How Glamnetic Went From $1 Million to $100 Million—And Nearly Lost It All in Between

Shopify MastersApr 16, 202637 minen
How Glamnetic Went From $1 Million to $100 Million—And Nearly Lost It All in Between

Show Notes

What happens when the product that made you famous starts holding you back? Kevin Gould co-founded Glamnetic in 2019 with Ann McFerran, launching a magnetic eyelash brand that exploded from $1 million to $50 million in revenue in just one year — fueled by a great product, smart growth marketing, and the COVID-era boom in DIY beauty. But when the tailwinds reversed — iOS 14 updates sent acquisition costs soaring, the lash category contracted, and revenue dipped 25% — Kevin faced a make-or-break decision. Rather than doubling down on what was declining, he pivoted the entire business into press-on nails, a category still in its infancy. Today, Glamnetic is one of the largest press-on nail brands in the world, doing over $100 million a year. In this episode, Kevin gets real about the unglamorous side of hypergrowth: the cash flow crunches that come with scaling too fast, the inventory mistakes that haunt you, and the emotional toll of watching revenue fall when you expected it to double. He shares how he and his team navigated the pivot, why community and brand affinity will always outlast paid acquisition, and why the best advice he can give founders is: don't grow too fast. You'll learn: Why going from $1M to $50M overnight nearly broke the business How to manage cash flow and inventory when you're self-funded The marketing mix that built a real brand — not just an ad machine Why TikTok Shop is the biggest arbitrage opportunity right now How a 40,000-member Facebook community doubles as a product development engine The one hire every founder should prioritize early on What it really takes — personally and professionally — to turn a pivot into a $100M business Subscribe and watch Shopify Masters on YouTube! Sign up for your FREE Shopify Trial here.

Related

Shopify Mastersen

How This Direct to Consumer Brand Disrupted the Cookware Industry

Feb 11, 202056 min
View Episode
Shopify Mastersen

From Class Project to Kickstarter to Shark Tank

Feb 4, 202053 min
View Episode
Shopify Mastersen

The Business of Planners: How to Create Products and Return Customers

Jan 28, 202048 min
View Episode
Shopify Mastersen

The Business of Celebrations: How Retail Enabled this Party Boutique to Thrive

Jan 21, 202047 min
View Episode