How to Scale a Challenger Brand in the USA | Lisa King

Conventional wisdom says: prove your business in nearby markets first. AF Drinks ignored that advice.After building a 40% share brand in New Zealand, Lisa King skipped Australia entirely and went straight after the most competitive drinks market in the world. That decision fascinated me. Most founders assume international expansion should happen in neat, logical steps.New Zealand → Australia → UK → US.Lisa's view was different.If the ambition was always to build a globally valuable business, why spend years proving the model somewhere that wasn't ultimately where the biggest opportunity sat?In this candid conversation with Lisa, you'll hear how today AF Drinks is stocked in more than 4,500 stores across the US, including Target, Walmart, Whole Foods and Kroger, and how they're doing it. We discuss why she made that decision, how Pernod Ricard Ventures invested before the US launch, what it really takes to build a beverage brand in America, why alcohol-free RTD cocktails are outperforming expectations, and the lessons founders should understand before attempting to scale internationally. Why AF Drinks skipped Australia and expanded directly into the US  How the brand secured listings with Target, Walmart, Whole Foods and Kroger  The realities of beverage economics in the United States  Why alcohol-free RTD cocktails are growing faster than many expected  How Lisa approaches fundraising, equity and scaling internationally Key Topics Discussed Alcohol-free drinks category growth  Building challenger brands internationally  US grocery retail Walmart and Target listings  Fundraising and investor strategy  Pernod Ricard Ventures investment  Beverage category economics  Product innovation, IP and Afterglow technology  Ready-to-drink cocktails  Scaling consumer brands globally  Founder leadership  Building brands from New Zealand USEFUL LINKSAF Drinks WebsiteAF Drinks InstagramLike this episode?PLEASE share the love by sharing this episode with another founder building a challenger brand, a colleague or a mate who loves brilliant non-alcoholic drinks, or anyone trying to work out how to build a consumer packaged goods business.Don't forget to FOLLOW or SUBSCRIBE to Brand Growth Heroes on your favourite podcast app, and even LEAVE A REVIEW - both of these actions make a MASSIVE difference to our mission to help more founders just like you.Follow usInstagram (https://www.instagram.com/brandgrowthheroes)LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/brand-growth-heroes/?viewAsMember=true)Youtube (https://www.youtube.com/@brandgrowthheroes)Find out more about the programmes and courses Fiona runs here (https://www.brandgrowthheroes.com/mini-mba-2026)Join the NextGen CPG WhatsApp group for founders leaning in to the value that a leadership approach to engaging with AI can unlock for businesses like yours.*** Thanks to Brand Growth Heroes’ podcast sponsor - Joelson, the commercial law firm ***If you're a founder, you already know how much energy goes into building the perfect product, creating standout branding and connecting with consumers.But scaling a CPG business also brings legal complexities that can make or break your growth journey - from contracts and regulatory compliance to protecting your intellectual property.That’s why we’re proud to partner with Joelson, the leading commercial law firm specialising in helping founders of scaling consumer brands.Joelson works with brands like Little Moons, Trip, Eat Natural, Bear Graze and Pulsin, and advised the innocent founders on their landmark sale to Coca-Cola - and still work with them at JamJar Investments today!Joelson is offering a FREE LEGAL CONSULTATION to all BGH listeners (mailto:hello@joelsonlaw.com) - we highly recommend you take them up on it!CREDITSThanks to our Sound Engineer Gyp Buggane at Ballagroove.com *****Thanks to Brand Growth Heroes’ podcast sponsor  - Joelson, the commercial law firm *****If you're a founder, you already know how much energy goes into building the perfect product, creating standout branding and connecting with consumers.But scaling a CPG business also brings legal complexities that can make or break your growth journey - from contracts and regulatory compliance to protecting your intellectual property.That’s why we’re proud to partner with Joelson, the leading commercial law firm specialising in helping founders of scaling consumer brands.Joelson works with brands like Little Moons, Trip, Eat Natural, Bear Graze and Pulsin, and advised the innocent founders on their landmark sale to Coca-Cola - and still work with them at JamJar Investments today!To learn more contact hello@joelsonlaw.com - in fact, Joelson is offering Brand Growth Heroes listeners a FREE Legal consultation - we highly recommend you take them up on this!