Jesslyn Rollins’ career path was certainly unexpected. Upon graduating from UGA, she was all set for a recruiting job in Atlanta, but this all changed when her father revealed a huge secret: he had invented the world’s first drinkable IV.
Her father, Dr. Luther Rollins, is an anesthesiologist and pain specialist based out of Atlanta, Georgia. Teaming up with Jesslyn’s sister, Sarah, he worked for four long years to find the perfect recipe for a rehydration drink like no other. While Jesslyn was shocked to discover this long-kept secret, she jumped at the chance to bring the product to the market.
“BIOLYTE was created because my mom had breast cancer, and she had such a difficult time with her chemo treatments—that was the inspiration,” said Jesslyn. “When she was going through breast cancer, she was super sick and dehydrated, to the point that she literally couldn’t keep up with her chemo treatments.”
Dehydration is a common and major symptom of chemotherapy, and despite their greatest efforts, it was difficult for the family to find anything on the market that could compare to the hydrating effects of an IV.
“She and Dad were trying everything. They were trying sports drinks, children’s dehydration products, the whole nine-yards. Nothing was working,” said Jesslyn. “Before every single chemo treatment, she had to go in and get an IV bag. So that was the whole reason that BIOLYTE came to be.”
Once Jesslyn joined the team, she began working to publicize BIOLYTE. She explained how she began traveling with the drinks stuffed into every crevice of her car, taking them to athletic trainers and high schools, practically giving the product away for free.
The first place she went was her alma mater, Lovett High School in Georgia. She gave BIOLYTE to the athletic trainer to give to his team for a game that Friday. The athletic trainer called on Saturday with raving reviews—the players who typically had habitual cramps had none at all.
The positive reviews continued as Jesslyn gave out more of the drinks. Everyone from cancer patients to people feeling exhausted after mowing the lawn felt hydrated and rejuvenated after drinking BIOLYTE.
“Our big break happened when I met with Savannah Distributing, a Georgia beverage distributor,” Jesslyn said. “They said they would take our products, but only if we got into Kroger. So Savannah set me up with the head of the all-natural Atlanta division of Kroger, Randy Waters. I sat down with Randy, shaking in my boots with my little rolling cooler, and I pitched him on BIOLYTE,” said Jesslyn. “He’s sitting there in his bowtie, stone-cold, zero emotion. I have jokes in the presentation––no laughter. Finally he breaks his silence and he says, ‘Okay, so this is going to go into every single cooler in Kroger.’”
Today, BIOLYTE fills the coolers of several retailers across eight different states. While there are plenty of other hydrating energy drinks to choose from, BIOLYTE is significantly different than any other product.
“BIOLYTE is the world’s first IV in a bottle. That means that you would have to drink seven-and-a-half sports drinks to equal one bottle of BIOLYTE,” explained Jesslyn. “It helps with nausea, it helps clean out your liver, and it gives you a natural boost of energy.”
According to the BIOLYTE website, the drink contains a significant amount of electrolytes, vitamins, and antioxidants designed to make you feel better. While it was inspired by helping chemotherapy patients, BIOLYTE can actually help a wide array of people–– anyone who feels depleted, dehydrated, or even just drowsy can benefit from drinking it. The ingredients help reduce nausea, fight headaches, and soothe inflammation, which means BIOLYTE has something in it for everyone—It’s a natural pick-me-up.
“We are not trying to say that this replaces an IV bag. That’s not our thing,” explained Jesslyn. “Our thing is that we don’t want you to get an IV bag in the first place. Let’s make sure that you are healthy and safe so you can avoid the IV bag altogether.”
While BIOLYTE has grown considerably since its genesis in Dr. Rollins’ basement, the team supporting this product remains a close-knit group of passionate people dedicated to helping others feel their best. Describing BIOLYTE as her unexpected dream job, Jesslyn’s enthusiasm and passion for the company reflects BIOLYTE’s one consistent goal: making people feel better.