Founder Feature: JoLynn Henke and Peter Clarkson

The Startup CPG Podcast · 24 May 2024 · 36m · Episode 41

What this episode covers

JoLynn Henke and Peter Clarkson, co-founders of Protéger, discuss their eco-luxury skincare brand and its flagship product, Dermal Serum, a full-body, unisex formula born from JoLynn’s experience caring for her mother with ALS. They explain their strategy of targeting diverse use cases—from tattoo preservation to post-manicure hydration—to bypass saturated traditional beauty channels and secure retail partnerships through personal connections, such as with Figgy Co. The founders also detail how they turned a logistics failure involving damaged inventory into a successful 'rescue bottle' charity initiative with the Beagle Freedom Project, while emphasizing their commitment to gender-neutral marketing and clean ingredients.

Other shows on the same ground, closest first.

  • How I Built This · 40m

    Dermalogica: Jane Wurwand (2016)

    Jane Wurwand, founder of Dermalogica, explains how she identified a gap in the US skincare market by combining professional education with product sales, launching the International Dermal Institute in 1983. She details the process of formulating 27 products with a chemist, securing a contract manufacturer who took a risk on them, and launching the brand with zero marketing budget, relying instead on her students. Wurwand discusses the company's growth to $250 million in wholesale turnover and the eventual decision to sell to Unilever to ensure the brand's long-term sustainability after 30 years of founder-led leadership.

  • How I Built This · 59m

    EO Products: Susan Griffin-Black & Brad Black

    Susan Griffin-Black and Brad Black, founders of EO Products, explain how a chance encounter with essential oils in London inspired them to build a $50 million natural body care company without venture capital. They detail their scrappy early years, including manufacturing bath salts in a garage and securing a pivotal order from Bloomingdale's that led to the brand name 'EO'. The episode covers their strategic decision to avoid VC funding to protect product integrity, their divorce in 2007, and their unique decision to remain business partners. They also discuss launching the 'everyone' brand to enter mass retail channels like Walgreens and Walmart.

  • How I Built This · 1h 11m

    Supergoop!: Holly Thaggard (2020)

    Holly Thaggard, founder of Supergoop, explains how a friend's skin cancer diagnosis led her to pivot from a harpist and teacher to creating a daily-use sunscreen brand. She details the technical challenges of formulating a non-oxybenzone product, the failure of her initial school-distribution model, and the strategic pivot to prestige retail. Thaggard describes securing a critical partnership with Sephora through aggressive PR, a bold investment from her brother, and the eventual scaling of the company to $250 million in sales.

  • How I Built This · 50m

    Aden + Anais: Raegan Moya-Jones (2019)

    Raegan Moya-Jones, co-founder of Aden + Anais, explains how she identified a gap for cotton muslin blankets in the US market, sourcing manufacturing from China and securing a major retail deal with Target. She details the painful dissolution of her partnership with Claudia, which led to her buying out the other founder and taking on private equity that eventually resulted in her being fired as CEO. In an updated segment, Moya-Jones discusses her recovery from that trauma and her launch of a new company, St. Luna Spirits, a premium rye-based moonshine brand.

  • How I Built This · 48m

    Thrive Causemetics: Karissa Bodnar. How a Beauty Business Made Millions for a Mission

    Karissa Bodnar, founder of Thrive Causemetics, explains how the death of her friend Christy Lamond inspired her to leave L'Oréal and build a beauty brand with a mission to give back to cancer patients and other causes. She details the formulation of specialized false eyelashes and waterproof adhesatives free of toxic ingredients, funding early production through her life savings and a full-time job at Bulletproof while pitching major retailers like Sephora and Nordstrom who rejected the vision. After years of struggling with near-zero sales, a viral moment driven by customer advocacy for her Infinity Waterproof Eyeliner propelled the company to $30 million in revenue, leading to a strategic decision to remain direct-to-consumer and privately held to maintain control and focus.

The summary, chapters and topics are generated from the episode’s audio by this directory, not written by The Startup CPG Podcast. The episode itself belongs to its publisher.