Behind Her Empire #375: "Perfection Isn’t the Goal. Momentum Is.” How This Founder Built a Cult Following and Amazon’s #1 Baby Skincare Brand - Andrea Faulkner Williams, Co-Founder of Tubby Todd
Andrea Faulkner Williams is the co-founder of Tubby Todd, a cult-favorite clean baby skincare brand created for families with sensitive skin.
We’re often told that if you want to build a real empire, you need venture capital, a massive team, and a perfectly engineered growth plan from day one.
But my guest today built one of the most beloved baby skincare brands in America by doing the exact opposite.
Andrea started Tubby Todd with 750 bottles in a cluttered San Diego garage. No ad spend. No background in chemistry. Just a very real problem she couldn’t ignore. Her baby’s eczema was so severe, it completely changed the way she looked at “baby-safe” products.
Fast forward to today, Tubby Todd has tens of thousands of five-star reviews, a hero product parents swear is “a miracle in a jar”, and a major retail milestone. They’ve officially launched in Target, with a nationwide rollout underway.
In this episode, Andrea shares how her early comfort with risk shaped her path as an entrepreneur, why clarity around your why and your one goal matters more than confidence, and how community, not paid ads, became the foundation of Tubby Todd’s growth. We talk about building a business alongside her husband, the inflection points that took the brand from garage to national retail, and the discipline it took to prioritize profitability before scaling. She also opens up about navigating motherhood while running a fast-growing company, and the daily non-negotiables, like sleep, movement, and joy, that keep her grounded through it all.
In this episode, we’ll talk to Andrea about:
* Andrea’s upbringing and early exposure to entrepreneurship. [02:37]
* Andrea’s natural comfort with risk and optimism. [05:03]
* Advice on overcoming fear: start with your “why” and one clear goal. [07:14]
* How long it took Andrea to define her personal brand and goals. [11:36]
* The moment Andrea knew she wanted to build something of her own. [15:04]
* The first formula fails when their son Walker’s eczema reacts badly. [19:13]
* Buying their first 750 bottles and shipping from their garage. [20:52]
* Origin of the Tubby Todd brand value: “Be a good friend” in everything. [22:23]
* Prioritizing profitability from day one despite premium positioning. [24:39]
* The breakout success of All Over Ointment and its cult-like reviews. [27:04]
* How All Over Ointment was formulated as a healing, petroleum-free alternative that truly works. [37:38]
* Their community-first approach made ads a support tool, not the strategy. [38:45]
* Early DIY branding using iPhone photos and a scrappy website, and why it still worked. [40:13]
* Long road to Target: years of prep before ever saying yes to retail. [42:07]
* Target launch uses the exact same formula as DTC. [43:00]
* Her biggest advice: nourish your relationship with your partner weekly. [45:21]
* Daily non-negotiables: sleep, movement, and one small joy every single day. [46:48]
* How faith and community is the backbone of both her business and her family. [48:16]
This episode is brought to you by Beeya:
* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances
* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Follow Andrea:
* Website: https://tubbytodd.com/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andreafaulknerwilliams/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tubbytodd/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.