Today we’d like to introduce you to Ryan Greve.
Hi Ryan, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Prudence and I became good friends around age 16 living in California. But, as life goes, we moved to different states, started families, and got somewhat out of touch. Years later a mutual friend reconnected us because Prudence was having some logistical issues and, at the time, I was supply chain consulting. After solving her problem, she called me up the next day and said she had an idea.
“She told me what it was and it was skincare. Which is interesting, because nobody thinks I’m in skincare for some reason,” Greve said with a laugh. “And that was it.”
“I was out of the country when we formed the entity at 4 o’clock in the morning and the rest is history. That was January 2014.”
Beauty By Earth started on a single marketplace—Amazon—in 2014. Now, we have our website, Target.com, Walmart.com, Amazon, Amazon Canada, Thrive Market, iHerb, and Grove Collaborative.
The business started in our living rooms, then grew to a garage with a palette rack and forklift right in our cul de sac street. We obtained our first $5 million in revenue out of that garage and then we started growing our team. From there, we purchased a small warehouse near downtown Denton, and in under 18 months, we had outgrown that as well. Now we’re in a 30,000sq ft building in Carrollton with much more room for growth.
“The company has been bootstrapped the entire way. No PEs, no VCs, and definitely no rich dad.”
“Everything starts in research and development. No whitelisting, no private label but actually creating formulas for products that are as effective as they are good for you and the environment.”
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Of course, maintaining your current lifestyle and supporting your family while developing a business is always difficult. I continued to do supply chain consulting for 2 years after BBE was formed on top of having an infant and an 18-month-old which called for a lot of sleepless nights. Which is why, if you can, start early.
Funding can also be tricky. Before giving away equity and whatnot you have to consider the direction of the company.
“It’s our 4 S’s. What is our Strategy, in what Sequence will we execute everything, can you Scale it, and will it be Sustainable.”
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Beauty By Earth?
We are a plant-based skincare & beauty company with cruelty-free and organic products. We are always seeking out new partnerships as well—especially if they’re local. As such, we’d love for any businesses in the DFW area from salons to spas to fitness centers & more to reach out to our wholesale team at wholesale@beautybyearth. You can also find more information on https://beautybyearth.com/pages/wholesale-information.
Have you learned any interesting or important lessons due to the Covid-19 Crisis?
The effects of the pandemic are mostly presented by way of the supply chain—especially now. There’s fuel costs, container shortages, and more to juggle. Luckily, our team has a pretty solid logistics background and has been able to weather the storm. Our team has truly been paramount.
Regardless of being primarily E-commerce, though, operations are not. The orders we received due to brick-and-mortar closures can only be fulfilled if we have someone to pack it, so that is another reality we’ve had to face with COVID-19.
All in all, your team is your most vital asset.
Pricing:
- 31.99 (best selling tanner)
- 26.99 (face self-tanner)
- 25.99 (award-winning eye cream)
- 19.99 (mousse self-tanner)
- 23.99 (mineral body sunscreen)
Contact Info:
- Email: info@beautybyearth.com
- Website: Beautybyearth.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beautybyearth/
