DTC Podcast Ep 568: How Kulfi Beauty Grew from a $5K Launch to 720 Sephora Stores with Zero Paid Ads
Dec 15, 2025
Priyanka Ganjoo, the founder of Kulfi Beauty, turned her vision of a culturally inclusive beauty brand into reality, addressing the underrepresentation of South Asian skin tones in the market. She discusses the power of community-building over paid ads and how her grassroots approach propelled Kulfi into 720 Sephora stores. Priyanka highlights the importance of retail velocity, shares insights from their first product launch, and details how organic creator partnerships drive their marketing success. Her story is a testament to the impact of authenticity and cultural storytelling in business.
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Product And Emotional Gap In Beauty
- Priyanka Ganjoo built Kulfi Beauty to fill both a product and emotional gap for South Asian consumers.
- Representation and culturally resonant storytelling were as important as shade-matching formulas.
Kajal Launch Rooted In Culture
- Priyanka launched with Kajal eyeliner inspired by traditional South Asian makeup rituals.
- The product combined cultural storytelling with modern formulation and quickly found a cult following.
Validate With Real Conversations
- Use direct conversations and niche Facebook groups to validate product ideas before launching.
- Build one-on-one connections early to create an engaged organic audience on launch day.