When Kat Cole was first approached about joining AG1 post Covid-19, she hesitated. After years running billion-dollar brands like Cinnabon and managing portfolios spanning multiple products and markets, stepping into a smaller company — one with a single hero product and a niche following — felt like a step down.
Cole knew the business could grow, but she questioned whether it was the right fit for her ambitions, and whether she could make an impact in a category so different from her past experience.
The hesitation lingered until a personal moment put things into perspective. Cole was navigating postpartum recovery, low energy, and the demands of a high-pressure career while raising a family. Her kitchen cabinet was a cluttered testament to trial and error, stacked with powders, pills, and supplements she had tried to regain her vitality.
One day, her husband opened the cabinet, surveyed the chaos, and handed her a single packet. It was AG1. “Stop everything. Just start here,” he said. Cole recalled it at Brandweek 2025 as a near-“ikigai” moment. Within weeks, she noticed better energy, improved digestion, and a newfound clarity.
Since taking the helm as COO in 2021, Cole has expanded AG1 from a single-channel DTC business into a multi-product, multi-channel brand stocked in stores like Costco, while maintaining its premium image and community-driven ethos. Now CEO, she has leaned into storytelling that highlights daily rituals, wellness, and accessibility rather than positioning the brand exclusively for peak performers.
That approach is on full display in AG1’s first global campaign, “Good Morning, Moon,” which went live this month. “We’ve evolved beyond our roots, got $160 million in revenue, and changed our name from Athletic Greens to AG1,” Cole said.
Involving the CEO early
Cole emphasizes close collaboration with her marketing team and CMO, ensuring campaigns reflect both the brand’s identity and the science behind the products.
“The concept [‘Good Morning, Moon’] was first introduced in February and launched in November. A lot changed in markets and business in that window,” she said. “A CEO wants to be brought along in the creative process because your financial stakes are higher, you could also have really material things happen in the world that make your approach to how the creative will show up in the world need to be tweaked for maximum impact.”