Revenge Of became the go-to nerd bodega by hosting free events and waiving pinball fees. Learn the strategy that drives organic sales without discounts.

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Founder Lulu Ge turned personal pain into purpose with Elix, an herbal wellness brand rooted in Chinese medicine with 90% repeat customers.

For more on Elix and show notes click here

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Nima Jalali built SALT & STONE out of his apartment into a $100M+ brand, without ever pitching a single retailer. After an ACL injury redirected his path, he created something he desperately wanted but didn't exist, a high quality, clean deodorant, that actually performs. SALT & STONE has now become one of the fastest growing brands in the space to-date by doing things differently. Even right now, every 60 seconds a SALT & STONE deodorant is bought.

In this candid conversation Nima opens up about transitioning from a pro surfboarder into the Founder role, what it takes to build a killer team, and what keeps him going. He reveals the counter-intuitive strategy that got Sephora to come to him, and how he iterated his deodorant formula through 5 generations before calling it perfect.

You’ll Learn:

• Why going through 5+ product iterations beats launching "good enough"
• The digital excellence strategy that makes retailers chase you (not the other way around)
• How to build legacy brand positioning even as a one-person startup
• Why getting a "no" from retailers too early can kill your momentum
• The mindset shift from solo athlete to team builder
• The key to building a digital identity that inspires & attracts customers

CHAPTERS:

00:00 Introducing Nima Jalali, Founder & CEO of SALT & STONE

3:00 Transitioning from Pro Snowboarder to Business Owner

4:55 The 5 Generations of Product Perfection

6:45 How to Think Like Nike When You're a One-Man Show

8:13 What Nima Did to Build a Brand Sephora NEEDS to Have

10:09 Steps to Achieve Digital Excellence

12:39 SALT & STONE’S Philosophy on: Ingredient Sourcing, Product Development & Testing

19:06 How to Set Your Business Up to Grow Into a Legacy Brand From Day 1

22:07 The Retail Strategy That Never Fails

28:35 Tackling Global Expansion & Managing Expectations as a Founder

29:55 Single Most Impactful Thing NIma Did in The First 6 Months That Made SALT & STONE Successful

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Harlem Candle Company founder Teri Johnson started pouring candles in her Harlem kitchen with no budget and no team—just a clear sense of purpose. That focus helped her turn handmade gifts into a nationally recognized brand rooted in culture, design, and storytelling. In this episode, she shares how she validated demand early, built trust online without samples, and made tough decisions to protect her peace and profits.

For more on Harlem Candle Co and show notes click here

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Actively Black didn’t start with a product—it started with a community. By building a 23,000-person audience before launch, founder Lanny Smith turned purpose-driven storytelling into a $55,000 first day and a $2 million first year. His journey shows aspiring entrepreneurs why demand-first thinking, authentic mission, and smart list-building can change everything.

For more on Actively Black click here

You'll Learn:

• Why Actively Black built community before developing a product
• The email + SMS strategy that led to $55K in sales on launch day
• How to sell $2M+ in your first year—even with constant stockouts
• Why fast growth can be just as dangerous as no growth
• How to use storytelling and cultural pride to create brand resonance
• What it takes to build long-term customer trust without discounting
• How Lanny structured partnerships with Marvel, Disney, and iconic estates
• The real math behind inventory planning at scale (and why it’s so hard)
• How to align investors with your vision, not just your bottom line
• Why purpose is more powerful than product in competitive industries
• How Lanny’s personal values fuel every decision—from pricing to hiring

Chapters:

00:00 Introducing Lanny Smith, Founder of Actively Black

01:02 How a Career Pivot Sparked a $2M Vision

01:27 Building 10K Followers Before Launching a Product

03:31 Why Purpose-Driven Branding Fueled $55K on Day One

06:54 What Selling Out in 3 Weeks Taught Us About Manufacturing

10:30 How Actively Black Landed Partnerships with Marvel, Disney & More

17:52 The Traits Behind Scaling to 8 Figures and Beyond

18:48 What to Know Before Entering the $1.5T Apparel Market

19:54 From “No” to $2M: How to Power Through Rejection

21:43 Turning a Personal Setback Into Multi-Million Dollar Growth

25:35 Why Actively Black Is More Than Just Merch (And Why That Matters)

29:04 How Mission and Authenticity Drive Repeat Purchases

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Taza Chocolate didn’t follow trends—it built a lasting brand by doubling down on its differences. Founders Alex Whitmore and Kathleen Fulton share how staying true to their product, owning their manufacturing, and leading with purpose helped them weather crises and grow a resilient business.

For more on Taza Chocolate and show notes click here

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While the bike helmet industry screamed "you need this for safety!", Gloria Hwang did the opposite. She made helmets so beautiful that 25% of Thousand customers are wearing helmets for the first time ever. Thousand now offers helmet and bike accessories in 20+ countries with financial backing from REI and the Clif Bar Family Office.

Gloria talks all things customer loyalty, business branding, and nailing your product roadmap for maximum impact. She intimately shares how a personal tragedy inspired a mission to save 1,000 lives, and how that number grew to 1,300+ through their lifetime crash replacement guarantee. You’ll learn the counterintuitive strategy that made safety cool, and why Thousand wins with culture instead of competing on tech features.

You’ll learn:

• Why fear-based marketing fails and what works instead
• The psychology insight that built a $10M+ brand across 20+ countries
• How 25% of customers are first-time helmet wearers
• Transitioning from maker to manager over 10 years
• Taking back the product roadmap to return to core differentiation
• Why solving customer problems beats chasing growth at all costs

Chapters:

00:00 Introducing Gloria Hwang, Founder & CEO of Thousand

1:30 How to Change Customer Behaviors

4:11 The Personal Tragedy That Started Thousand & The Design Philosophy That Wins Every Time

5:15 Why 25% of Customers Are First-Time Helmet Wearers

7:30 Steps to Get Further Differentiated & Beat Out The Competition

9:55 Strategies for Collecting High-Quality Customer Insights

16:00 Expanding to 20+ Countries & Quality Standards

19:50 The BEST Advice Gloria Has Ever Gotten

24:30 The Hardest Transition Gloria Went Through & How to Tackle People Problems

29:20 What to Ask for When Pitching Investors (Surprise, it’s NOT Money)

32:48 How Motherhood Changed Her Approach to Business

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How founder Catherine Lockhart built Shelter Skin through deliberate growth, in-house manufacturing, and radical transparency.

For more on Shelter Skin and show notes click here

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