If you could bet 160-to-1 on a better world 20 years in the future, would you do it?

That’s what Peter Wiseburgh achieved this week, turning a $20 million 20-year bet in 1998 on a healthier, more environment-friendly world, into $3.2 billion.

In 1998, Peter borrowed money to buy the 95-year old British carbonated water-maker, SodaStream, from Cadbury Schweppes.

Cadbury Scheppes had bought SodaStream from Kenwood back in 1985 for almost twice as much, and had failed to compete with the bigger soft drink companies. They were ready to cut their losses before Sodastream went bankrupt, and Peter was ready to buy.

Why would a sole entrepreneur like Peter think he could compete with the likes of Pepsi and Coke when big British companies like Kenwood and Cadbury Schweppes had failed?

Peter believed within 20 years people would begin turning off sugary soft drinks for more healthy drinks. He also looked at the amount of waste being created by the billions of cans and bottles being used each year.

Surely it was just a matter of time before humanity woke up to the damage we were doing?

And when they did, SodaStream could solve both problems for a healthier, more environmental-friendly world.

After buying SodaStream, he launched a range of flavoured waters that SodaStream could add fizz to, turning SodaStream into the largest home soda water makers in the world. Today, SodaStream owners make 1.5 billion litres of home-made sparkling water.

Then he launched the global #goodbyeplasticbottles campaign, with a goal to banish all disposable plastic bottles from everyday lives by 2025. Sites were put up around the world showing 1 SodaStream bottle in a family home could replace 2,000 bottles and cans each year.

As Peter says, “Today, we are leading a revolution against bottled and canned beverages, providing consumers with a better-for-you and better-for-the-planet alternative to store-bought sparkling water and fizzy drinks.”

The result? 20 years later in 2018, SodaStream has annual revenues of over $600 million. This week, PepsiCo has bought SodaStream for $3.2 billion as part of their new “Performance with Purpose” mission of delivering more healthy, environmentally-friendly products.

Are you looking to make an impact for a better future?

Are you willing to bet on a better future 20 years from now?

And most importantly, are you willing to take action when others are ready to give up?

If so, be like Peter. Anticipate tomorrow. Act today.

Then keep going for the next 20 years.

“If we think long term we can accomplish things that we wouldn’t otherwise accomplish. Time horizons matter. They matter a lot.” ~ Jeff Bezos