How Two Teen Founders Leveraged Mentorship to Disrupt the Beauty Industry

0:00It's hard as a young girl. We're making so many decisions. Having confidence in every single one can be hard, and it's definitely, as an entrepreneur, a daily decision that has to be made to push forward. Hey, what's going on? I'm Shuang Esser Shan, and you're tuned in to Shopify Masters, your companion for starting and building a business. The beauty industry is changing and young founders are at the forefront. Meet Sadie B, the personal care brand focused on supporting mental health, founded by sisters Sadie and Abby Bowler at just 16 and 18 years old. From being cruelty-free, clean products to having recycled packaging, each decision of Sadie B is made with intention and the team efforts are getting noticed.

0:51Today, just after two years of inception, Sadie B is available in over 500 Target stores nationwide. Sadie and Abby, welcome to the show. Thank you. We're excited to be here. Thank you. Thank you so much. Both of you have done so much just within two years. Sadie, I would love to start with you. You love styling hair from a young age. What inspired you to start a hair care brand that focused on mental health? Yeah, so I started styling hair when I was 11 years old. So I was just deeply immersed in the beauty and personal care space and felt like I could not find a brand that was speaking to my needs as a high school girl.

1:35and the things that were most important to me at the time were preparing for college, my AP classes, my friendships, the sports I was doing and other extracurriculars and the only products I could find were offering these solutions of fixing my appearance and I felt like there needed to be a new message in the beauty industry that supported girls body and mind and so Abby and I came up with the concept of CDB to shift that focus to personal development, which both of us have found to be life-changing in just supporting our own mental health. And as we move forward, having our personal development be our focus rather than our appearance really has changed everything for us.

2:26And I love that approach. And you can see it in the way that you have actually have profiles or these product lines designed after different lifestyles. Abby, talk to us about naming some of these products like adventure, athlete, creator. What were kind of the concepts that went into how you named these products? Yeah, so the first product that we really brainstormed was the Adventure Line. And we came up with this idea. Sadie and I were on a backpacking trip in Canada. And in preparation for that trip, we had to find really clean products, products with clean ingredients that would be safe to use in the park.

3:10There are actually restrictions on the ingredients that could be in your personal care products. and it got us thinking about the first of all need for a personal care product that is really clean and good for the environment and also one that was made specifically for us you know Sadie and I as we're hiking got into this conversation of what if there was a product specifically for girls like us who love backpacking who love hiking we are from Utah we live in Utah so we do a lot of hiking and spending time outdoors. And then from there, we came up with the other lines of product. The athlete is a nod to my past, which I grew up swimming.

3:54I did competitive swimming all through middle school, high school, and never had good hair care that treated chlorine and protected my hair from chlorine. And so that was an important quality for our athlete line to have. And anyway, so they were really inspired by, first of all, Sadie and I's lifestyles, and then also the lifestyles of our friends and the girls around us. Sadie, talk to us about why it was so important for you to include certain ingredients into your products. Yeah, so working to create high quality, clean products was a big feat. And we wanted them to be able to serve girls' needs and really go along with our message and mission of changing the dialogue in the beauty industry.

4:39And so within our four lines of product, we wanted to, rather than focusing on telling girls what they have to fix about themselves, really serving their needs with what they might be doing in these different areas as athletes, adventurers, go-getters, and creators. and so we they each have different functionalities and the go-getter is our all hair types everyday line with moisturizing coconut and castor oil but leaving it leaves enough texture in the hair to so you can style or air dry and then the adventurers are our most hydrating formula with sunflower seed and castor oil that really repair and strengthen the hair in sun.

5:23So when girls are spending a lot of time outside, that's a great one to add the moisture and sun protection. And then the athlete line is our most clarifying formula with things like apple cider vinegar, charcoal, and then vitamin E that helps protect the hair in the sun and chlorine. And then the last line, the creator, is for girls that are coloring and heat styling their hair more often. So it has amino acids and antioxidants that protect and treat the hair when it's colored and heat styled. So we had very specific intentions and functionalities around these products that we designed and felt like with the different just processes and chemists we worked with that we really created these to be the best they could be to serve girls' needs.

6:14And then you've also expanded beyond hair care to enter into new categories. What was that process like deciding what products to expand into and the different processes you took to iterate for those new product lines? Yeah, so we are very intentionally a personal care brand as opposed to a beauty brand. And so we focus on hair care, but also body care. So we have body wash and body spray. And as we expand our product line and are working on product development, we want to keep the focus on these function first products and really products that help girls take care of their bodies and rather than fixing looks to kind of meet these unrealistic beauty standards.

7:07And so some products that are we're really excited to have in the pipeline is like a styling cream and a leave-in conditioner we feel like those are just integral products to every girl's routine and can when they're available at target and as part of this adp routine it just can expand our brand and further support girls and so that's yeah just really that focus on function and serving girls' needs is the idea for expansion. Yeah, Sadie and I often talk about routine. We talk a lot about creating a routine or being part of a girl's personal care routine because it's something that all, you know, is part of everyone's daily routine in some way, shape, or form.

7:58And this really comes back to our mission with Sadie B, which is to change that experience. And Sadie and I often talk about, you know, the moment you walk into your bathroom in the morning and the landscape of products is often, you know, to fix me products. They're products that need to be applied to be ready to go out to the day. And we want to, our vision is to reconstruct that experience so that it's less about kind of fixing yourself or being good enough to go out into the world, but really taking that time to take care of yourself. Sometimes going through those conversations, it might feel a little intimidating, especially because you guys started this business when you were teenagers and you're talking to chemists who have been in their fields for a long time.

8:54How do you go back and forth and kind of stand your ground when you're testing and iterating to make sure that your ideas are being brought forward and implemented? Yeah, you know, that has definitely been a challenge that we've, you know, been striving to overcome being young girls, typically younger than who, you know, the manufacturer, the formulator is one example, were typically younger than who they would usually work with. And so learning how to express our ideas and have confidence in those ideas was definitely a learning curve, but benefited us so much. And we were really fortunate to work with people.

9:36The formulator was one of them who really believed in our vision for the brand and were really willing to work with us and help our vision come to life. Yeah. What about you, Sadie? I think only from both of your perspectives, can you understand this customer? So it's important to be confident when you're asking for iterations and testings. Yeah, totally. I think, like Abby said, we've had a really positive experience with the people we've worked with. But I think really what has helped us in gaining that confidence is being surrounded by mentors that have really taught us how to move forward and think critically and really understand why we have this vision for the brand and making sure we're keeping our passion at the center of it, of supporting girls' mental health.

10:33And so I think mentorship has been a huge part of our journey. And then I would say though, transparently, it's still hard as a young girl to have confidence in every single, we're making so many decisions. And so having confidence in every single one can be hard and it's definitely as an entrepreneur a daily decision that has to be made to you know push forward and have confidence in kind of why you you started the whole thing and yeah and then the other thing me and Abby joke about is what's really helped us is just being naive and kind of not knowing what we're getting ourselves into that has been a real advantage to us.

11:18So we are just willing to take the risks and push forward when it's hard because we don't know how bad it could get. Having that optimism and being naive, I think also is a superpower just because you need to remain positive as you're going through that journey. Another area where both of you have to make a lot of decisions on is also the marketing. This is how you want to communicate the brand and your vision to the world. Abby, what were some initial exercises or processes did you do to identify and go through the branding exercises? As business partners, we both wear a lot of hats and there's a lot of crossover for sure.

12:03I would say Sadie's strength is in marketing, but I can speak to, you know, where we really started building Sadie B was with an agency called Enlisted Design, and they specialize in branding. And we got connected with them in Salt Lake City, where we're based, and worked with them to not only develop the look and feel of the brand and the bottles and the logo and all of that, But they were incredible partners and that they helped us really define the brand voice and the brand mission. And we were able to dial in on that at a very early stage in building our business. And that definitely benefited us for sure.

12:50Yeah. So Sadie, talk to us through that process of finding that brand voice and working with the agency. Yeah. So we spent hours in their office just going through different exercises of who we wanted to reach with our products and how we wanted to make the consumer feel. And we really landed on these keywords that we wanted the brand to represent and values that we wanted to keep within our brand. And so we described Sadie B from an internal branding perspective as youthful, friendly, and genuine. And so that is kind of the voice that we wanted to have as we spoke to girls, especially as we're reaching them with this message that can be – it's super personal and a vulnerable place to be when talking about mental health.

13:47And so we wanted to create this community of girls supporting girls with our brand and products as we grew. And so, yeah, it was really, though, just those hours talking through it with these brand experts, but then also making sure Abby and I were communicating our experience as Gen Z girls in this world with the beauty industry messages that we receive. and the mental health struggles that we face in our lives. And so we kind of wove all those pieces together and in tons of brainstorming meetings and created the voice for Sadie B. And I think that's just the beginning of that brand journey. There's also a lot of exercises you have to do when it comes to creating different campaigns or initiatives within marketing.

14:40What are some of the biggest lessons you've learned in that marketing stream when it comes to thinking about campaigns and different strategies? We were so lucky, like Abby said, to have this ADB brand foundation from the very beginning. And that really has to be the foundation of every campaign. And then, of course, there's so many different ways you can build off of that foundation. And so really tying it back, though, to our core values and voice is where, where we've turned and kind of the biggest lesson that we've learned that if we don't turn back to that foundation, um, we start to lose focus, um, of our, our bigger goals of what we want Sadie B to become and, um, the real feeling we want our consumers to have.

15:35And so, yeah, it's really just about focusing on that brand foundation that we built. Amazing. And Abby, are there any memorable campaigns or different strategies you've made that have been really impactful where that is very memorable to you? Definitely the most memorable campaigns, I would say, have been ones where we have been able to collaborate with other target brands and build a connection with a shared group of followers or shared, basically a consumer base that shares the same values. And to see like the synergy between not only us and the other brand, but consumers who are looking for, you know, really positive messaging and high quality ingredients and products, that's been really fun to see that come together.

16:29Yeah. And some of those brands that we've done partnerships with have been Elf Cosmetics, Gimme Beauty, and Zit Stika. So very Gen Z focused brands and that share those qualities of being youthful, friendly, and genuine. And then I would just add one of the other campaigns we've done recently. We've created the phrase Girl Care Club. So we define girl care as the routine that we're offering girls to support body and mind. It's not just a personal care routine. This is for your body and mind. So it's a girl care, taking care of the whole girl. And so Girl Care Club is the community we're building of really supporting girls.

17:12So we reached out to micro influencers with about 2 ,000 to 5 ,000 followers on TikTok that just represent the Sadie B core values and sent them all product, sent about 65 packages out and have just seen this community grow because it came from such a genuine place and we're getting tagged in these videos where these girls are just raving about Sadie B as they unbox the product and how much they feel Sadie B cares about them and it just is such an incredible thing to see that when we focus on that foundation like I was saying through our smaller campaigns that we're going through day to day it really builds the brand long term.

18:06So through the fundraising process, you also exchange equity within the business to actually work with the agency that helped with branding. Talk to us through that decision. in. We'd raised money with family and friends, some angel investors. And we had this contact with our neighbor who ran this design agency, this branding agency, and we're able to share our idea with him. But we obviously, and this is typical of new brands or new companies that are just starting up, didn't have the cash funds to be able to work with an agency of that quality. and so we were able to leverage equity. They had a program specifically for brands that were just starting up where we could leverage equity to be able to work with them and we were able to leverage equity for that and also other things as far as board members and other people to really join the team and that was not only extremely helpful but felt like a true vote of confidence that those people were willing to share resources based on equity, based on, you know, believing in Sadie B and our idea.

19:25Love this so much. It's an exchange where you're also getting a sense of mentorship through that relationship as well and also having access to those agency services. You're essentially a daily routine for so many of these girls. And it's amazing to hear how you've grown and also collaborated with other brands in Target, which I'm very excited to chat about how Sadie B entered Target. But first, I would love to take a moment to thank our listeners for tuning in to Shopify Masters. And if you haven't already, make sure to give us a follow, give us some feedback in the reviews. We love reading them and incorporating them in future episodes.

20:12Thank you so much. So Sadie and Abby, it's crazy to hear that within two short years, you're in over 500 Target stores. How did this journey of entering such a great retail partner happen? It really started with our community of other female founders here in Utah and more broadly like the West, Western United States. So within Utah, there's a really strong kind of female founder network. And at one of those events, one of the keynote speakers was Sri Hager, and she's the founder of Salt Period Care. And they do sustainable period care. And we have been, Sadie and I have been huge fans of Salt and their company and their mission for a long time already.

21:06And they have a really powerful impact mission to end period poverty. And that was something that was especially inspiring to me since I had our impact at Sadie V. And so we went to speak to Sri afterwards and told her a little bit about our brand. And she has five daughters. We sent her and her daughter some Sadie V product to try. And she said that her daughters absolutely fell in love with the product and said, this needs to be in Target. She already had her products in Target and connected us with her broker. And from there, we got in contact with the broker right during line review season when the buyers are meeting with vendors, meeting with potential vendors to decide what's going to be on shelf for the next year.

21:57And so when we got in contact with the broker, he said, we're right, You know, line reviews are essentially in a week. So we need to pull something together. And we have to give him so much credit. His name is John Hoffer. And he really just believed in us from the beginning. I think, you know, a huge part of that was getting that recommendation from Sheree, who believed in us. And St. and I pulled a deck together, you know, to present our brand. and were able to secure a meeting with the target hair care buyer. And, you know, we sat on pins and needles for months waiting for a response. And then, yeah, found out we were awarded in a business in 500 Target stores.

22:46And so that was like a zero to 100 experience because we were really just letting the brand like grow organically. We had launched our Shopify. We had launched our DTC. Sadie and I were still full-time students at the time in university. We've since kind of lowered our course loads. We're still keeping that up. And so we were really just letting things grow organically. And then securing that target deal was when we really, it felt like our true launch for Sadie B. It's such a whirlwind. I know that pitching, waiting is very nerve-wracking. But I think that's also a new summit that you have to climb because once you get that huge order, it's a whole new set of challenges.

23:34What was it like trying to figure out fulfilling that huge order, ramping up inventory and actually making this order happen? Well, yeah, I mean, the huge hurdle for us right at the beginning was just funding that order that we were going to need to to make to fulfill Target's order. So we considered fundraising and we looked at a few other options and ended on just the perfect solution for us for this season of our business, which is invoice financing. So we were able to leverage the invoices from Target that we were sending to Target to fund the inventory that we were using to fulfill the orders.

24:23So, I mean, and that was just one hurdle. Of course, there were many others. Yeah, I think having that approach, the invoice approach is very smart. It's kind of like when different businesses maybe have a pre-order model, they actually can fund their investment into production. Sadie, talk to us a little bit about going through that investment process, especially as a teenager where you're convincing different people to take a chance on you. How was that like going through angel investing and talking to different people to get them on board? Yeah, again, this is probably one of the specific parts where our being naive was really our advantage.

25:11And we obviously believed in this idea wholeheartedly and had the expectation that people around us would too. And we were lucky enough to find the people that were able to take a chance on us and believed in Sadie B and what it could become. And so we, but it was a, it's stressful. And Abby and I knew nothing about fundraising or invoice financing or any of these other ways to support a business. And so we are just learning at the speed of light every day of how to do this. And I think it can be overwhelming at times, but doing it with, again mentors and being naive I think is has really pushed us forward it could be a nerve wracking thing for anyone in any chapters of their life navigating something new and like going through that first production run is probably also nerve wracking as well especially at such a large quantity I guess like yeah for the both of you what's your advice for people going through something so new and it feels like there's a lot of pressure, but you kind of just have to stay calm, take care of your mental health and kind of take it one step at a time.

26:38Yeah, I think you put it really well. And something that we talk about at Sadie B, of course, is focusing on taking care of your body and mind. And we have to practice what we preach at Sadie B because it's really the only thing that keeps us going in the hard moments. And for me personally, prioritizing things like exercise, enough sleep, and just like the basics that to make sure I'm fueling my body in a way that I can tackle these big challenges every day. And then really finding ways to stay positive. And I think focusing on, I mean, it seems cliche, but like, these are the things that every human experiences and everyone needs to incorporate in their life to function when they are facing hard things, which everybody does.

27:38And, but just focusing on gratitude and staying positive in that way when things are hard. So anyway, that, Those are the things that have helped me personally. Yeah. I would say another thing that helps me along with those things that Sadie mentioned is really anchoring myself in my vision for Sadie B and my kind of desire to really make an impact for good with Sadie B. And that's really at the foundation of SayDB is making a positive impact on girls' mental health. And so in moments when we are discouraged or are up against roadblocks, definitely my motivation to keep pushing forward is very much rooted in my belief that we can make an impact for good with our brand.

28:40and that it can make a difference in the lives of girls and that our impact can be meaningful overall. So that's something that helps me as well. Sometimes keeping that overarching goal in mind is such a good reminder when you need that extra boost. Earlier, you mentioned that the community that you're in with other entrepreneurs and founders have been really helpful, especially having mentors that can guide you through some of the processes. I think for a lot of new founders, they have a hard time perhaps reaching out to established founders or seeking help. What's your advice there to, again, be comfortable and confident seeking help and building up that network?

29:27Yeah, I think over time, I've really learned that the sooner I ask the question, the faster I move forward. And so it was just through this process where I would be too nervous to ask the question. and then I would get stuck and I wouldn't be able to be productive and move forward and the goals that we had and then I would ask the question finally and as soon as I did it was like the next step was clear and I was like oh now I know the next step I need to take and the resources I need to accomplish that and going through that process a few times kind of gave me the kick in the pants that I needed to be like okay I need to ask the questions and the sooner that I do the more I'll be able to move forward and it becomes fun when you are moving quickly and learning so much.

30:17Yeah, and I would add that I think maybe early on in CDB, I thought of networking, which networking sounds like a scary term sometimes, but networking as, oh, you have to contact a bunch of different people. And it's like all these different branches of, I have to connect with this type of person and that person and this person could offer some advice and what have you. But really, our experience has been, you know, you connect with one person. You know, we connected with one person. They knew a bottle manufacturer. And then that person knew like a formulator. And that person knew a packaging expert.

30:57And that person. And so it's really more of a chain. at least that's been our experience really more of a chain than it is um like a bunch of different connections that you need to make separately and we have been honestly astounded at the the help that and advice that people are willing to to offer um and their generosity and so that honestly a lot of our initial connections came from um that design agency that we worked with the the the founder of that agency was our neighbor. And, and so we connected with him. I mean, literally on the sidewalk for our street, you know, we were like, we have an idea.

31:39We'd love to tell you about it. And he was, he was so kind. I mean, at the time we're both still in high school. Um, or we, I just graduated saying he was still in high school and he said, come to my office and, you know, tell me about it. And from there, um, it just opened the doors to, to the different connections that were game-changing for us and made it possible. I think like going through any entrepreneur journey, people also might get stuck in the mindset of maybe feeling a little bit of an imposter syndrome because every chapter is new. And again, it's something that you kind of deal with on an ongoing basis.

32:21um what are some things that both of you have been doing to either scale up on your knowledge widen your skill set and just be more comfortable as you're handling new challenges as they come in that's definitely something that we experience especially because we're not entrepreneurs coming from our MBAs or from a past work experience. This is literally our first business venture and company that we have worked for. So it is very new. And one of the things that has been amazing for both Abby and I is having a built-in mentor who's our dad, who is an entrepreneur and being able to learn from him and meet with him on a weekly basis has been super helpful in learning as he has the experience of building companies.

33:21But then outside of that, listening to different business podcasts or different books and learning from other entrepreneurs and their experience. Yeah. My main source of learning new skills, for example, I handle our finances essentially. So, and do the bookkeeping and things like that. And, and our good friend, he was the, he, you know, did the accounting for a company for years and so has a really good understanding. So I just texted him and, or I called him and said, you know, I'm doing the books for Sadie B, but I'm coming up against a lot of challenges. I'm not sure how to do this or that.