How Supergoop! Became the Go-to Sunscreen & Disrupted an Industry with Holly Thaggard, Founder of Supergoop!

Holly Thaggard is the founder of Supergoop!, the first and only
skincare brand that is 100% dedicated to UV protection. In 2005,
Holly’s life and career path completely changed when a good
friend of hers was diagnosed with skin cancer. It was at this
point, she realized that people weren’t taking sunscreen
seriously. Holly realized that it was important for someone to
make sunscreen “cool” in order to stop the epidemic of skin
cancer. 


Leaving her career as an elementary school teacher, Holly decided
to jump into the very unfamiliar world of SPF. After having a
tough start by trying to sell her sunscreen into elementary
schools (since that was a market she knew), Holly pivoted to
retail and eventually got her product into big retailers like
Sephora and Nordstrom after years of building her brand and
perfecting her product. Fast forward to today, Supergoop! Is a
must-have product by skincare gurus everywhere and is over $40
million in revenue. 


We’ll chat with Holly about what it takes to disrupt an entire
category, how her musical talents helped fund her business when
she had very little money, finding the right partners to support
your mission, and the lessons she learned as a first-time
entrepreneur. 


In this episode, we’ll talk to Holly about: 


* How growing up in an entrepreneurial family impacted Holly as
an entrepreneur. [2:23]


* Why Holly entered education and her experience as an elementary
school teacher. [4:58]


* How education is still at the core of what Holly does with
Supergoop! [7:56]


* How Holly’s career took a turn when her teaching contract
wasn’t renewed [10:02]


* Hear how the idea for Supergoop! came about, when a good friend
of Holly’s was diagnosed with skin cancer. [12:14]


* Learn about Holly’s love for solving problems using creativity
and innovation. [14:38]


* When Holly saw this opportunity to educate about sunscreen, she
explains the next steps in developing her product. [16:19]


* Even with no expertise in this category, Holly started asking
the right questions. [18:06]


* What Holly’s distribution strategy was for Supergoop!, starting
with private schools. [19:41]


* Learning about the business of scaling and going from trade
shows to big retail. [24:54]


* From meeting Roxanne Quimby of Burt’s Bees to getting product
on the shelves at Sephora. [30:50]


* Holly knew she was onto something when she was contacted by
Elon Musk’s team. [37:26]


* Holly talks about her fundraising techniques and supporting the
growth of her brand. [39:25]


* How Holly’s relationships with both Sephora and Nordstrom
started with an impromptu trip to San Francisco. [43:19]


* Holly emphasizes that it took 16 years to build the reputation
Supergoop! has today. [53:09]


* The importance of finding the “right” retail partners that will
embrace your vision. [54:25]


* Holly’s tip for entrepreneurs looking to disrupt an industry:
have something unique. [55:55]


* Advice for those trying to juggle family life and
entrepreneurship: relish the everyday moments with your family.
[58:03]


Follow Holly:


* Personal Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hollythaggard/


* Supergoop! Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/supergoop/


* Supergoop! Website: https://supergoop.com/


Follow Yasmin:


* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/


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