Briogeo Hair Care: Nancy Twine (2020) | How I Built This with Guy Raz

Intro

In this episode of “How I Built This with Guy Raz,” host Guy Raz interviews Nancy Twine, the founder of Briogeo Hair Care. Twine’s journey to founding Briogeo is a powerful tale about the importance of family and the challenges she faced in the beauty industry. Despite these obstacles, Briogeo has become a fast-growing hair brand sold at Sephora, expected to reach almost $40 million in sales this year.

Main Takeaways

The Power of Family and Inspiration

• Nancy Twine’s upbringing in a family with a successful, entrepreneurial mother instilled in her the confidence and inspiration to pursue her own business.
• Her grandmother, a local beauty guru, inspired her mom to become a chemist and MD-PhD, and Nancy’s childhood memories of making beauty products with her mom inspired her to create her own beauty product line.
• After experiencing a tragic loss when her mother was killed in a car accident, Nancy realized the fragility of life and the importance of pursuing happiness and passions.

Challenges Faced in Starting Briogeo

• Nancy faced challenges in finding a chemist who believed in creating products without common chemicals and entering the beauty industry without prior experience.
• She had difficulty reaching the right investors and retailers for her hair care brand, Briogeo, as she felt they didn’t understand her specific hair needs and the market.
• Despite initial setbacks, she eventually secured an investment and got her products in front of prestigious retailers like Sephora and Nordstrom.

Building and Scaling Briogeo

• Nancy started working on Briogeo while still at Goldman Sachs, balancing her time between her job and building her business.
• She learned hair care terminology and communicated her vision for the products to lab chemists, despite not having a background in chemistry.
• She initially planned a 15-product line but decided to launch with four products after advice from a contact in the contract manufacturing space.
• Nancy funded her business venture through her salary at Goldman Sachs and small orders from retailers.
• She attended trade shows and invested in a booth to showcase her products, which caught the attention of buyers from major retailers.
• Securing an order from Urban Outfitters led to an investor committing $100,000 to the company, allowing for scaling of production and inventory.

Success and Growth of Briogeo

• Briogeo’s deep conditioning mask was sampled to 200,000 people, resulting in high conversions at Sephora.
• The brand’s success at Sephora attracted private equity firms, leading to increased interest in the company.
• Despite the challenges faced by many companies in 2020, Briogeo’s sales revenue has more than doubled to approximately $100 million annually.
• Nancy Twine acknowledges her mother’s influence in shaping her confidence and attributes her success to a combination of hard work, skills, and a mindset of believing in herself.

Summary

The Power of Family and Inspiration

Nancy Twine’s upbringing in a family with a successful, entrepreneurial mother instilled in her the confidence and inspiration to pursue her own business. Her grandmother, a local beauty guru, inspired her mom to become a chemist and MD-PhD. Nancy’s childhood memories of making beauty products with her mom inspired her to create her own beauty product line. After experiencing a tragic loss when her mother was killed in a car accident, Nancy realized the fragility of life and the importance of pursuing happiness and passions.

Challenges Faced in Starting Briogeo

Starting Briogeo came with its own set of challenges for Nancy Twine. She faced difficulties in finding a chemist who believed in creating products without common chemicals and entering the beauty industry without prior experience. Additionally, she struggled to reach the right investors and retailers who understood her specific hair needs and the market. However, despite these setbacks, Nancy eventually secured an investment and successfully got her products in front of prestigious retailers like Sephora and Nordstrom.

Building and Scaling Briogeo

Nancy Twine embarked on building Briogeo while still working at Goldman Sachs. Balancing her time between her job and building her business, she learned hair care terminology and effectively communicated her vision to lab chemists, despite not having a background in chemistry. Initially planning a 15-product line, she decided to launch with four products after advice from a contact in the contract manufacturing space. Funding her venture through her salary and small orders from retailers, Nancy attended trade shows, invested in a booth, and secured an order from Urban Outfitters, which led to an investor committing $100,000 to the company. This allowed for scaling of production and inventory.

Success and Growth of Briogeo

Briogeo’s success can be attributed to various factors. The deep conditioning mask was sampled to 200,000 people, resulting in high conversions at Sephora. This success attracted private equity firms, generating increased interest in the company. Despite the challenges faced by many companies in 2020, Briogeo’s sales revenue has more than doubled to approximately $100 million annually. Nancy Twine acknowledges her mother’s influence in shaping her confidence and attributes her success to a combination of hard work, skills, and a mindset of believing in herself.

Conclusion

Nancy Twine’s journey to founding Briogeo Hair Care is a testament to the power of family, perseverance, and entrepreneurial spirit. Despite facing challenges and entering the beauty industry without prior experience, Nancy’s dedication and hard work have paid off. Briogeo is now a fast-growing hair brand sold at prestigious retailers like Sephora and Nordstrom. Nancy’s story serves as an inspiration for aspiring entrepreneurs and highlights the importance of pursuing one’s passions and believing in oneself.