Scaling Emerging Beauty

Hosted by Monique Hutcherson Benoit

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Jul 2025

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The Scaling Emerging Beauty podcast offers actionable insights and strategies to scale beauty brands from $0 to $20M, focusing on growth through retail opportunities. Join host Monique Benoit, a former merchant at Target and Anthropologie, as she talks with founders, retailers, and other experts to offer relevant tactics for brands in the trenches, and valuable content for the industry enthusiast.

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July 22, 2025Episode 1358 min

E 813: How to Scale a Beauty Brand from DTC to Retail—with Anthony Standifer

Summary In this episode of Scaling Emerging Beauty, I sit down with Anthony Standifer—co-founder of MSeed Group and a 25-year beauty industry veteran. We get into the real talk around what it takes to scale from direct-to-consumer to retail—and how to stay profitable while doing it. We discuss: - How to stand out in crowded beauty categories through niche positioning - Why building emotional connections with your customers is key to scaling - What early-stage brands need to know about innovation cadence and product development - The truth about manufacturing partnerships—and why it should never be a transactional relationship - How to finance growth and manage the cash flow gap when transitioning to retail If you're a beauty founder looking to grow your brand from six figures to multimillion-dollar retail distribution, this episode is full of expert insights, strategic frameworks, and the kind of candid advice most people don't say out loud. Listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast platform! Links: 📌 Connect with Anthony Standifer on LinkedIn 📌 Check out MSeed Group: https://mseedgroup.com/ 🔗 Monique Benoit on Instagram🔗 Monique Benoit on LinkedIn🔗 Scaling Emerging Beauty on Instagram🔗 Scaling Emerging Beauty Website 🚀 Subscribe to Scaling Emerging Beauty for expert tips on growing your beauty brand!

July 16, 2025Episode 1240 min

E 812: Financial Strategy for Beauty Brands: Cash Flow, Retail Growth, and Smart Funding

Summary In this episode of Scaling Emerging Beauty, I'm joined by Matt Putra, fractional CFO and founder of Eightx, a financial advisory firm helping CPG and beauty brands scale responsibly. If you've ever felt unsure about forecasting cash flow, managing inventory costs, or figuring out how to fund retail growth—this is your episode. Matt shares his proven frameworks for financial planning, with a focus on what beauty brands need to know when transitioning from DTC to retail. He breaks down complex financial concepts in a way that's clear, actionable, and rooted in real-world experience. We cover: ✅ How to prepare your beauty brand financially before entering retail ✅ The difference between short-term sales growth and long-term financial health ✅ Smart approaches to funding—debt vs equity, and how to choose what's right ✅ Cash flow strategies to avoid inventory shortages and payment crunches ✅ Why forecasting matters—and how to use your numbers to make better decisions If you're a founder navigating the leap into retail, or trying to build a more sustainable, profitable brand, Matt's insights will help you move forward with confidence. Listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast platform! Links: 📌 Connect with Matt Putra on LinkedIn 📌 Check out Eightx Group: https://eightx.co/ 🔗 Monique Benoit on Instagram 🔗 Monique Benoit on LinkedIn 🔗 Scaling Emerging Beauty on Instagram 🔗 Scaling Emerging Beauty Website 🚀 Subscribe to Scaling Emerging Beauty for expert tips on growing your beauty brand!

July 8, 2025Episode 1131 min

E 811: Winning Beauty Customers with Storytelling, Site Experience, and Loyalty

In this episode of Scaling Emerging Beauty, I'm joined by Sarah Gallagher—founder of e-commerce agency Gamma Waves and a marketing strategist behind powerhouse brands like Supergoop. Sarah has helped both emerging and established brands scale through digital optimization, brand storytelling, and smart consumer engagement strategies. We explore: ✅ What makes a beauty brand story stick—and why clarity matters more than complexity ✅ How to optimize your website to boost conversion (spoiler: it's not just about design) ✅ The keys to customer retention and how to increase lifetime value through personalization ✅ How testing and A/B optimization unlock meaningful growth—even for smaller brands ✅ Lessons from scaling Supergoop pre-acquisition, and how loyalty programs drive repeat business Whether you're refining your DTC site, launching new SKUs, or growing your loyal customer base, Sarah shares practical tips to help you build a better digital experience and tell your brand story with impact. Listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast platform! Links: 📌 Connect with Sarah Gallagher on LinkedIn 📌 Check out Gamma Waves: https://gammawaves.io/ 🔗 Monique Benoit on Instagram🔗 Monique Benoit on LinkedIn🔗 Scaling Emerging Beauty on Instagram🔗 Scaling Emerging Beauty Website 🚀 Subscribe to Scaling Emerging Beauty for expert tips on growing your beauty brand!

July 1, 2025Episode 1037 min

E 810: Trademark Essentials for Emerging Brands with Lauren Bercuson of Storylock Legal

Trademark protection isn't just for big brands — it's essential for emerging founders too. In this episode of Scaling Emerging Beauty, Monique sits down with Lauren Bercuson, founder of Storylock Legal, to break down the basics of trademarks, common mistakes founders make, and how protecting your brand early can save you major time and money later. Lauren shares her experience helping CPG and beauty founders secure their brand names, logos, and even colors, while explaining the risks of skipping this crucial step. Whether you're launching your first product or prepping for retail expansion, this conversation will make you rethink how you protect your brand's future. We'll dive into: ✅ Why trademarking is a must, not a "nice to have" ✅ The most common trademark mistakes emerging brands make ✅ What to know about using your personal name as a brand name ✅ The basics of trademarking logos, slogans, and even colors ✅ How to spot potential trademark infringement early ✅ What to know about international trademark protection ✅ When to prioritize trademarking additional brand elements (like logos and packaging) If you're serious about scaling your brand and building long-term value, this is a must-listen episode! Links: 📌 Connect with Lauren Bercuson on LinkedIn 📌 Check out Storylock Legal: https://www.storylocklegal.com/ 🔗 Monique Benoit on Instagram🔗 Monique Benoit on LinkedIn🔗 Scaling Emerging Beauty on Instagram🔗 Scaling Emerging Beauty Website 🚀 Subscribe to Scaling Emerging Beauty for expert tips on growing your beauty brand!

June 24, 2025Episode 925 min

E 809: Scaling Smarter: DTC Profitability and Website Simplicity with Ben Sharf of Platter

Direct-to-consumer (DTC) brands have more tools than ever — but scaling profitably online? That's still a huge challenge. In this episode of Scaling Emerging Beauty, Monique sits down with Ben Sharf, founder of Platter, to talk about why profitability and simplicity are the new superpowers for growing your DTC business. Ben shares insights from building Platter, a tech-enabled service that's simplified Shopify storefronts for brands like Everyman Jack and Mrs. Meyer's. He breaks down what early-stage brands often miss when it comes to building effective e-commerce sites — and how fixing a few basic elements can dramatically improve your conversion rate, AOV, and operating margins. We'll dive into: ✅ Why profitability must be a priority from Day 1 in today's market ✅ How to simplify your Shopify storefront for more sales (and fewer expenses) ✅ What emerging brands get wrong about conversion and AOV strategies ✅ When you should hire help vs. DIY your website ✅ How small tweaks to your checkout experience can boost revenue ✅ Why a good website is critical even for retail-first brands ✅ Real case studies showing how simplifying saved brands hundreds of thousands If you're looking to build a profitable brand that wins online and at retail, this conversation is packed with actionable strategies! Links: 📌 Connect with Ben Sharf on LinkedIn 🔗 Monique Benoit on Instagram🔗 Monique Benoit on LinkedIn🔗 Scaling Emerging Beauty on Instagram🔗 Scaling Emerging Beauty Website 🚀 Subscribe to Scaling Emerging Beauty for expert tips on growing your beauty brand!

June 17, 2025Episode 813 min

E 808: What Your Price Says About Your Brand

Your price is part of your story. In the final part of the pricing series, we explore how pricing ties into your brand's perception, positioning, and customer expectations. Your packaging, claims, and storytelling all need to back up your price — especially if you're playing in premium or prestige spaces. In this episode, you'll learn: How price communicates brand value before anyone tries your product Examples of what different price points say about your brand Why consumers feel your price before they rationalize it Tips to align your packaging, claims, and price with your brand identity 💡 A strong brand needs a strong pricing strategy — one that feels right to your customer. Links: 🔗 Monique Benoit on Instagram🔗 Monique Benoit on LinkedIn🔗 Scaling Emerging Beauty on Instagram🔗 Scaling Emerging Beauty Website 🚀 Subscribe to Scaling Emerging Beauty for expert tips on growing your beauty brand!

June 10, 2025Episode 754 min

E 807: How Adam Callinan Built an 8-Figure Brand Without a Big Team — and Why Profitability is the New Superpower

Is it possible to build a multi-million-dollar brand without investors — or even a full-time team? Adam Callinan, founder of Bottlekeeper and now CEO of Pentane, proves it can be done. In this episode of Scaling Emerging Beauty, Monique sits down with Adam to discuss how he scaled Bottlekeeper to over $8M in annual revenue without taking on outside funding or massive headcount. Adam shares the systems he built to keep the business profitable, lessons from Shark Tank, and why today's founders need to obsess over cash flow and omnichannel growth. We'll dive into: ✅ How to scale your brand while keeping fixed costs low ✅ Why he said no to early retail expansion — and why that decision paid off ✅ The story behind Bottlekeeper's viral Facebook video moment ✅ Lessons from negotiating a million-dollar deal on Shark Tank ✅ Why profitability is simply a math problem founders must solve ✅ How founders today must think differently to scale ✅ How Adam's new company Pentane helps brands boost profitability through smarter finance and marketing systems If you're building a brand today and want real-world strategies for profitable growth — this episode is a must-listen! Links: 📌 Connect with Adam Callinan on LinkedIn 🔗 Monique Benoit on Instagram🔗 Monique Benoit on LinkedIn🔗 Scaling Emerging Beauty on Instagram🔗 Scaling Emerging Beauty Website 🚀 Subscribe to Scaling Emerging Beauty for expert tips on growing your beauty brand!

June 3, 2025Episode 612 min

E 806: COGs & Margins - The Math Behind Profitable Pricing

You can't scale your brand if you don't understand your numbers. In part three of the pricing series, we're talking all about COGS (Cost of Goods Sold) and margin — what they are, why they matter, and how to reverse-engineer your retail price to protect your profits. This is the financial foundation you must have before stepping into retail. In this episode, you'll learn: What's included in your true COGS (hint: it's more than ingredients) How to calculate margin and why it's non-negotiable for growth What "retail math" looks like in real scenarios Why margin protects your business through retailer asks and promos 🧮 Get your calculator and take notes — your future margins will thank you. Links: 🔗 Monique Benoit on Instagram🔗 Monique Benoit on LinkedIn🔗 Scaling Emerging Beauty on Instagram🔗 Scaling Emerging Beauty Website 🚀 Subscribe to Scaling Emerging Beauty for expert tips on growing your beauty brand!

May 27, 2025Episode 543 min

E 805: Building a $10M+ Brand from Scratch with Brooks Powell of Cheers

What if you could launch your brand, scale it to 8 figures in revenue, and land 32,000 retail doors — all without a traditional background in business? In this episode of Scaling Emerging Beauty, Monique sits down with Brooks Powell, Founder and CEO of Cheers, a category-creating brand in the after-alcohol wellness space. Brooks shares how he turned a neuroscience research paper into a multimillion-dollar brand starting straight out of college, with no formal business training. We cover everything from Cheers' explosive Shark Tank moment, surviving the iOS privacy changes that wrecked digital marketing, and strategically expanding into major retailers like Walmart, Walgreens, and Wegmans. We'll dive into: ✅ The surprising science behind Cheers and how it started ✅ How Cheers scaled fast with a small, scrappy team ✅ Lessons from Shark Tank — even without a deal ✅ How to navigate pricing architecture across retail channels ✅ Why hiring for attitude and problem-solving beats hiring for experience ✅ How Cheers adapted when Facebook and Instagram ads changed overnight ✅ Brooks' advice for early-stage founders: go bigger, faster, and learn as you go If you're building a consumer brand and dreaming of major growth, this episode is packed with hard-earned lessons you won't want to miss! Links: 📌 Connect with Brooks Powell on LinkedIn🔗 Monique Benoit on Instagram🔗 Monique Benoit on LinkedIn🔗 Scaling Emerging Beauty on Instagram🔗 Scaling Emerging Beauty Website 🚀 Subscribe to Scaling Emerging Beauty for expert tips on growing your beauty brand!

May 20, 2025Episode 412 min

E 804: Why Your Price Might Change Depending on the Retailer

Pricing doesn't exist in a vacuum — it shifts based on where you're selling. In part two of the pricing series, we explore how your price needs to align with your retailer's expectations. From mass to specialty to club stores, we'll talk strategy, margins, and what happens when your price doesn't match the store environment. In this episode, you'll learn: How pricing varies across mass, drug, natural, and specialty retailers Why retail channel strategy matters for pricing Retail margin expectations and how they affect your bottom line When (and if) it makes sense to vary your price across retailers 💬 Pricing is a partnership between your brand, your customer, and your retailer. Let's break it down. Links: 🔗 Monique Benoit on Instagram🔗 Monique Benoit on LinkedIn🔗 Scaling Emerging Beauty on Instagram🔗 Scaling Emerging Beauty Website 🚀 Subscribe to Scaling Emerging Beauty for expert tips on growing your beauty brand!