Building a Cult Following in the Beauty Space Thanks to TikTok and Zero Outside Investments, with Sarah Potempa, Founder of The Beachwaver Co.

Dear FoundHer...Real Founder Stories for Women Small Business Owners

Lindsay Pinchuk

Pivot, Bobbi Brown, Marketing, Entrepreneur, Ceo, Women In Business, Careers, Entrepreneurship, Foundher, Business, Business Owner, Female Founder, Small Business

4.9 • 1.1K Ratings

🗓️ 24 September 2024

⏱️ 59 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

“I really wanted to give people a story and a journey they could understand, and simplify hair care, because throughout my career I’ve found it can be confusing for a lot of people,” shares Sarah Potempa, founder and CEO of The Beachwaver Co. Sarah joins Lindsay Pinchuk this week to share her path from celebrity hairstylist—working with clients like Rachel Zoe—to creating the Beachwaver, a rotating curling iron designed to make hairstyling at home easier. One turning point came at QVC, where, with just a prototype in hand, she pitched her product and secured a major order that propelled her brand forward.

Sarah opens up about the valuable lessons she’s learned on flexibility, authenticity, and building a strong community—particularly during the pandemic when she pivoted to direct-to-consumer sales and used TikTok to connect with her audience. How do you scale a business to meet growing demand while keeping that personal touch? Sarah tackled this by focusing on customer relationships and maintaining top-notch quality in her products. Her story is a powerful reminder of the importance of perseverance, creativity, and staying true to your vision as an entrepreneur.

Quotes

“I really wanted to give people a story and a journey that they could understand and simplify hair care, because what I’ve found throughout my career is that it can be a little confusing to a lot of people.” (23:48 | Sarah Potempa)
“I would do the website live and the TikTok live at the same time until I realized these are different audiences, and they need different experiences.” (34:05 | Sarah Potempa)
“You also have to educate yourself and learn… It took me a really, really long time to get to where we are on TikTok because I wanted to be perfect, and I wanted to feel like we were this big, huge brand when we weren’t… I just learned that, ‘You know what, I have to deal with it.’ I have to learn every element of this business. I have to know who’s replying and how to the customers.” (47:26 | Sarah Potempa)
“While you’re live streaming, show the real you. And that’s okay because that’s something I struggled with. Don’t be afraid to be yourself and show that.” (53:59 | Sarah Potempa)
“Enjoy the moment and appreciate the struggles, the hard times.” (56:19 | Sarah Potempa)

Connect with Sarah Potempa:

https://www.instagram.com/sarahpotempa/

https://www.tiktok.com/@thebeachwaver

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Hi guys, it's me, Lindsay Pinchuk, host of Deer found her. In just a few minutes, you're going to
0:08.2	hear today's guest, Sarah Potempa, talk about building a brand from scratch, literally, and everything
0:14.7	that she's done to build, grow, and scale each waiver. One of the sentiments she shares is the notion of putting your idea
0:22.4	out into the world. It's what landed her on QVC and kickstarted her business.
0:28.4	Sharing your offer and talking about your product and your business is a skill that we hone in on
0:33.3	in my group mentorship, marketing made simple for small business. It is the utmost important when you are building and growing a business that you get
0:41.8	comfortable sharing what it is that you do.
0:44.6	Starting growing and scaling your business the right way with the right tools,
0:48.5	strategies and processes is the entire reason I started MMS.
0:53.3	And in just a couple of days, registration for the final
0:56.6	cohort of my group mentorship for 2024 will close. In case you didn't know what marketing
1:03.0	made simple for small business is, it is the group mentorship that helps you go from feeling
1:08.3	lost and overwhelmed with marketing to confidently growing your business with
1:12.5	simple effective strategies. It's the business mentorship that's helped over 100 busy
1:17.2	entrepreneurs just like you take control of their marketing without adding to their plate
1:21.7	and building and growing their network to help and support them grow. Together, we have group calls every single week where you learn how to build the foundation
1:31.2	of your marketing strategy so that it actually works for your business.
1:35.0	You'll also have access to all of my digital resources, the ability to ask me questions,
1:40.7	and the opportunity to meet and lean on the members of your cohort who are also female business
1:47.1	owners just like you. So are you ready to simplify so that you can focus on what's important
1:54.5	growing your business? Let's take the stress out of growing your business with simple marketing
2:00.5	strategies that fit your goals and your life.
	...

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