Uploaded May 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
In this episode, Holly Thaggard, founder of Supergoop!, shares how she redefined the sunscreen category and built a globally recognized $700M brand from the ground up.
She reveals:
✅ The heartbreaking moment that inspired her SPF obsession
✅ How she created the world’s first chemical sunscreen without oxybenzone
✅ Her failed school program—and why it led to retail success
✅ The crazy story of how she landed in Sephora thanks to Burt’s Bees’ founder
✅ How she brought Maria Sharapova on as an investor
✅ The gritty truth behind long-term brand-building (including selling harp gigs to fund inventory)
If you’ve ever dreamed of building a brand from scratch with zero industry experience, this episode is a goldmine of vision, hustle, and heart.
Omnisend | Get 50% off your first 3 months of email and SMS marketing with Omnisend with the code FOUNDR50. Just head to your.omnisend.com/foundr to get started.
📩 How We Can Help You Scale Your Business Faster
🔥 Want to learn directly from 7, 8 & 9-figure founders inside Foundr+?
Start your $1 trial today → foundr.com/startdollartrial
💡 Prefer a custom roadmap and 1-on-1 coaching?
→ Starting from scratch? Apply here → foundr.com/pages/coaching-start-application
→ Already have a store? Apply here → foundr.com/pages/coaching-growth-application
🔗 Connect With Nathan Chan
📸 Instagram → instagram.com/nathanchan
💼 LinkedIn → linkedin.com/in/nathanhchan
🔗 Connect With Holly Thaggard & Supergoop!
📸 Holly’s Instagram → instagram.com/hollythaggard
🌍 Supergoop! Website → supergoop.com
📸 Supergoop! Instagram → instagram.com/supergoop
00:00 - Intro
02:21 - The Skin Cancer Story That Sparked Supergoop!
04:15 - Why Sunscreen Was the Industry’s Last Frontier
06:33 - Trying (and Failing) to Launch in Schools
09:22 - The Pivot: Bringing SPF to Retail
11:58 - Drip by Drip: How Supergoop! Grew
14:49 - Getting Into Barneys & Sephora by Hand
18:46 - The Trade Show That Changed Everything
21:29 - Family Loans, PR Breakthroughs & Early Scaling
26:06 - Sephora’s “Grow Up” Moment
28:13 - Educating the Market Before Selling
31:07 - Grit, Growth, and the Sephora Grit Award
34:19 - Why Supergoop! Stands Out in a Crowded Market
36:00 - Celebrity Endorsements That Came Naturally
40:09 - Dreaming Product Ideas (Literally)
42:15 - Lip Shade, Retinol SPF & Perfect Timing
44:42 - Take Every Meeting: How Early Calls Paid Off
45:51 - Final Advice for Founders From Holly Thaggard
🎯 Follow Foundr for More Business Growth Strategies
📺 YouTube → bit.ly/2uyvzdt
🌍 Website → foundr.com
📸 Instagram → instagram.com/foundr
📘 Facebook → facebook.com/foundr
🐦 Twitter → twitter.com/foundr
💼 LinkedIn → linkedin.com/company/foundr
🎙️ Podcast → foundr.com/podcast
In this episode, Holly Thaggard, founder of Supergoop!, shares how she redefined the sunscreen category and built a globally recognized $700M brand from the ground up.
She reveals:
✅ The heartbreaking moment that inspired her SPF obsession
✅ How she created the world’s first chemical sunscreen without oxybenzone
✅ Her failed school program—and why it led to retail success
✅ The crazy story of how she landed in Sephora thanks to Burt’s Bees’ founder
✅ How she brought Maria Sharapova on as an investor
✅ The gritty truth behind long-term brand-building (including selling harp gigs to fund inventory)
If you’ve ever dreamed of building a brand from scratch with zero industry experience, this episode is a goldmine of vision, hustle, and heart.
Omnisend | Get 50% off your first 3 months of email and SMS marketing with Omnisend with the code FOUNDR50. Just head to your.omnisend.com/foundr to get started.
📩 How We Can Help You Scale Your Business Faster
🔥 Want to learn directly from 7, 8 & 9-figure founders inside Foundr+?
Start your $1 trial today → foundr.com/startdollartrial
💡 Prefer a custom roadmap and 1-on-1 coaching?
→ Starting from scratch? Apply here → foundr.com/pages/coaching-start-application
→ Already have a store? Apply here → foundr.com/pages/coaching-growth-application
🔗 Connect With Nathan Chan
📸 Instagram → instagram.com/nathanchan
💼 LinkedIn → linkedin.com/in/nathanhchan
🔗 Connect With Holly Thaggard & Supergoop!
📸 Holly’s Instagram → instagram.com/hollythaggard
🌍 Supergoop! Website → supergoop.com
📸 Supergoop! Instagram → instagram.com/supergoop
00:00 - Intro
02:21 - The Skin Cancer Story That Sparked Supergoop!
04:15 - Why Sunscreen Was the Industry’s Last Frontier
06:33 - Trying (and Failing) to Launch in Schools
09:22 - The Pivot: Bringing SPF to Retail
11:58 - Drip by Drip: How Supergoop! Grew
14:49 - Getting Into Barneys & Sephora by Hand
18:46 - The Trade Show That Changed Everything
21:29 - Family Loans, PR Breakthroughs & Early Scaling
26:06 - Sephora’s “Grow Up” Moment
28:13 - Educating the Market Before Selling
31:07 - Grit, Growth, and the Sephora Grit Award
34:19 - Why Supergoop! Stands Out in a Crowded Market
36:00 - Celebrity Endorsements That Came Naturally
40:09 - Dreaming Product Ideas (Literally)
42:15 - Lip Shade, Retinol SPF & Perfect Timing
44:42 - Take Every Meeting: How Early Calls Paid Off
45:51 - Final Advice for Founders From Holly Thaggard
🎯 Follow Foundr for More Business Growth Strategies
📺 YouTube → bit.ly/2uyvzdt
🌍 Website → foundr.com
📸 Instagram → instagram.com/foundr
📘 Facebook → facebook.com/foundr
🐦 Twitter → twitter.com/foundr
💼 LinkedIn → linkedin.com/company/foundr
🎙️ Podcast → foundr.com/podcast
