Apr 22, 2025
On today’s episode of The Story of a Brand Show, I’m joined by Lauren Picasso, the founder and CEO of Cure Hydration.
What started as a personal struggle with staying hydrated as an endurance athlete led Lauren to launch a science-backed, clean-label hydration brand that is now available in thousands of retail stores.
We talked about how she identified the gap in the hydration
category, built Cure from the ground
up (including mixing formulas at home), and the strategic choices
that helped the brand scale across DTC and retail.
Lauren didn’t come from the CPG world, but her background in
e-commerce and performance marketing helped her build a brand
that’s both mission-driven and data-informed. She shares how DTC
insights led to major pivots in product format and packaging, why
launching in CVS was a game-changer early on, and how Cure’s clean
ingredients and powder format offer a better, more sustainable
alternative to traditional sports drinks.
Here’s what we cover in this episode:
* Why coconut water powder + salt = hydration magic
* The moment CVS expanded Cure to 3,000+ stores—and what it
unlocked
* The value of launching DTC before going retail
* The surprising reason most customers buy Cure (hint: it’s not
just for athletes)
* Expanding into a kids’ line (with flavors kid-tested and
approved)
Join me, Ramon
Vela, as we listen to the episode and get inspired by how one
founder turned a personal need into a rapidly growing wellness
brand, redefining what it means to stay truly hydrated.
For more on Cure Hydration, visit: https://www.curehydration.com/
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Today’s Sponsors:
Compass Rose
Ventures - Advisor for CPG Brands: https://compassroseventures.com/contact/
Compass Rose Ventures can help your CPG brand increase customer
lifetime value, expand into the US market, create an omnipresent
omnichannel footprint, optimize customer journeys, build brand
communities, and more. Visit the link above to learn
more.
Augmentum Media
- Influencer Marketing for Consumer Brands:
https://www.augmentum-media.com/story
What secret do fast-growing Health and Wellness brands like
Xtendlife, Nourished, and Hunter & Gather share? They all outsource
their influencer marketing to the experts at Augmentum. Augmentum
is offering "The Story of a Brand Show" listeners a 30-minute
consulting session AND a personalized influencer strategy plan
built by their experts for you to implement either with them or
in-house. Visit the link above to learn more.