ArmorUP

Whether it’s Jennifer Lopez or BODYARMOR as a whole, Muyshondt knows a thing or two about defying the odds. Muyshondt was born in the middle of the Salvadorian Civil War, a period of unrest in El Salvador that lasted from 1979 to 1992. The United Nations reports that more than seventy-five thousand people lost their lives, with an additional eight thousand considered “disappeared.” Murder, kidnapping, and torture became a part of life for residents of the population that has just recently exceeded six million people. Muyshondt was not immune from the violence or the hardship.

“During third and fourth grade, I slept under my bed every night. Not on top of it, under it,” the CEO says.

Years later, Muyshondt began to understand that the way he grew up was not typical. Whether it was only being allowed to shower or use water at certain times of the day, or the ten hours of electricity his family was allotted, the young Muyshondt just thought it was how one lived.

“I have so much love for where I come from, but it’s also a place where the one percent is the one percent, and the ninety-nine percent is the ninety-nine. There is no middle class,” he admits. “The more and more I was exposed to the United States, the more I began to believe in this country and what the American dream could mean for me.”

The Latino market only continues to grow. As the marketplace continues to diversify, Muyshondt says being a multicultural leader becomes increasingly important to succeed on a global level. It’s also important to find ways to lure that diverse demographic into the CPG industry.

There was another guiding force that accounts for the companies where Muyshondt has spent time. The CEO is a firm believer that you are what you eat, and he wanted to devote his energy to businesses that have their customers’ health in mind. Maintaining that mindset means that he wants to use his role for good and make people’s lives healthier and more worthwhile.

BODYARMOR came at the perfect moment in the CEO’s journey to help more people find more health-conscious ways to live. “In many ways, I see BODYARMOR as the Chobani of hydration,” Muyshondt says. “I will always work for a company that stands for superior food [and] superior credentials, and using that platform to make lives better.”

Heading up the leadership of the BODYARMOR brand is Muyshondt’s opportunity to follow in the footsteps of people he greatly admires, from Kobe Bryant to company founder Mike Repole. Repole is a legend in his industry, having also created Vitaminwater. And when it comes to Bryant, the CEO says he sees the spirit of the Black Mamba in the eagerness and passion of his people every single day.

BODYARMOR’s home base in Queens, New York, is the perfect location for a company wanting to keep its ear to the ground. Muyshondt calls BODYARMOR “Queens Meets Kobe,” a tribute to the ingenuity, battling disposition, and willingness to get the hard job done.

Concerning his own leadership, the CEO says he’s been given a wide berth to drive innovation at the company. It’s a perfect combination of latitude, but also knowing he has the manpower and scope of a company like Coca-Cola backing up his team to wage the good fight against its much older and established competitor.

Muyshondt rises every morning at dawn. He’ll spend twenty-to-thirty minutes planning out his day, prioritizing spending as much time as he can with wife Faye, eleven-year-old daughter Addie, and eight-year-old son Ollie. It’s not exactly meditation, but it’s essential quiet time that energizes.

“The rest of the day is taking the war to Gatorade,” Muyshondt with a laugh. But if you know anything about the spirit of the Black Mamba, and if you’re in the sports drink industry, you should do anything but laugh along.