Hydration, Hangovers, and Becoming CEO with Jesslyn Rollins, CEO of BIOLYTE

Stairway to CEO

Description:

Joining us today is Jesslyn Rollins, the dynamic CEO of BIOLYTE®, the world's first IV in a bottle. In groundbreaking fashion, BIOLYTE® boasts 6.5 times the electrolytes of traditional sports drinks while containing only a third of the sugar you’d normally ingest. With humor and candor, Jesslyn discusses her journey from an imaginative childhood in Atlanta to becoming CEO of their family business. She shares the inspiring story of how her father and sister developed BIOLYTE® over four years (in secret!) after her mother’s battle with cancer and how their product was designed to help individuals with serious hydration needs. Jesslyn also breaks down her experience as CEO and what she’s learned during her tenure, from the challenges of being part of a family business — where no one has a background in business — to stepping into her own as a leader.

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In This Episode You’ll Hear About:

• [01:59] Jesslyn’s upbringing in Atlanta, Georgia, the love and support she received, her rich imagination as a child, and how her sisters influenced her leadership qualities.

• [17:28] Attending a prestigious private school, the pressure she faced to attend an Ivy League university, and how she struggled with balancing work and fun at college.

• [25:45] The founding of their family business, the inspiration behind it, and how her father and her sister worked on developing BIOLYTE® in secret for four years.

• [32:05] The key differentiators between BIOLYTE® and other hydration drinks: why it’s the only true medical grade hydration supplement.

• [34:10] Why her father is uniquely suited to have created the first IV in a bottle and the many considerations that went into developing it.

• [36:55] The challenge of navigating family dynamics and hierarchies in business, how she became CEO, and how each year as CEO has demanded something different from her.

• [46:13] Jesslyn’s approach to managing hierarchies and how seeking out training has helped her as a leader.

• [48:48] Untangling leadership, aligning your vision for the company, and getting to the heart of BIOLYTE®'s core message.

• [57:46] Personality tools, recruiting, and the importance of hiring people who have a robust character and are a good fit for the company.

• [01:02:11] Some of the biggest challenges Jesslyn has faced as a CEO, the key lesson she learned from their first lawsuit, and what’s next for BIOLYTE®.

To Find Out More:

Jesslyn Rollins on LinkedIn
BIOLYTE

Vistage
Culture Index
Lee Greene on LinkedIn

Stairway to CEO

Stairway to CEO on Instagram

Quotes:

“I definitely think that having two older sisters that were very strong women helped me become a leader.” [0:10:12]

“My mom and my dad — instilled a lot of confidence in me and my sisters.” [0:11:37]

“There's a way to lead that is true leadership. And there is a way to lead that is pure dictatorship.” [0:16:41]

“The pressure was to go to an Ivy League, and be very smart, and be a leader of whatever you were doing.” [0:18:26]

“My mom was my idol for social. My dad was my idol for work.” [0:20:01]

“[My dad and my sister] had been working on it for four years in secret and told nobody about it.” [0:27:50]

“The thought of working with my family, the thought of working in this company, and having this product that never existed, was so freaking cool to me.” [0:28:26]
“BIOLYTE® is the only true medical grade hydration supplement.” [0:32:06]

“The ingredients in BIOLYTE® help your liver detoxify itself.” [0:33:56]

“My dad is uniquely suited to have created the very first IV in a bottle, because that's all he did for 43 years.” [0:34:11]

“I'm a huge believer of ‘to whom much is given, much is expected’.” [0:44:09]

“BIOLYTE® was started for a medical reason, and we're here to help hydrate people with serious hydration issues.” [0:49:18]

“There was no alignment. And now I have two VPs. I've got a new Vice President of Sales, and a new Vice President of Finance and Operations that are so aligned with my vision.” [0:52:03]

“Lean into your strengths and then hire for your weaknesses.” [01:04:38]