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Aaron Hinde shared thisEnergy drinks: what to know before reaching for oneEnergy drinks: what to know before reaching for one
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Aaron Hinde shared thisFor the last 15 years, we've built FITAID through a combination of direct-to-consumer and direct-to-gym sales, long before "DTC" became the buzzword it is today. Over the past few months, one question kept coming up from independent retailers: "Are you on Faire?" I'll admit...I was skeptical. At first, I saw Faire as just another marketplace competing with brands. But after taking a deep dive into the platform, I came away with a completely different perspective. I genuinely believe Faire is becoming one of the best ways for boutique retailers, specialty shops, gyms, bike shops, running stores, and independent grocery stores to discover great brands and order with very little risk. Even better, we've already landed our first new accounts through the platform. If you own or buy for an independent retail business and haven't ordered through Faire before, their current introductory offer is hard to beat: ✅ 50% off your first FITAID order ✅ Free shipping for an entire year If you've been thinking about bringing FITAID into your store, there's never been a better time to give it a try. 👉 https://fitaid.faire.com If you're already a FITAID retailer, I'd love to hear your experience. And if you're considering bringing us in, feel free to reach out with any questions. LIFEAID Beverage Company, LLC Orion Melehan Emily S. Erik Lucas Garrett Campbell Elva Muñoz-Schell
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Aaron Hinde shared thisGoing to SubSummit this week? Ill be giving a talk on Thursday you will want to tune in for, "Voice at Velocity: How Marketing Leaders Protect Authenticity in an Automated Era" SubSummit LIFEAID Beverage Company, LLC #subsummit #FITAID
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Aaron Hinde shared thisSpring Sale is LIVE! 25% off the entire site...and everyone loves a good discount :)Aaron Hinde shared thisOUR SITEWIDE SALE IS NOW LIVE!! 25% off on the ENTIRE SITE; Limited time only, and only offered a few days the entire year. Visit drinkfitaid.com now. Consumers and Wholesale partners as well, enjoy the savings. LinkedIn Crowd ✈️🚌🚊🚞🧳💺🚁🚟 Definitely check out our on the GO Creapure Creatine Stick packs, and FITAID HYDRATE Stickpacks for your travels. 🤙 https://lnkd.in/e3n3r35h Erik Lucas Ashlee Knotts Jacob Sosna Emily S. Ana Lamanna Aaron Hinde Orion Melehan John D. Wagner III, D.B.A., PMP Garrett Campbell Elva Muñoz-Schell
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Aaron Hinde shared thisToday marks 15 years since Orion Melehan and I cofounded LIFEAID. If you’ve been in beverage, you know that’s not a hype story. It’s a survive to thrive story. We’ve come close to running out of cash...more than once. We’ve had major retailers discontinue us. (Nothing teaches you about concentration risk faster than losing a big account.) We’ve had co-packing disasters that forced us to destroy nearly $1MM of product. We’ve hired the wrong people. We’ve launched SKUs we later had to kill. We’ve walked away from “easy revenue” because it wasn’t profitable revenue. We've passed on a high-valuation raise because the terms included bad preferences. The headline looked great. The details didn’t. The devil is always in the details. Here’s what 15 years has taught me: 1. Growth without margin is dangerous. Revenue is seductive. Distribution feels like validation. Big POs feel like momentum. But if the margin structure isn’t real, if operations can’t support it, growth becomes the thing that kills you. In beverage, you don’t usually die from lack of ambition. You die from bad math. 2. Saying “no” is a growth strategy. Intentional growth means saying “no” more than you say “yes.” No to deals that don’t pencil. No to sales you can’t support. No to investors whose incentives aren’t aligned. No to SKUs that dilute focus. No to revenue that flatters the top line but erodes the bottom. Just because you can grow doesn’t mean you should. 3. Diversification isn’t optional. Retailers will pull back. Buyers will change. Categories will shift. If your entire business depends on one channel, one account, or one bet, you’re not building a company. You’re building a gamble. Durability comes from balance. 4. Alignment beats hype. The single biggest advantage we’ve had isn’t a product decision or a capital raise. It’s people. We have long-tenured leaders who have grown with the company. We are aligned. Henry Ford once said, “When everyone is moving forward together, success will take care of itself.” I’ve seen that play out in real time. In the hardest moments, when cash was tight, when product had to be destroyed, when setbacks hit, alignment kept the ship steady. Not ego. Not vanity metrics. Not press releases. Alignment. There’s one line I come back to often: The goal in beverage is to stay in the game long enough for your wins to compound. This is not a sprint industry. It’s a resilience industry. If you avoid the decisions that can sink the ship… If you protect margin… If you build a fully aligned team… If you grow intentionally instead of emotionally… Your wins stack. Not overnight. But powerfully. Fifteen years in, I’m deeply grateful. Grateful for the scars. Grateful for the lessons. Grateful for our team. Grateful we stayed in the game. To every founder building something real: Protect the downside so you earn the upside. Compound interest works in business too, but only if you’re still standing. Cheers to the next chapter. Aaron
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Aaron Hinde shared thisWe’re heading to Expo West next month! If you’re attending, come see what’s next for FITAID. From our naturally flavored, zero-sugar performance essentials to what’s coming down the pipeline, we’re bringing innovation built for today’s ingredient-conscious consumer, without compromise. ⭐ Booth #N347 If you’re a retailer, distributor, or brand partner, let’s connect. DM me or stop by the booth. Looking forward to great conversations and building what’s next in performance nutrition. Aaron ps. we will be sampling our new Creapure Creatine sticks, balanced hydration packets and new and upgraded RTDs! #ExpoWest #CPG #BeverageIndustry #PerformanceNutrition #FITAID
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Aaron Hinde shared thisFITAID Announces Zero Sugar Revolution: Transitions Clean Energy Drink Portfolio and Debuts Industry-First Creapure SticksFITAID Announces Zero Sugar Revolution: Transitions Clean Energy Drink Portfolio and Debuts Industry-First Creapure Sticks
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Aaron Hinde shared thisI've been taking Creatine since 1991. Glad to see it's finally becoming mainstream. The question is, "Is all creatine created equal?" #fitaid LIFEAID Beverage Company, LLC Emily S. Orion Melehan Michael Murphy Erik Lucas H-E-B Whole Foods Market Sprouts Farmers Market
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Aaron Hinde liked thisAaron Hinde liked thisThank you BevNET.com for allowing to share the proverbial stage with Ray Latif and Taste Radio. It’s always an honor and a pleasure to be thought of… consider giving it a listen https://lnkd.in/dU2dK32T
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Aaron Hinde liked thisAaron Hinde liked thisOne of the biggest misconceptions about sales is that it’s about convincing people. In my experience, it has never been about convincing. It has always been about caring. I never set out to become a salesperson. I set out to become a resource. My career has been built on listening first, understanding what people need, and connecting them with solutions that genuinely improve lives. The referrals, partnerships, and growth have always been the result of trust—not pressure. That’s the kind of sales talent we’re looking for at Ascension Healthcare Services. If you’re passionate about serving others, building authentic relationships, and making a meaningful impact in your community, we’d love to meet you. We’re growing our Business Development team in Santa Clara County. If this sounds like you—or someone you know—please reach out. We’d love to start a conversation. The best sales careers aren’t built on persuasion. They’re built on trust.
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Aaron Hinde reacted on thisAaron Hinde reacted on thisBeyond Grateful, Last week, we launched FITAID Energy Grape Acai, and the response from our community is something I won't forget anytime soon. Within days, gyms and padel clubs across Europe were stocking it on their shelves, and consumers were picking it up before any of them even had a chance to try it. That's not something a marketing budget can buy. That's trust, built over years, one can at a time. So first of all, a big thank you. To the gym owners and padel courts who believed in this flavour before a single review existed, and to our fans who reached for a can based on trust and curiosity alone. A word on what's actually in the can, because it matters! The energy comes from caffeine derived from green tea, not synthetically produced caffeine. And it's sugar-free, sweetened naturally with stevia. No shortcuts on the formula, because the people drinking this train hard and deserve a product that matches that effort. This launch is a milestone for FITAID Europe, but more than that, it's a reminder of why we do this! #FITAID #GrapeAcai #FunctionalBeverage #CleanEnergy #ProductLaunch
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Aaron Hinde liked thisAaron Hinde liked thisI will be heading to San Jose, California later this month for the CrossFit Owners & Coaches Conference (July 22–23) and the CrossFit Games (July 24–26). I am especially looking forward to the FITAID Affiliate Party, hosted by our US LIFEAID Beverage Company, LLC team along with Ascent Protein, InBody USA, Enlifted, LSKD, and PushPress. It is always great to catch up with people from across the affiliate community, meet new faces, and enjoy a good evening before the Games weekend kicks off. If you are going to be in San Jose for the conference or the Games, consider this your personal invitation. Come by, grab a drink, and let’s catch up. 📍 CrossFit Owners & Coaches Conference (July 22–23): https://lnkd.in/evasMajF 📍 FITAID Affiliate Party (July 23): https://lnkd.in/ed93PJ3Z Hope to see many of you there! FITAID EUROPE
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Aaron Hinde liked thisAaron Hinde liked thisOn May 24th, something special happened at one of the Netherlands most iconic venues the Olympisch Stadion Amsterdam Together with our friends at ZEUZ Fitness, FITAID EUROPE was proud to power the Murph workout: one of the most demanding and meaningful WODs in the CrossFit community. Named after Navy SEAL Lieutenant Michael Murphy, who was killed in action in Afghanistan in 2005, it was his favourite workout, and the community has honoured his memory with it ever since. A 1-mile run, 100 Pull-ups, 200 push-ups, 300 squats, and a mile run all wearing a weighted vest. None of it happens without the right people behind the scenes. A big shoutout to Beasting for handling all the organisation and event logistics. Seamless execution like that is what turns a good workout into a great event. I was overseas managing production for our drinks, so I wasn't there in person. And I didn't need to be to feel proud. Our team lead by Sterre Kok showed up and crushed it without me. The energy coming back from Amsterdam reminded me exactly why we do what we do. Events like these aren't just about fitness. They're about community. Passionate people pushing their limits together, fuelled by something real. Supporting these kinds of people in their everyday life and athletic performance is exactly why we make FITAID. Big thanks to ZEUZ , Beasting, and everyone who came out and gave it everything. See you at the next one. 💪 #FITAID #Murph #CrossFit #FunctionalFitness #ZeusFitness #Beasting #Amsterdam #CommunityOverEverything Olympisch Stadion Amsterdam
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Kiwanis Club
Kiwanis clubs, located in 80 nations, help their communities in countless ways. Each community’s needs are different—so each Kiwanis club is different. By working together, members achieve what one person cannot accomplish alone. When you give a child the chance to learn, experience, dream, grow, succeed and thrive, great things happen.
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Amy Holmwood
We’re proud to highlight Mother’s Market & Kitchen as one of our key retail partners bringing Origen Vodka and Harmony Gin to wellness-focused consumers across California and beyond. Mother’s Market has long been a trusted destination for customers seeking products that align with quality, transparency, and intentional living—values that deeply mirror our mission at Holistic Spirits Co. Their commitment to organic, non-GMO, and thoughtfully sourced products makes them an ideal partner as we continue expanding the reach of our botanical spirits. Origen Vodka and Harmony Gin represent a new category intersection—where wellness, sustainability, and craft distillation meet. Made with organic grains and infused with our proprietary blend of artichoke leaves, elderberries, green tea, and muscadine grapes, both spirits are free of sugar, additives, and artificial ingredients, reflecting the growing consumer demand for cleaner, more transparent options. We’re grateful to collaborate with retail partners like Mother’s Market who are helping redefine what modern beverage shelves can look like—supporting innovation, educating consumers, and advancing a more intentional future for the spirits industry. If you’re a retail buyer, distributor, or hospitality partner interested in bringing Holistic Spirits Co. to your shelves or portfolio, we’d welcome the conversation. https://lnkd.in/eKRNrv-B #HolisticSpiritsCo #RetailPartnerships #CPG #SpiritsIndustry #RetailInnovation #BetterForYou #MothersMarket #Distribution #BeverageIndustry #B2B
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Jason Reposa
Lead in vape carts is still a risk. Jeff Rawson, Chair of the Institute of Cannabis Science, explains how leaded hardware can leach into oil and why screening matters. The fixes are simple. Screen hardware before it reaches shelves. Pull suspect lots. Tell customers what to do next. Keep clean records so teams can move fast. This is not a niche issue. It is a public health issue. How are you screening hardware today? 🚨 New episode this Friday, 11am EST on High Functioning Podcast. 👇 Links to RSVP and more are in the comments.
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