The philosophy behind poppi co-founder Stephen Ellsworth’s approach to health

Stephen Ellsworth has spent the past decade helping build one of the country’s fastest-growing beverage brands. As the co-founder of poppi, he helped turn a farmers market idea into a household name, developing the flavors that millions of people now know and love while raising three boys alongside his wife and co-founder, Allison Ellsworth.

For Ellsworth, the best health routine is one that adapts as life changes. Rather than chasing perfection, he focuses on staying consistent, avoiding extremes, and building habits he can actually maintain.

Here’s how he puts that into practice:

Working out is non-negotiable. No matter what’s happening at work or home, Ellsworth makes time to move. For him, a 30- to 60-minute workout isn’t just about fitness. It’s how he resets mentally. “Find something that forces you to be present and leave all the pressures of the outside world behind,” he says. “It will change your life.”

Nothing stays perfectly balanced. Building a business, raising a family, and staying healthy rarely receive equal attention all at once. Instead of trying to do everything perfectly, Ellsworth adjusts with the season he’s in. “I gave on everything, but never all at once and never for too long,” he says. “The important thing is to never let either slip for too long, and that includes your health.”

Small choices add up. Bodybuilding taught Ellsworth the importance of discipline and how quickly small decisions around food can add up. “It’s really incredible to see how the sneaky calories stack with all those small in-between moments of snacking,” he says. That perspective eventually inspired poppi: creating something that found the balance between great taste and guilt-free.

Balance is what makes habits stick. Health and wellness may be more mainstream today, but Ellsworth thinks it’s also easier than ever to fall into extremes. His philosophy is to find a balance you can actually sustain, whether that’s in your workouts, your nutrition, or your career. It’s the same thinking that shaped poppi: creating something that balanced great taste with better-for-you ingredients. “We’re humans, not robots,” he says. “Being all in without compromise indefinitely is what leads to burnout.”

His current stack