Natalie Holloway turned a $5,000 side hustle into Bala — a globally recognized fitness brand worn by millions and backed by Mark Cuban and Maria Sharapova.
In this interview, the Bala co-founder breaks down how she and her husband Max bootstrapped the brand from their garage to $20M+ in sales, weathered near-bankruptcy after the post-COVID crash, and rebuilt into a nine-figure company with 20+ products and collaborations with brands like Spanx and Pucci.
From surviving massive layoffs to mastering profitability and rebuilding from the ground up, this is a raw, unfiltered look at what it takes to build, lose, and rebuild a modern fitness empire.
What you’ll learn from this interview:
• How Bala grew from a $5K side hustle to a nine-figure global brand
• The story behind their $900K Shark Tank deal with Mark Cuban & Maria Sharapova
• What really happened after the COVID fitness boom — and how they recovered
• The leadership lessons from scaling a 30-person team down to 3 and back again
• How to manage co-founding a company with your partner without burning out
• The strategy behind Bala’s collaborations with Spanx and major lifestyle brands
• How to protect your IP, handle copycats, and stay focused on innovation
• Why Natalie is now mentoring founders and writing The Bala Playbook to share hard-won lessons
By the end of this interview, you’ll walk away with a roadmap for building a resilient, profitable, and enduring brand — and the mindset to navigate every high and low along the journey.
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CONNECT WITH NATHAN CHAN
Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/nathanchan
LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanhchan/
CONNECT WITH NATALIE HOLLOWAY
Website → https://shopbala.com/
Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/natalieholloway/
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