In this episode of Beauty and the Brand, host Aggie Burnett sits down with Dominique Gagnon—brand builder and award-winning innovator and growth strategist, Dominique helped found category-creating health & wellness brands like DEINDE, Caldera + Lab, and isbel&co. Dominique shares her insider perspective on what it takes to secure funding in today’s beauty and wellness landscape. From understanding the critical role of Sephora contracts and retail distribution in valuations to demystifying metrics like CAC to LTV, Dominique reveals how founders can prepare for Series A and beyond. She also dives into the “dating game” of venture capital, highlighting why investor relationships must start before you need cash. For entrepreneurs weighing bootstrapping vs. VC funding, this conversation unpacks the trade-offs, common mistakes, and alternative financing paths. Whether you’re building a lifestyle business or chasing a high-stakes exit, Dominique offers practical, results-driven advice to help founders refine their growth strategy and position their brand for long-term success

Chapters:

• 00:00:00 - Welcome to Beauty and the Brand Podcast
• 00:01:06 - Meet Dominique
• 00:02:14 - Bootstrapping vs. Venture Capital
• 00:03:10 - How Retail Presence Impacts Funding and Acquisition
• 00:04:09 - Why Investors Prioritize Retail: The Pathway to Exit
• 00:07:52 - Identifying the Main Players in Beauty Investment
• 00:09:30 - The Difference Between Family Funds and Traditional VCs
• 00:11:03 - Key Advice: Why Finding Investors is Like Dating
• 00:13:53 - Explaining "Lead Round" vs. "Follow Round" Investors
• 00:15:00 - The Average Timeframe for Closing a Funding Round
• 00:15:59 - The Best and Worst Times of Year to Fundraise
• 00:17:00 - Key Metrics Investors Look for in a Bootstrapped Brand
• 00:20:15 - How the Founder's Story and Commitment Influence Investment
• 00:22:16 - The Biggest Pitching Mistake: Brand Story vs. Business Metrics
• 00:23:30 - How to Determine How Much Capital to Raise
• 00:26:32 - The Minimum Sales Needed to Attract Venture Capital
• 00:26:58 - What Happens if a Retail Deal Falls Through Post-Investment
• 00:28:32 - Investor Expectations: The 18-Month Runway
• 00:30:16 - Common Strategies of Successfully Exited Brands (Medik8, Rhode, Aesop)
• 00:34:10 - Case Study: Tatcha's Path to Success and the QVC Strategy
• 00:35:39 - Alternative Financing Options Beyond Traditional VC
• 00:37:43 - Start Networking with Investors from Day One
• 00:38:10 - Where to Find and Work with Dominique Online

Links and Resources:

• 👉Take our 5 Days to Growing Your Iconic Beauty Brand Challenge for only $17! -
• https://abcreativenyc.com/signup
• 👉 Scale from 0 to 7 figures without spinning your wheels with the Beauty Brand Roadmap: https://abcreativenyc.com/the-beauty-brand-roadmap
• Aggie on LinkedIn
• AB Creative
• Aggie on

In this episode of Beauty and the Brand, host Aggie Burnett sits down with Olivia Sanchez, founder of Sudz Cauldron, to unpack how a self-funded Latina entrepreneur transformed her haircare business by leaning into her “why,” optimizing SEO, and choosing the right marketing channel. Olivia reveals how she stopped mirroring other brands, built retail partnerships, and found that email marketing—not Instagram likes—was her real conversion driver. From navigating Squarespace to Shopify, setting up UTM links, and balancing blog content with social media, Olivia shares the raw challenges and big wins behind growing a cult-status brand that celebrates curls, sustainability, and authenticity.

• 00:00:00: Welcome to the Beauty and the Brand podcast.
• 00:01:24: Meet Olivia.
• 00:02:56: Early struggles: mirroring other brands and lacking a clear foundation.
• 00:05:55: Choosing a marketing focus: SEO vs. Instagram.
• 00:07:29: Explanation of the marketing funnel for new brands.
• 00:09:33: SEO framed as a "set it and move on" strategy.
• 00:11:37: A strategy for turning blog posts into social content.
• 00:12:40: The market shift from volume content to quality and trust.
• 00:16:17: Using UTM links to track the source of every sale.
• 00:19:25: Different content preferences for email vs. Instagram audiences.
• 00:22:00: Course outcome: a defined customer, brand 'why,' and revamped website.
• 00:25:22: Linking a strong brand 'why' to SEO authority (E-A-T).
• 00:26:50: Business results: more retail partners and better email conversions.
• 00:29:34: Details of best-selling shampoo and conditioner bars.
• 00:31:45: Product sustainability: one bar equals three liquid bottles.
• 00:32:59: How to Connect with Olivia

Links and Resources:

• 👉Take our 5 Days to Growing Your Iconic Beauty Brand Challenge for only $17! -
• https://abcreativenyc.com/signup
• 👉 Scale from 0 to 7 figures without spinning your wheels with the Beauty Brand Roadmap: https://abcreativenyc.com/the-beauty-brand-roadmap
• Aggie on LinkedIn
• AB Creative
• Aggie on Instagram
• Suds Cauldron’s Website
• Sudz Cauldron on Instagram
• Olivia on LinkedIn

Thanks so much for joining us this week. Want to subscribe to Beauty and the Brand? Have some feedback you’d like to share? Connect with us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube to leave us a review!

When Becky Williams first launched her skincare brand, mil USOS, she marketed broadly to “active people.” The result? Silence. Everything changed after joining C2C. By focusing entirely on her own community—jiu-jitsu athletes with sensitive skin—Becky found the clarity she needed. Each time she narrowed her focus, her conversions doubled, and then doubled again. Within just 60 days of committing to this new positioning, mil USOS reached a six-figure annual run rate.

In this episode of Beauty and the Brand, host Aggie Burnett and Becky unpack the lessons behind this transformation: how niching down can turn insecurity into strength, why polarizing opinions help build movements, and what it takes to pivot from “crickets at launch” to a brand that truly resonates. If you’re a beauty founder debating whether to go broader or narrower with your positioning, this conversation reveals why specificity is the ultimate growth strategy.

Chapters:

• 00:00:00 - Welcome to the Beauty and the Brand podcast.
• 00:01:08 - Meet Becky Williams, founder of mil USOS.
• 00:01:25 - Becky's Background: The story of a Jujitsu Purple Belt creating skincare for athletes.
• 00:02:29 - Origin Story: How a traumatic domestic violence experience led Becky to Jujitsu.
• 00:04:45 - The Power of Jujitsu: How the martial art builds confidence and eliminates panic.
• 00:06:01 - A Proud Moment: Becky's return to training after a two-year hiatus and rediscovering her skill.
• 00:07:33 - The Problem: Common skin issues for Jujitsu athletes, including infections like staph and ringworm.
• 00:09:54 - The "Aha!" Moment: Combining a desire for economic independence with a passion for skincare ingredients.
• 00:11:25 - Identifying a Market Gap: Calling out the low-quality "Jujitsu bro" soaps dominating the space.
• 00:13:54 - Crafting the Formula: Becky explains her choice of high-end, sustainable, and effective ingredients.
• 00:16:55 - The Science of the Balm: Detailing the powerful antimicrobial extracts used in the products.
• 00:18:50 - The Initial Launch: Launching to "crickets" and the stress of not seeing results.
• 00:20:36 - Seeking Help: How a lack of sales led Becky to join the C2C coaching program.
• 00:21:58 - The First Pivot: Realizing the "skincare for active people" brand identity was too broad.
• 00:24:31 - The Turning Point: Overcoming fear and imposter syndrome to niche down exclusively to Jujitsu.
• 00:26:50 - The Impact of Niching: Achieving six-figure annual numbers within 60 days of committing to the Jujitsu community.
• 00:27:51 - Hyper-Niching for Success: Targeting Jujitsu athletes with sensitive skin, which doubled conversion rates.
• 00:32:36 - Overcoming Imposter Syndrome: Discussing the feeling of not being a black belt in the sport.
• 00:34:35 - Turning a Weakness into a Strength: Using her "perpetual purple belt" status to be more relatable.
• 00:40:41 - Who is C2C For?: Advice for founders who are teachable and willing to work on foundational brand strategy.
• 00:44:14 - Dream Sponsorship: Why she wants to sponsor a high-end male athlete.
• 00:45:32 - What's Next for Mil Usos: Announcing new products, including belt-rank-themed lip balms.
• 00:46:55 - Future Brand Plans: Expanding into haircare and hosting branded Jujitsu seminars.
• 00:48:06 - Where to Find Becky Online

Links and Resources:

• 👉Take our 5 Days to Growing Your Iconic Beauty Brand Challenge for only $17! -
• https://abcreativenyc.com/signup
• 👉 Scale from 0 to 7 figures without spinning your wheels with the Beauty Brand Roadmap: