The Foundr Podcast with Nathan Chan

Alisha dropped out of year 10 to become a hairdresser, opened her own salon at 20, and ran it for nearly a decade - applying five different products to every client's hair, every single day. By the time she sold the salon, she already knew exactly what was wrong with the industry. What she didn't know was how to start an e-commerce brand. James Jade, her all-in-one leave-in conditioner that replaces up to five separate products, took two years and close to $21,000 to get off the ground. She doesn't regret a cent of it.

In this episode, Alisha walks through the full build - the custom formula she landed on her second sample, the five delays before launch, and the first two years of selling almost entirely through word of mouth, mystery notes left in cafe bathrooms, and conversations at the World Surf League. She gets honest about what held her back, how slow it actually was, and what finally started to move the needle.

What you'll learn in this interview:

How 16 years on the salon floor became the most credible form of product validation - and why Alisha already knew her formula before she ever met a cosmetic chemist

Why she got the formula right on the second sample when most founders go through 20 - and the one thing that was actually the hardest to nail

The real cost of custom formulation: $7,000 for packaging, ~$14,000 for 1,000 units at $15 a bottle, and why she was told to double her budget - and it ended up being triple

What she did during the two years between starting development and actually launching, including freelancing to fund each invoice one at a time

Why refusing to be the face of the brand in the early days made everything slower - and the exact moment she realised the product alone wasn't enough

The scrappy, offline community tactics that built early brand awareness - leaving minis in nice bathrooms, mystery notes in cafes, street conversations at events

How she started posting four times a week on Instagram with no ads, no influencers, and no email marketing - and what eventually changed

The decision to build weekly emails around real hair advice rather than promotional content - and why her salon background made this the easiest part of the whole business

Why she waited until she'd recouped her initial investment before developing the shampoo - and what the waitlist looks like before it's even launched

Lessons from nearly $21K invested in a first run, five launch delays, and two years of slow, deliberate building before the business started to accelerate

If you're in the early stages and wondering whether the slow growth means you're doing it wrong - this episode is for you. Alisha's story is a reminder that domain expertise is an unfair advantage, that the long, unglamorous build is often the only way to get it right, and that $7K a month on a single product with a shampoo waitlist already building is not a small thing.

SAVE 50% ON OMNISEND FOR 3 MONTHS
Get 50% off your first 3 months of email and SMS marketing with Omnisend with the code FOUNDR50. Just head to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://your.omnisend.com/foundr⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to get started.

WANT TO GROW YOUR BRAND WITH META ADS?
Join the Foundr Operators Waitlist → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://foundr.com/operators⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

HOW WE CAN HELP YOU SCALE YOUR BUSINESS FASTER
Learn directly from 7, 8 & 9-figure founders inside Foundr+
Start your $1 trial → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.foundr.com/startdollartrial⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

PREFER A CUSTOM ROADMAP AND 1-ON-1 COACHING?
→ Starting from scratch? Apply here →
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://foundr.com/pages/coaching-start-application⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
→ Already have a store? Apply here →
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://foundr.com/pages/coaching-growth-application⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

CONNECT WITH BY ALISHA JADE
Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/jamesjade.au/

Alisha's ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/alishajades/
Website → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://jamesjade.com.au/

FOLLOW FOUNDR FOR MORE BUSINESS GROWTH STRATEGIES
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Website → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.foundr.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
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Podcast → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.foundr.com/podcast⁠

I've wasted so much money over the years running Foundr that I don't even want to know the number. And if I'm honest, it came down to one thing: when it's the business's money, it doesn't always feel like yours. So you spend it like it isn't.

Here's the problem: when your personal and business finances are tangled up together, revenue starts to feel like income, a good month makes you feel like you can relax, and before long the business account becomes a piggy bank. You can't read your own numbers, you can't make good decisions about hiring or inventory or marketing, and you have no real idea what the business actually has.

In this episode, I share the exact framework I wish someone had handed me earlier, including the Profit First model, how to pay yourself properly, and the software audit we just ran at Foundr that is saving us tens of thousands of dollars a month.

Here's what you'll take away:

Why treating business money as separate from personal money is harder than it sounds, and what it actually costs you when you get it wrong

How the Profit First model works: splitting every dollar that comes in across dedicated accounts for tax, operating expenses, and profit

Why paying yourself a fixed salary, even a modest one, forces you to run the business like a real business

The one question to ask before any significant spend: can I measure the return against the risk?

How a simple software audit can uncover thousands of dollars quietly leaking out every month

Why a quarterly P&L review with an external accountant is one of the highest leverage habits a founder can build

If your business finances and personal finances are still mixed together, or you have money in the bank but no real clarity on what the business actually has, this episode will give you a clean, practical system to fix that and start making decisions from a place of clarity.

If you're loving this solo series, I'd love to hear your feedback. Email me directly at nathan@foundr.com — I read every reply. Hope you enjoy it.

WANT TO GROW YOUR BRAND WITH META ADS?
Join the Foundr Operators Waitlist → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://foundr.com/operators⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

HOW WE CAN HELP YOU SCALE YOUR BUSINESS FASTER

Learn directly from 7, 8 & 9-figure founders inside Foundr+

Start your $1 trial → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.foundr.com/startdollartrial⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

PREFER A CUSTOM ROADMAP AND 1-ON-1 COACHING?

→ Starting from scratch? Apply here → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://foundr.com/pages/coaching-start-application⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

→ Already have a store? Apply here → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://foundr.com/pages/coaching-growth-application⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

CONNECT WITH NATHAN CHAN

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FOLLOW FOUNDR FOR MORE BUSINESS GROWTH STRATEGIES

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Website → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.foundr.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Podcast → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.foundr.com/podcast⁠

Demi Marchese started with $800, no investors, and no fashion
background—just a clothing rack in the back of her car and 30 sororities
to pitch in 30 days. She made $40,000 in her first month dressing girls
for Coachella out of her living room, turned $800 into $40K, and never
took a dollar from investors. Ten years later, 12th Tribe does close to
$50 million a year with $250 million in lifetime revenue—fully
founder-owned, profitable, and competing head-to-head with VC-backed
brands like Fashion Nova and Revolve that have raised over $100 million.

In this interview, Demi breaks down the contrarian playbook she calls
"living in the group chat," the mass micro-influencer strategy that
turned free product into serious revenue, and what it actually looks
like to build a fashion brand from the ground up with no money, no
partner, and no safety net.

What you'll learn in this interview:
• How she made $40K in 30 days dressing girls for Coachella out of her
car and living room
• Why vintage thrifting at 90–95% margins funded her first $1–2
million—and when it became impossible to scale
• The "living in the group chat" strategy: how she anticipates what
customers want before they know they want it
• Why founder-led content has consistently outperformed every other ad
format at 12th Tribe
• The mass micro-influencer playbook: how to reverse-engineer gifting
volume from revenue goals and posting rate
• How she balances one big six-figure creator launch per month with mass
micro gifting—and what actually converts
• Why she's leaning offline as everyone else leans into AI—and the Tribe
Table dinner series building real community
• What a warehouse crisis during peak season taught her about crisis
communication and customer retention
• The imposter syndrome of being a 24-year-old solo founder running
eight figures—and what finally made it go away
• Why she competes on soul, storytelling, and founder personality—not ad
spend—against brands with 100x her funding

If you're building a DTC fashion or lifestyle brand, trying to grow
profitably without outside capital, or looking for the real story behind
what founder-led marketing actually looks like at scale, this
conversation will fundamentally change how you think about community,
content, and what it means to build a brand with genuine soul.

SAVE 50% ON OMNISEND FOR 3 MONTHS
Get 50% off your first 3 months of email and SMS marketing with Omnisend with the code FOUNDR50. Just head to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://your.omnisend.com/foundr⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to get started.

WANT TO GROW YOUR BRAND WITH META ADS?
Join the Foundr Operators Waitlist → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://foundr.com/operators⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
HOW WE CAN HELP YOU SCALE YOUR BUSINESS FASTER
Learn directly from 7, 8 & 9-figure founders inside Foundr+
Start your $1 trial → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.foundr.com/startdollartrial⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

PREFER A CUSTOM ROADMAP AND 1-ON-1 COACHING?
→ Starting from scratch? Apply here →
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://foundr.com/pages/coaching-start-application⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
→ Already have a store? Apply here →
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://foundr.com/pages/coaching-growth-application⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

CONNECT WITH NATHAN CHAN
Instagram → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/nathanchan⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
LinkedIn → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanhchan/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

CONNECT WITH DEMI MARCHESE

Instagram → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/demimarchese/
LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/demimarchese/

Website → https://www.12thtribe.com/

FOLLOW FOUNDR FOR MORE BUSINESS GROWTH STRATEGIES
YouTube → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bit.ly/2uyvzdt⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Website → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.foundr.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
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Twitter → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.twitter.com/foundr⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
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Podcast → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.foundr.com/podcast⁠

Most founders are still thinking about AI as a faster way to do their work. But that is not what is happening anymore. AI agents do not help you do the task. They do the task for you. And if you have not started asking which roles in your business actually need a human, you are already behind.

Here is the thing: this is not a big tech problem or a future problem. Small and medium sized businesses are rebuilding their teams around this right now, and the ones doing it well are not replacing people for the sake of it. They are freeing up their human team to focus on the things that actually require judgment.

In this episode, I break down what AI agents actually are, how we are using them at Foundr across customer support, lead qualification and ad optimisation, and the practical first steps any e-commerce founder can take today.

Here's what you'll take away:

Why AI agents and AI tools are completely different things, and why that distinction changes how you think about hiring

How one founder cut his team from 48 to 30 people, replaced four software subscriptions, and saved $250,000 a year without losing any revenue

How Klarna deployed a single AI agent to do the work of 700 customer service reps

The repeatable, process-driven roles in every e-commerce business where agents are already outperforming humans

Where to start if you are a solo founder or small team: the customer support use case that pays off fastest

The one question to ask before every single hire from this point forward

If you are growing your team right now or thinking about your next hire, this episode will completely change how you evaluate that decision and what a lean, high-output operation can actually look like in 2026.

If you're loving this solo series, I'd love to hear your feedback. Email me directly at nathan@foundr.com — I read every reply. Hope you enjoy it.

WANT TO GROW YOUR BRAND WITH META ADS?
Join the Foundr Operators Waitlist → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://foundr.com/operators⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

HOW WE CAN HELP YOU SCALE YOUR BUSINESS FASTER

Learn directly from 7, 8 & 9-figure founders inside Foundr+

Start your $1 trial → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.foundr.com/startdollartrial⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

PREFER A CUSTOM ROADMAP AND 1-ON-1 COACHING?

→ Starting from scratch? Apply here → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://foundr.com/pages/coaching-start-application⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

→ Already have a store? Apply here → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://foundr.com/pages/coaching-growth-application⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

CONNECT WITH NATHAN CHAN

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LinkedIn → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanhchan/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

FOLLOW FOUNDR FOR MORE BUSINESS GROWTH STRATEGIES

YouTube → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bit.ly/2uyvzdt⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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While every brand was raising prices during inflation, Elina Wang cut hers—and nearly tripled revenue. The co-founder of ESW Beauty turned a juice bar epiphany and a $25,000 bank loan into a $20 million business across 10,000 retail doors, fully bootstrapped and profitable from day one. She did it by making the contrarian bet on retail-first when every founder around her was chasing DTC—then survived Covid wiping out every purchase order overnight while going through a co-founder breakup at the same time.

In this interview, Elina breaks down the real cost of getting into major retail, why she deliberately chose wholesale over DTC from day one, and the pricing move that took ESW Beauty from $4 million to $11 million in revenue.

What you'll learn in this interview:
• Why she bet on retail over DTC from day one—with just $5,000 left after her first trade show
• How a $25,000 SBA loan, a scrappy juice bar booth, and aggressive hallway pitching landed $250K in purchase orders
• The contrarian pricing move: why cutting price from $6 to $4.99 per mask nearly tripled revenue
• How Covid wiped out every PO overnight—and how Faire and gifting programs kept the business alive
• Why 95% wholesale requires 70%+ gross margins—and the hidden retail fees most founders discover too late
• The in-store promotional math: clip strips, end caps, and PDQ displays that cost $25–75K each but drive real velocity
• How she navigated building a business with her co-founder after they broke up—and why they kept going anyway
• Why it took three years of persistence to crack Target—and what metrics finally convinced the buyer
• The leadership shift every founder dreads: how she learned to let go and trust a team after running everything herself
• What she'd tell founders about choosing a co-founder before anything else

If you're building a CPG or beauty brand, trying to crack retail without burning through cash, or wondering what profitable bootstrapped growth at eight figures actually looks like, this conversation will fundamentally change how you think about distribution, pricing strategy, and what it takes to survive the moments that would end most companies.

Ready to scale with Meta Ads the right way?Join Nick Shackelford (BREZ $90M+), Phoenix Ha, and Nathan Chan LIVE on 19 June (EDT) / 20 June (AEST) for a FREE 2-hour workshop packed with proven strategies for creative testing, customer acquisition, and profitable scale.Save your free spot: https://foundr.com/pages/fom-workshop

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CONNECT WITH NATHAN CHAN
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CONNECT WITH ELINA WANG
Instagram → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/esw.beauty/
Website → ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://eswbeauty.com/

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