From Rejection to Reinvention: How PATH WATER Became a Movement

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Jan 14, 2026

Shadi Bakour, Co-founder and CEO of PATHWATER, shares his journey from facing rejection to leading a revolution in sustainable bottled water. He discusses the pivotal moment that inspired his innovative use of aluminum packaging to combat plastic waste. Shadi reflects on the hustle of door-to-door sales and the creative strategies that fueled organic growth, partnerships, and market leadership. With big goals to save billions of plastic bottles, Shadi emphasizes the importance of resourcefulness and perseverance in redefining an industry.

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ADVICE

Say Yes To Every Meeting

Take every meeting you can get to build momentum and learn.
Use meetings to create relationships even when you lack resources.

ADVICE

Prove Demand With A Simple Purchase Order

Show demand to investors by proving sales, even via a paper purchase order.
Use a small PO to convert skeptical investors into backers.

ANECDOTE

Guerrilla Sales In 7‑Eleven Parking Lots

Shadi mapped every 7‑Eleven in Northern California and delivered cases personally.
They sat in parking lots until owners arrived and negotiated in-person placement deals.

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Ever wonder what it actually takes to turn hundreds of "no's" into a category-defining business?

From rejection after rejection to building the fastest-growing water company in the world, Shadi Bakour's journey is the ultimate story of perseverance, focus, and execution. Recorded live at 2025 Business Mastery, this episode features Shadi, Co-founder and CEO of PATHWATER, sharing with Tony how a simple idea became a category-defining brand.

Discover how Shadi navigated massive challenges—selling water door-to-door, scaling into over 60,000 stores, and eliminating more than 500 million plastic bottles—by staying resourceful, mission-driven, and authentic. This conversation dives deep into the mindset, resilience, and strategies that separate founders who quit from those who redefine their industries.

Want to experience transformational growth for your own business? Join Business Mastery, happening virtually January 14–18, 2026, to learn directly from Tony Robbins and world-class faculty.

Secure your spot to Business Mastery here: https://tonyr.co/4cB5IkU

Tony Robbins is a #1 New York Times best-selling author, entrepreneur, philanthropist, and the nation's #1 Life and Business Strategist. For more than four and a half decades, more than 100 million people from 195 countries have enjoyed the warmth, humor, and transformational power of his business and personal development events.

Mr. Robbins is the author of seven internationally bestselling books, including three #1 New York Times bestsellers: Money: Master the Game, Unshakeable, and Life Force. He created the #1 personal and professional development program of all time, and more than 10 million people have attended his live seminars.

Anthony Robbins is the chairman of a holding company comprising more than 110 privately held businesses with combined sales exceeding $7 billion a year. He has been named in the top 50 of Worth Magazine's 100 most powerful people in global finance for three consecutive years, honored by Accenture as one of the "Top 50 Business Intellectuals in the World''; by Harvard Business Press as one of the "Top 200 Business Gurus"; and by American Express as one of the "Top Six Business Leaders in the World" to coach its entrepreneurial clients. Fortune's recent cover article named him the "CEO Whisperer."

He is a leader called upon by leaders, and has worked with four US presidents, top entertainers -- from Aerosmith to Green Day, to Usher and Pitbull, as well as athletes like Serena Williams, Andre Agassi, and the 2022 NBA Champion Golden State Warriors. Billionaire business leaders seek his advice as well; casino magnate Steve Wynn, and Salesforce.com founder Marc Benioff are among those grateful for his coaching.