Hot Smart Rich Natalie Holloway, Founder of Bala, On How She Built Bala to $20M, Survived Nearly Going Bankrupt & Balanced Motherhood
On this episode of Hot Smart Rich, Maggie Sellers sits down with Natalie Holloway, co-founder of Bala, the brand that made fitness hot. Natalie built Bala into a $20M business with a Shark Tank deal from Mark Cuban, faced near bankruptcy, and navigated the rollercoaster of entrepreneurship—all while raising three kids under four.
The conversation gets real as Natalie shares the hardest moments of scaling Bala, from the chaos of explosive growth during COVID to nearly losing the company. She breaks down what saved the business, why she prioritizes profit overgrowth, and how she made the tough call to lay off nearly her entire team while pregnant.
Maggie and Natalie also dive into motherhood, ambition, and the reality of balancing it all—plus, Natalie shares what really happened with Bala’s Drunk Elephant drama, how she deals with copycats, and why she believes affiliate marketing is the future for brands.
Key Takeaways
- You can build a $20M brand without raising big VC money. Bala’s success proves that profitability is more important than endless fundraising. Natalie and her husband bootstrapped their way to the top—then nearly lost it all.
- Scaling fast can break you. Bala blew up overnight after Shark Tank and COVID, but hypergrowth almost killed the business. Natalie shares the hard truth about layoffs, cash flow, and surviving the free fall.
- Motherhood and entrepreneurship? There’s no perfect balance. Natalie had to make brutal business decisions while pregnant. The real talk: founders don’t get maternity leave, and work-life balance is a myth.
- Copycats and competition will come—so stay ahead. Drunk Elephant launched a Bala-inspired product. Knockoffs are everywhere. The only way to win is to innovate faster than they can copy.
- The smartest founders are shifting from influencers to affiliates. Natalie shares why paying influencers big bucks is outdated and why affiliate marketing is the new power move for brands.
- Negotiate like a man. Women are still underpricing themselves in business. Natalie learned to ask for more, own her worth, and not settle for the first offer.
- Bala is just getting started. NYC fitness studio? More retail expansion? Natalie spills what’s next and why she’s betting big on IRL experiences and digital fitness.
Items Mentioned in This Episode
- Bala — the original workout bangles. Shop here.
- Form x Bala — the set. Shop here.
Connect with Maggie
Instagram:@maggiesellers
TikTok:@maggiesellers_
YouTube:@hotsmartrich
LinkedIn:Maggie Sellers
Connect with Natalie
Instagram: @natalieholloway, @bala & @balacize
Substack: working out in heels
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This episode is produced by HSR Media, a division of Creative MES LLC, with support from Coldea Productions and Vandana Ravi.