The Profile: The founder creating a hangover-free drink & the CEO reinventing Starbucks

This edition of The Profile features Brian Niccol, Nick Cannon, David Nutt, and others.

Good morning, friends!

By now, you’ve probably seen the viral video of Scottie Scheffler, the world’s top-ranked golfer, reflecting on what really matters.

If you haven’t, here’s the essence: After a string of major wins, Scheffler said something most people spend a lifetime chasing success to realize. He loves golf — the practice, the grind, the process — but he’s not chasing the two minutes of celebration. Because those two minutes? They vanish.

"This is not a fulfilling life. It's fulfilling from the sense of accomplishment, but it's not fulfilling from a sense of the deepest places of your heart,” he says, adding, “You win it, you celebrate, get to hug my family, my sister's there, it's such an amazing moment. Then it's like, OK, what are we going to eat for dinner? Life goes on. It feels like you work your whole life to celebrate winning a tournament for like a few minutes. It only lasts a few minutes.”

Scheffler lives for his wife, his son, his family — not for the trophy. He knows that tying your identity to an external “win” is a fragile game. The applause fades, and the moment passes. What doesn’t fade, though, is who you are becoming through the process.

That’s why I always say: true freedom comes from anchoring your identity in something internal, not in external metrics that can disappear in an instant.

For me, the most meaningful moment in my work isn’t when something goes viral or when praise rolls in. It’s right before I hit publish — when the piece feels complete, when the work is mine, and when I can feel the quiet satisfaction of becoming someone better through the process.

I wrote about this recently in The honest truth about how I feel one year after publishing a book. Because no single moment changes your life. The real transformation is microscopic, and it’s found in the daily choices, the invisible habits, and the ordinary repetitions.

Don’t expect anything to transform your happiness level (not even becoming the No. 1 golfer in the world). The most extraordinary happiness is almost always found in the most ordinary moments of everyday life.

(Scottie Scheffler’s new Nike ad)

PROFILES.

— The CEO reinventing Starbucks [**HIGHLY RECOMMEND**]
— The founder on a quest for a hangover-free buzz
— The entertainer known as a one-man sperm factory
— America’s top small business bank
— The company making nostalgic sunscreen

PEOPLE TO KNOW.

The CEO reinventing Starbucks: New Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol, who is best known for reviving Taco Bell and Chipotle, is now on a mission to bring the "third place" magic back to your local coffee shop. From cozy vibes and cold foam trends to revamped condiment bars and algorithm-driven drink timing, he's trying to speed things up without losing the soul. But with rising competition, union pressures, and Gen Z’s evolving tastes, Starbucks' turnaround is far from a quick fix. Still, Niccol’s betting big on banana protein foam, flakier croissants, and that elusive perfect seat for every kind of customer. (Bloomberg; alternate link)

“Starbucks is way too important to each of us—and frankly to the world—for us not to be hugely successful.”

The founder on a quest for a hangover-free buzz: David Nutt, a neuroscientist once fired for saying alcohol is more dangerous than many illegal drugs, is now chasing a bold idea: a synthetic molecule that mimics alcohol’s buzz without the hangover, addiction, or health risks. His company, GABA Labs, is developing Alcarelle, designed to trigger the brain’s “chill” receptors without the collateral damage of ethanol. With nonalcoholic drink sales booming and younger generations turning away from booze, the timing might finally be right. (Bloomberg; alternative link)

“Drinking is something that humans love doing. And why shouldn’t we allow them to do it without the risk of getting dependent or drunk?”

The entertainer known as a one-man sperm factory: Nick Cannon is a walking contradiction: a kids’ TV host turned raunchy podcaster, a “hopeless romantic” with 12 kids by six women, and a self-proclaimed narcissist trying to be a present dad on a schedule. In therapy, onstage, and in his ever-expanding media empire, Cannon spins his chaotic personal life into content, cash, and charisma. He juggles fatherhood, fame, and lupus flare-ups with humor and hustle, but cracks show when convenience replaces connection. (New York Magazine; alternate link)

“Everybody else says, ‘There’s no way he could spend all the time with them kids and be present for all them kids.’ But I’m doing my best.”

COMPANIES TO WATCH.

America’s top small business bank: America’s top small business lender is a quirky, branchless bank in North Carolina called Live Oak. With a startup vibe and a tech-first approach, it’s outpaced giants like JPMorgan in SBA loans. Now it's aiming to disrupt shady merchant cash advances using AI. Small, weird, and wildly effective. (Forbes; alternate link)

“I don’t think JPMorgan cares about the female veterinarian doing a million and a half in revenue in every town in America. But we do.”

The company making nostalgic sunscreen: Vacation is the sunscreen brand turning SPF into a retro-fueled joyride, with whipped-cream canisters, 1980s-style coupons, and branding straight out of Club Med. Launched during the pandemic, it’s now a profitable business projecting $80 million in revenue for 2025 and climbing the ranks of U.S. sunscreen sales. Its throwback charm and photogenic packaging have won over both TikTok and Target, landing it prime retail real estate. Backed by stars like Emma Stone and rooted in the founders’ obsession with nostalgia, Vacation is proving that sun protection can be both fun and fiercely effective. (WSJ; alternate link)

“No one was going to tell us that sunscreen mousse was the next big thing.”

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