Uploaded April 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Tori Robinson and Leah O'Malley launched Boys Lie as a cosmetics brand with 16+ SKUs and generated $250,000 in revenue in year one—against $250,000 in debt. But they discovered customers only wanted the two branded hoodies, not the makeup. Sitting on mountains of unsold inventory and ready to quit, they sent a blind gift to Gigi Hadid. Two months later, Gigi stepped out in their "Boys Lie Goodbye" sweatsuit in a paparazzi moment during her breakup with Tyler Cameron. Demand exploded overnight. They pivoted entirely to apparel and never looked back.
In this raw conversation, the co-founders of Boys Lie break down why they'll never do unsolicited celebrity gifting again despite it saving their business, the brutal employee embezzlement that cost them significantly and the financial controls they built to prevent it, and why they turned down a major buyout offer two years ago.
What you'll learn in this interview:
• How they launched with 16+ cosmetics SKUs but only sold two hoodies
• Why they were ready to close shop before the Gigi Hadid moment changed everything
• How they sent blind gifts to Gigi Hadid through personal connections at Coachella
• Why they waited two months before Gigi wore their sweatsuit in a paparazzi moment
• Their pivot from cosmetics to apparel after realizing clothing spoke for itself
• Why they'll never do unsolicited celebrity gifting again—all gifting is now pre-approved
• The brutal employee embezzlement that cost them a significant amount
• How they now use three accountants cross-checking credit card reconciliation
• Why they're jaded about hiring and don't trust people immediately anymore
• Their long-term vision: House of Brands with sub-brands under Boys Lie
• Why they turned down a major buyout offer two years ago
• What's coming: Girls Lie, potential baby line, and a secret February 2027 launch
• How their podcast "Boys Lie Stories" gives customers a voice and drives the brand
If you're building a fashion brand, navigating a major business pivot, or trying to build cultural resonance without massive ad budgets, this conversation will fundamentally change how you think about product-market fit, celebrity moments, and building a brand that emotionally connects.
SAVE 50% ON OMNISEND FOR 3 MONTHS
Get 50% off your first 3 months of email and SMS marketing with Omnisend using the code FOUNDR50. Start here → your.omnisend.com/foundr
WANT TO GROW YOUR BRAND WITH META ADS?
Join the Foundr Operators Waitlist → foundr.com/operators
HOW WE CAN HELP YOU SCALE YOUR BUSINESS FASTER
Learn directly from 7, 8 and 9-figure founders inside Foundr+ Start your $1 trial → 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 BOYS LIE
Instagram → instagram.com/boyslie
Website → boyslieofficial.com
Leah's Instagram → instagram.com/leahomalley
Tori's Instagram → instagram.com/reptar
0:00 Launching Cosmetics But Customers Only Wanted the Branded Hoodies
1:53 $250K in Revenue Against $250K in Debt: The Makeup Pivot Moment
3:18 When Gigi Hadid Wore the "Goodbye" Sweatsuit and Changed Everything
5:22 The Blind Gifting Strategy That Saved the Business (And Why They'll Never Do It Again)
7:14 From Screwed to Non-Stop: The Paparazzi Moment That Exploded Demand
11:30 Building Boys Lie from Heartbreak: The Brand's Origin Story
18:45 Why They Turned Down a Major Buyout Offer Two Years Ago
24:20 The Brutal Employee Embezzlement That Cost Them Significantly
31:15 Building Financial Controls: 3 Accountants and Weekly P&L Reviews
38:40 How Trust Was Broken and Why Hiring Has Changed Forever
44:30 The New Apparel Categories: Swimwear, Baby Line, and Girls Lie
49:15 Lessons from the Embezzlement: Why It Made Them Jaded About Hiring
52:11 House of Brands Vision: What's Next for Boys Lie
53:22 The Secret Project Launching February 2027 (Connected to the Podcast)
54:17 Final Thoughts and Wrap Up
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
Tori Robinson and Leah O'Malley launched Boys Lie as a cosmetics brand with 16+ SKUs and generated $250,000 in revenue in year one—against $250,000 in debt. But they discovered customers only wanted the two branded hoodies, not the makeup. Sitting on mountains of unsold inventory and ready to quit, they sent a blind gift to Gigi Hadid. Two months later, Gigi stepped out in their "Boys Lie Goodbye" sweatsuit in a paparazzi moment during her breakup with Tyler Cameron. Demand exploded overnight. They pivoted entirely to apparel and never looked back.
In this raw conversation, the co-founders of Boys Lie break down why they'll never do unsolicited celebrity gifting again despite it saving their business, the brutal employee embezzlement that cost them significantly and the financial controls they built to prevent it, and why they turned down a major buyout offer two years ago.
What you'll learn in this interview:
• How they launched with 16+ cosmetics SKUs but only sold two hoodies
• Why they were ready to close shop before the Gigi Hadid moment changed everything
• How they sent blind gifts to Gigi Hadid through personal connections at Coachella
• Why they waited two months before Gigi wore their sweatsuit in a paparazzi moment
• Their pivot from cosmetics to apparel after realizing clothing spoke for itself
• Why they'll never do unsolicited celebrity gifting again—all gifting is now pre-approved
• The brutal employee embezzlement that cost them a significant amount
• How they now use three accountants cross-checking credit card reconciliation
• Why they're jaded about hiring and don't trust people immediately anymore
• Their long-term vision: House of Brands with sub-brands under Boys Lie
• Why they turned down a major buyout offer two years ago
• What's coming: Girls Lie, potential baby line, and a secret February 2027 launch
• How their podcast "Boys Lie Stories" gives customers a voice and drives the brand
If you're building a fashion brand, navigating a major business pivot, or trying to build cultural resonance without massive ad budgets, this conversation will fundamentally change how you think about product-market fit, celebrity moments, and building a brand that emotionally connects.
SAVE 50% ON OMNISEND FOR 3 MONTHS
Get 50% off your first 3 months of email and SMS marketing with Omnisend using the code FOUNDR50. Start here → your.omnisend.com/foundr
WANT TO GROW YOUR BRAND WITH META ADS?
Join the Foundr Operators Waitlist → foundr.com/operators
HOW WE CAN HELP YOU SCALE YOUR BUSINESS FASTER
Learn directly from 7, 8 and 9-figure founders inside Foundr+ Start your $1 trial → 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 BOYS LIE
Instagram → instagram.com/boyslie
Website → boyslieofficial.com
Leah's Instagram → instagram.com/leahomalley
Tori's Instagram → instagram.com/reptar
0:00 Launching Cosmetics But Customers Only Wanted the Branded Hoodies
1:53 $250K in Revenue Against $250K in Debt: The Makeup Pivot Moment
3:18 When Gigi Hadid Wore the "Goodbye" Sweatsuit and Changed Everything
5:22 The Blind Gifting Strategy That Saved the Business (And Why They'll Never Do It Again)
7:14 From Screwed to Non-Stop: The Paparazzi Moment That Exploded Demand
11:30 Building Boys Lie from Heartbreak: The Brand's Origin Story
18:45 Why They Turned Down a Major Buyout Offer Two Years Ago
24:20 The Brutal Employee Embezzlement That Cost Them Significantly
31:15 Building Financial Controls: 3 Accountants and Weekly P&L Reviews
38:40 How Trust Was Broken and Why Hiring Has Changed Forever
44:30 The New Apparel Categories: Swimwear, Baby Line, and Girls Lie
49:15 Lessons from the Embezzlement: Why It Made Them Jaded About Hiring
52:11 House of Brands Vision: What's Next for Boys Lie
53:22 The Secret Project Launching February 2027 (Connected to the Podcast)
54:17 Final Thoughts and Wrap Up
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
