How I Built This with Guy Raz

Supergoop!: Holly Thaggard

Jun 8, 2020

Holly Thaggard, Founder of Supergoop!, discusses her journey from harpist to sunscreen entrepreneur after a friend's skin cancer diagnosis. She shares how she pivoted her initial business model from schools to retail, facing challenges with sunscreen policies and eventually landing in Sephora. Holly emphasizes the importance of innovation, ingredient transparency, and consumer education in promoting daily sun protection. Her brand's growth from $150,000 to over a million in sales highlights resilience and the power of personal experience in entrepreneurship.

01:11:40

Episode guests

Holly Thaggard

AI Chapters

Episode notes

Intro

2min

Revolutionizing Sunscreen: A Journey from Niche to Necessity

5min

From Harpist to Entrepreneur

11min

Transforming Sunscreen: A Journey of Innovation

14min

Crafting the Perfect Sunscreen

3min

Navigating Challenges in the School System and Finding Retail Opportunities

4min

Navigating Early Challenges in Business

10min

Navigating Opportunities in the Beauty Industry

17min

Growth and Resilience in Skincare

9min

10.

Empowering Schools with Sunscreen: A Philanthropic Initiative

2min

In 2005, the trajectory of Holly Thaggard's life completely changed when a good friend of hers was diagnosed with skin cancer. Holly realized that most people weren't taking sunscreen seriously, so she sidelined her vocation as a harpist to dive headfirst into the unfamiliar world of SPF. After a false start trying to market her sunscreen to elementary schools, Holly pivoted to retail, hiring a publicist she could barely afford. She eventually got her products into Sephora, a success that helped turn Supergoop! into a multi-million dollar brand. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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