#18 Steve Michaelsen | CEO & CMO of Leisure Hydration

Leisure Hydration: Redefining What It Means to Drink Smarter

Steve Michaelsen isn’t new to performance. A former collegiate discus thrower and longtime Nike marketer, he grew up on Gatorade and Powerade like every other athlete. But during COVID, sitting on his mom’s couch with his brother (and now co-founder), Steve had an epiphany: hydration was stuck in the past.

Where energy drinks and sodas had been reinvented by brands like Celsius and Olipop, hydration was still defined by Vitaminwater, a category that hadn’t evolved in decades. Steve and his brother asked a simple question: why isn’t there a Gatorade for everyone?

That question sparked Leisure Hydration, which officially launched in 2022. The brand positions itself as a “Gen Z Vitaminwater” — a lifestyle hydration drink with electrolytes, vitamins, and adaptogens like ashwagandha and L-theanine. Packaged in sleek, non-carbonated cans (not plastic bottles), Leisure has quickly landed in Whole Foods, Costco, Chase Sapphire lounges, and even inside offices at Meta, Uber, and Tesla.

The differentiator? Function meets lifestyle. Their electrolytes come from ocean minerals, making them highly bioavailable, while flavors like blueberry and lemonade resonate with everyone from the cold-plunge community to everyday professionals looking for a healthier alternative to soda.

But Steve knows it’s just the beginning. With only five full-time employees, Leisure is still scrappy. The next phase is scaling distribution, building brand awareness, and turning their early cult following into mainstream adoption.

Athlete Inspiration

‍Part of Steve’s early inspiration came from legendary NFL tight end Tony Gonzalez, who grew up near him in SoCal. “I meant Tony a few times and remember his obsession on nutrition and longevity before those things were mainstream,”

Steve’s Flow Stack‍

Despite running a hydration company, Steve keeps his daily routine simple: two glasses of water, coffee on a dog walk, then cracking open a can of Leisure to lock in. For training, he swears by Nike gear (and the employee discount he still has). And while tech like the Oura Ring and Apple Watch are in the mix, he avoids overcomplicating his flow with too many apps or routines.

The Playbook Take
Leisure Hydration is carving out white space in an overlooked category. Where other beverage startups chase quick energy, Steve is betting on long-term lifestyle hydration. With its smart positioning, functional stack, and authentic athletic roots, Leisure feels less like another beverage brand — and more like the future of how we drink.