Launched: 2013
Founder: Sarah Gibson Tuttle
Key Executives:
2024 Full Year Expected Revenue Range: $50 to $75 million
Offline Points of Distribution Projected Globally for 2024: 7,000+
Primary Beauty Category: Personal Care
Other Beauty Categories: Body Care
Key Markets: United States
Retail Partnerships:
Primary Distribution Channel: Mass
Other Distribution Channels:
Funding Rounds: Friends and Family
Total Funds Raised: We haven’t needed to raise funds since a Friends and Family round in 2020.
Notable Investors / Funding Partners:
Notable Advisors / Board Members:
I always had the mission of making it possible for everyone, everywhere to have salon-perfect nails at an affordable price. When I saw how happy people were when they left our salons, we looked at the market and saw that people outside the major cities weren’t going frequently into the salon for manicures. They were trying to do their nails at home but really struggling. Hallmark nail brands didn’t understand the customer and how to solve their problem. I decided in addition to salons, we would create “a salon manicure in a box,” which we call our Mani System, creating best-in-class products, and we would educate customers so they would know how to use our Mani System; most importantly, it would be at an affordable price.
Insight provided by Sarah Gibson Tuttle, Founder and CEO
What are your key business initiatives for 2024?
We are the fastest-growing brand in nails, and it is kind of crazy to think, given 2023 was the first year we had been sold outside of Target! We have had such an incredible few years. I have a huge vision for Olive & June to be the #1 nail brand in the world. We have a lot of exciting work to do, and our focus for 2024 will continue to be on innovation and following the customer.
What are you most proud of having accomplished?
The reason we are the brand that started the at-home mani revolution is because we have always focused on the consumer. We asked ourselves how do we solve the pain points for our customers, educate them, and inspire them? Whether they can’t paint with their nondominant hand, or they don’t know how to use the tools, or how to maintain their manicure. The hallmark brands for decades have been selling to the manicurist. We solved the customers’ problem by introducing what I call “a manicure in the box,” our Mani System, and we give customers the education online on how to use it. After we launched, every retailer called. We were super excited and launched at Target as really the first nail brand operating in every category in nail in order to bring the Mani System promise into the retail landscape. We have exceeded expectations ever since, and what you’re seeing for the first time in the nail category is a brand competing with the household names because we are consumer-first.
What has been the biggest surprise?
Every year has been like a year in business school. How do I plan and anticipate demand? How do I get the brand in front of new customers? Where do people shop nails? There are so many decisions to make and different ways you can grow and shape your business. I’ve made strategic hires across the board to bring a diverse perspective and help grow the brand the right way; a sustainable way.
What fuels your competitive advantage?
Olive & June is intensely focused on the customer experience and driving innovation on their behalf. That means our products solve real pain points; they enable a true at-home nail routine and are coupled with the education that is needed so the customer has a plethora of resources at their fingertips should they have any questions along the way. We are also dedicated to democratization and making beautiful nails accessible to everyone. Part of that access is our mass pricing as well as being where the customer is, so, you’ll see we’ve been very deliberate with our retail rollout. Another aspect of our brand DNA is fostering meaningful relationships with our customers and also creating a community between our customers. We have and always will be customer-first.
Please share your insight on the future of the beauty industry.
The trend towards at-home has been happening for several years and what we’re seeing is a permanent consumer shift into do-it-yourself (DIY). We’ve seen it in other beauty categories (at-home hair color, facial treatments, lashes, and devices), as well as fitness (look at Peloton, Mirror, Tonal), and in entertainment (Netflix, Peacock, Hulu, Disney+, Prime Video). We knew at Olive & June back in 2018, we were on the precipice of the DIY nail revolution as nails were the only category of beauty that had not yet evolved. We strategically priced our polish and press-ons at $10 or less because our mission has always been about making it possible to afford salon-quality nails at a fraction of the price. We are seeing, and will continue to see, consumers getting more and more comfortable and confident doing their historically professionally done services themselves from the privacy of their own homes. Not only do they have the products and educational tools to master these at-home routines, but they’re saving money, time, and creating self-care routines that are sustainable.
What is the best piece of advice you’ve been given?
Make sure you are all in. Starting a company is all encompassing and can be very lonely as a sole founder. If you love it, you'll enjoy every moment and the hard ones will all be lessons. If you are not in love, it'll be a grind every single day.
What is the best mistake you've ever made?
Delegation was really hard for me at first because as founders we tend to micromanage. After 10 years, I learned how to hire skilled people who are great at their jobs, and over time, I have learned to not have my hands in everything and to get out of the way and let people do their jobs. In hindsight, I wish I listened more before I tried to immediately fix a situation; giving my team the space and accountability to make their own decisions, even if it was a mistake. Too often, I tried to just fix it all, and now I know to let the smart people I hire do their thing. I'm here when they need me.
Paying it forward, what advice would you give to someone contemplating launching a beauty brand?
Nothing is an overnight success. No matter what it seems like, everything takes work—really freaking hard work—so put in the time.
If you could change one thing in the beauty industry what would it be?
More funding needs to be going to female entrepreneurs, and it’s not just an issue within the beauty industry. Women solving problems makes sense, and there is such a bias against women when it comes to raising money. Women are often less comfortable talking about money, and I would like to change that. Women tend to have a harder time promoting their business because they often think of it as bragging. That has to be dismantled. We have to level the playing field. We want the best brains creating the best product. I have an incredible network of female founders, and we all want to help the female entrepreneurs that are coming after us.
