How Toni Covington, Co-Founder of Oktane Energy, Broke Into C-Stores and Hospitals

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What does it really take to break into C-stores and hospitals in one of the most competitive categories in CPG?

In this episode of Shelf Talks, I sit down with Toni Covington, Co-Founder & CEO of Oktane Energy, to unpack how she scaled a clean energy drink brand into 120+ C-store locations — without outside investors.

Toni shares how Oktane:

• Landed its first distribution deal by walking into a warehouse unannounced
• Sold out at Olympia and used that momentum to grow
• Pivoted and reformulated after listening to consumer demand
• Secured hospital placements by leaning into cleaner ingredients
• Turned down Shark Tank (twice) because they weren’t ready

We also dive into inventory planning, grassroots marketing in the powerlifting community, saying no to expensive sponsorships, and building a brand while still working a full-time corporate career.

If you’re an emerging CPG founder trying to:
• Get into retail
• Approach distributors with confidence
• Decide when to pivot your formula
• Scale without investors
• Or protect your runway while growing

This episode is your retail playbook.

Press play and take notes because sometimes the biggest growth move is simply asking for the opportunity.

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Purchase the book Shelf Talk: A step by step guide to launching your product in Retail Stores by Roberta Townes Buy Book