Lean Marketing Episode 65: Kindness as a Growth Strategy With Brent Ridge
What if your biggest growth lever isn’t capital or creatives—but kindness, creativity, and simply showing up?
In this episode, I talk with Brent Ridge, co-founder of Beekman 1802, about how a small goat farm became a national skincare brand. We cover the real stuff: starting with hand-wrapped soaps, cold-calling big stores, landing a 52,000-bar order with tiny margins, and getting the whole town to help pack. We dig into the TV retail break (QVC/HSN), launching in Ulta right as COVID hit, and simple, clever partnerships—like Jiffy Lube “spa” promos and a Schitt’s Creek collab—that got huge attention without huge spend. The big lesson: lead with kindness, help first, keep telling your story, and keep showing up.
Key Takeaways:
1. How We Started: From a country detour and goat milk to the first bar of soap.
2. The First Big Wins (and Hard Lessons): Cold calls, Fifth Avenue interest, a 52,000-bar order—and tight margins.
3. TV Retail That Moved the Needle: QVC/HSN storytelling (yes, baby goats) and what actually scaled.
4. Low-Cost, High-Creativity Partnerships: $0 ideas, Jiffy Lube “facials,” and a Schitt’s Creek tie-in that helped the town.
5. Kindness as a Business Strategy: Help first, negotiate by giving, and make values part of the product.
🎧 Listen or watch the episode to see how simple actions—done consistently—can build a brand that lasts.
Connect with Brent Ridge:
Website: https://beekman1802.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brent-ridge-md-0641791/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@beekman1802skincare
Book: https://www.amazon.com/G-T-Wisdom-Business-Founders/dp/1647829771
Connect with Lean Marketing:
Website: https://leanmarketing.com/
Work With Us: https://leanmarketing.com/accelerator
Books: https://leanmarketing.com/books
Podcast: https://leanmarketing.com/podcast
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/successwise/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LeanMarketingOfficial
Free Resources: https://leanmarketing.com/learn