERVIEW | Make Money with Beverage Innovation with Chris Hunter

About this episode

Chris Hunter discusses his journey in the beverage industry and shares insights on entrepreneurship and consumer trends.

Chris Hunter is the co-founder of Four Loko and the founder behind Koia, one of the fastest-growing plant-based protein beverage brands in the country. From disrupting the alcohol industry in the early 2000s to building a multi-nine-figure health beverage company carried in over 35,000 retailers, Chris has mastered the art of spotting trends, scaling brands, and staying ahead of consumer demand. In this episode, he shares lessons from decades in the beverage industry, the realities of entrepreneurship, and why curiosity is one of the most valuable traits a founder can have. On this episode we talk about: The evolution of Koia from refrigerated protein drinks to shelf-stable products Why protein and creatine are becoming mainstream for women’s health How Chris identifies consumer trends before they explode The brutal realities of building a beverage company Why most successful operators don’t spend all their time building personal brands Top 3 Takeaways The best entrepreneurs stay deeply curious and constantly pay attention to changing consumer behavior. Building a successful company rarely follows a straight path—every business requires pivots, patience, and resilience…

People in this episode

Host: Travis Chappell

Guest: Chris Hunter

Topics covered

• beverage innovation
• entrepreneurship
• consumer trends
• health beverages
• business strategy

Keywords

• beverage industry
• entrepreneurship
• consumer behavior
• plant-based protein
• business growth

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Four Loko, Koia

More episodes of Travis Makes Money

• CO-HOST | Make Money by Building Community in an AI-Driven World · June 12, 2026 · 25 min
• INTERVIEW | Make Money by Building, Scaling, and Successfully Exiting a Business with Amanda Lewis · June 12, 2026 · 27 min
• SOLO | Make Money by Turning Pain into Purpose and Building Real Leadership - Lessons from my Garrett White interview · June 12, 2026 · 19 min
• CO-HOST | Make Money by Building Better Relationships Through Cigars, Conversation, and Community · June 11, 2026 · 36 min
• INTERVIEW | Make Money by Turning Restaurant Chaos Into Profit With Roger Beaudoin · June 11, 2026 · 28 min
• SOLO | Make Money by Building Trust, Communicating Clearly, and Owning Your Platform - Lessons from my Chris Hansen interview · June 11, 2026 · 14 min