Axios C-Suite: Why Chris Williamson and James Smith are influencers you should know
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Chris Williamson and James Smith are proof that creators with a dedicated audience can build a real consumer brand faster than a Fortune 500 CPG team.
- Williamson is a 38-year-old "Love Island" alum best known for hosting "Modern Wisdom," a top-10 global podcast popular with ambitious, wellness-minded men.
- Smith is an internet provocateur who built a following with his no-nonsense fitness content and three best-selling books.
Driving the news: Neutonic, the nootropic drink brand they co-founded in 2023, raised $6 million this week at a $60 million valuation.
Why you should care: The pair didn't fight for shelf space. They already had an audience. Their story proves economics can now run through creators rather than Madison Avenue.
- Neutonic sold 7.5 million cans in the last two years and has a presence in over 10,000 stores. Its revenue is tracking to 3x past $25M this year.
The bottom line: Your next consumer competitor might not be coming out of P&G or Unilever. It's coming from someone whose audience already trusts them and who can compress years of brand-building into a single launch.
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