A Retail Playbook for Founders Who Want to Scale Smarter
If you’re building a product-based brand and working toward retail placement, you already know this: the beverage category is one of the most competitive spaces in CPG. Energy drinks? Even more so.
That’s exactly why the story of Toni Covington, Co-Founder & CEO of Oktane Energy, matters.
Oktane didn’t launch with celebrity backing. They didn’t raise venture capital. They didn’t have a massive broker network. What they had was conviction, strategy, and the willingness to pivot when the data demanded it.
And that combination has now led them into 120+ C-stores, hospital placements, major fitness expos, and national attention.
Here’s what founders can learn from how they did it.
It Started With Ownership — Not Outsourcing
Before Oktane ever hit a shelf, Toni and her husband made a decision that many early founders skip: they were going to understand their product inside and out.
They didn’t just hire a formulation lab and let it run. They studied ingredients. They asked questions. They evaluated caffeine levels, carbonation levels, allergens, and consumer trends. They spent months in R&D before launching.
Because they were self-funded, every dollar mattered. That constraint forced discipline.
And that discipline built confidence.
Founder Takeaway: Retail buyers can sense when you truly understand your product versus when you outsourced the thinking. Deep product knowledge is a competitive advantage.
Distribution Didn’t Come From a Fancy Intro
One of the most powerful moments in Toni’s journey didn’t happen in a boardroom. It happened because she walked into a distribution center and started asking questions.
That bold move led to a buyer conversation. That buyer conversation led to a pitch. And that pitch turned into placement in 120+ C-store locations.
No broker.
No investor.
No warm introduction.
Just initiative.
Many founders overcomplicate their first retail steps. Sometimes proximity plus preparedness is enough.
Founder Takeaway: You don’t always need access. Sometimes you just need to ask.
Reformulation Was the Turning Point
Like many beverage startups, Oktane didn’t get everything perfect on day one.
Originally, the formula included sucralose and artificial elements common in the category. But as the brand grew within the powerlifting and health-conscious community, something became clear: their consumer wanted cleaner.
So they pivoted.
They removed artificial coloring. They eliminated sucralose. They moved to monk fruit. They tightened their ingredient deck.
It wasn’t cheap. It wasn’t easy. But it was aligned.
That reformulation helped them resonate more deeply with their audience — and eventually opened the door to hospital placements, where ingredient scrutiny is even higher.
Founder Takeaway: What gets you started isn’t always what gets you scaled. Listening to your consumer is more important than protecting your ego.
Community Beats Hype
When studying brands like Red Bull and Ghost, Toni noticed something important.
The brands that win don’t try to be everywhere at once. They dominate within a community.
For Oktane, that became powerlifting and strongman athletes.
Instead of overspending on massive sponsorships, they supported local meets. They partnered with hometown athletes. They activated gyms tied to their ambassadors. They built loyalty from the inside out.
The result? Organic growth and repeat demand.
Founder Takeaway: You don’t have to win the whole category. You have to win your lane.
Hospital Placement Changed the Strategy
Getting into hospitals wasn’t originally part of the master plan.
But after a relationship with a café owner led to placement in a medical center, momentum followed. Soon, Oktane was delivering to major hospital systems.
That moment shifted the internal conversation.
If doctors, nurses, and healthcare administrators were approving their product, what did that say about their positioning? Should packaging evolve? Should the brand expand into supplements? Should they lean more heavily into health-forward messaging?
Retail is rarely static. Each new account can reshape how you think about your brand.
Founder Takeaway: When new doors open, reassess your positioning. Growth often requires recalibration.
The Power of Saying No
Twice, Oktane was approached by Shark Tank.
Twice, Toni declined.
Not because the opportunity wasn’t exciting — but because they weren’t operationally ready. The numbers weren’t where they needed to be. The brand wasn’t positioned for that stage.
And saying no protected their runway.
In a world where founders are taught to grab every spotlight moment, restraint can feel counterintuitive. But discipline is often what separates longevity from flash-in-the-pan exposure.
Founder Takeaway: Not every big opportunity is the right opportunity. Protect your timing.
Building While Working
One of the most refreshing parts of Toni’s story is this: she still works her corporate job.
She doesn’t see that as a lack of belief. She sees it as strategy.
In an unpredictable economy, stability funds growth. And for many founders — especially women balancing family, career, and business — this is the unspoken reality.
You can build while you work.
You can scale without quitting.
You can grow intentionally.
Founder Takeaway: There is no single “right” founder path. Sustainable growth often looks quieter than social media suggests.
What This Means for You
If you’re building a CPG brand and working toward retail, Oktane’s journey is proof of something powerful:
You don’t need outside funding to get started.
You don’t need national distribution to build traction.
You don’t need perfection to pivot.
You need strategy.
You need discipline.
And you need the willingness to keep showing up — even in saturated categories.
Retail doesn’t reward noise.
It rewards consistency, clarity, and courage.
And sometimes, it starts with simply walking in and asking.
Want the full conversation?
Listen to the complete episode of Shelf Talks with Julie Smolyanski, CEO of Lifeway Foods, on Spotify, Apple Podcast or You Tube for even deeper insight into building her brand in retail.
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/7HzM7tIc5abkpG7wncyf1f?si=c363d5c10d974749
Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-toni-covington-co-founder-of-oktane-energy-broke/id1773675543?i=1000749952270
You Tube: https://youtu.be/01b4kLgvcIo
Shop Oktane Energy: https://oktaneenergy.com/
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