Aggie sits down with Dorota Wallace, founder of Berry Blonde Spa, to explore how she transformed an $800 rented room into one of Manhattan’s most trusted luxury anti-aging spas—with zero outside funding and no paid ads. Dorota opens up about the failures that fueled her future, the mindset shifts that freed her from being a slave to her schedule, and her unapologetically intentional approach to client care and treatment selection. From her 75% conversion rate using Groupon (yes, really!) to why she believes nurses are the future of the spa industry, Dorota delivers a masterclass in scaling with integrity, grit, and genuine connection. If you’re a beauty brand founder looking to break into the spa market—or craving a reminder that doing business your way can work—this one’s for you.

Chapters:

• 00:00:00 - Betting on Herself & Starting from Scratch
• 00:01:02 - Meet Dorota Wallace: From Nursing to NYC Spa Royalty
• 00:02:06 - Corporate Burnout to Spa Breakthrough
• 00:04:01 - What a Failed Partnership Taught Her About Business
• 00:08:34 - Groupon Goldmine: How She Converted 75% of Clients
• 00:12:45 - Building a Spa That Feels Like a Five-Star Hotel
• 00:20:12 - Her No-Fluff Approach to Skincare Protocols
• 00:21:42 - The Real ROI of Relationship-First Business
• 00:23:33 - How to Turn First-Time Clients Into Lifelong Fans
• 00:27:04 - From Burned Out to CEO: Her Biggest Mindset Shift
• 00:31:36 - Trendspotting & Why She Won’t Sell Just Anything
• 00:39:19 - Real Talk: What It Takes to Thrive in the Spa Industry
• 00:40:51 - What’s Next for Berry Blonde Spa?

Links and Resources:

• 👉Take our 5 Days to Growing Your Iconic Beauty Brand Challenge for only $17! -
• https://abcreativenyc.com/signup
• 👉 Scale from 0 to 7 figures without spinning your wheels with the Beauty Brand Roadmap: https://abcreativenyc.com/the-beauty-brand-roadmap
• Aggie on LinkedIn
• AB Creative
• Aggie on Instagram
• Berry Blonde Spa Website
• Dorota Wallace on LinkedIn

Thanks so much for joining us this week. Want to subscribe to Beauty and the Brand? Have some feedback you’d like to share? Connect with us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube to leave us a review!

Mentioned in this episode:

5 Days to Growing Your Iconic Beauty Brand Challenge

What happens when a former punk band manager turned salon owner decides to rewrite the rules of salon retail? You get Gloria Edge—founder of SITCH Haircare and Edge Academy. In this episode, Gloria shares how she scaled her salon from two to twelve chairs during a recession, why clean beauty often falls short for pros, and how she and her husband Anthony spent over a decade developing a haircare and styling line that hairdressers actually trust. Her brand journey took a major leap during her time in the Conventional to Cult Status (C2C) Accelerator, where she refined her brand positioning, built a community-led launch plan, and aligned her mission with her market. With no final packaging, no product shots, and no paid ads, Gloria generated powerful momentum by simply sharing her journey offline—with stylists, students, and salons. The result? Two sold-out production runs of a haircare line that the community had already claimed as their own. If you’re looking to build not just a product, but a movement—this conversation is your blueprint.

Chapters:

• 00:00:00 - Why Consistency Still Wins in 2025
• 00:00:53 - Welcome to Beauty and the Brand
• 00:00:57 - Meet Gloria Edge: Punk Bands, Salons & Disruption
• 00:02:03 - From Behind the Chair to Building a Brand
• 00:03:50 - Spotting the Broken Gaps in Salon Retail
• 00:05:08 - Growing a Salon in a Recession (And Thriving)
• 00:06:21 - How Personalized Picks Create Raving Clients
• 00:08:04 - The Pre-Launch Playbook That Sparked a Sellout
• 00:10:04 - Launching a Refillable Line Without a Single Ad
• 00:15:50 - Turning Grassroots Hype Into Lasting Momentum
• 00:23:32 - Scaling Through Connection, Not Campaigns
• 00:26:41 - When 50 Salons Isn’t Enough
• 00:27:57 - The Relationship-First Approach to Brand Growth
• 00:28:27 - Giving Hairdressers the Tools to Thrive
• 00:30:03 - Bootcamps That Actually Move the Needle
• 00:32:26 - The Email Tweak That Boosted Conversions
• 00:35:02 - Becoming a B Corp (And Why It Matters)
• 00:41:09 - Real Talk: Why Community is Everything
• 00:49:25 - What’s Next for SITCH and Edge Academy
• 00:51:47 - Final Words on Building With Heart

Links and Resources:

• 👉Take our 5 Days to Growing Your Iconic Beauty Brand Challenge for only $17! -
• https://abcreativenyc.com/signup
• 👉 Scale from 0 to 7 figures without spinning your wheels with the Beauty Brand Roadmap: https://abcreativenyc.com/the-beauty-brand-roadmap
• Aggie on LinkedIn
• AB Creative
• Aggie on Instagram
• SITCH Haircare Website
• Edge Academy Website
• Gloaria on LinkedIn: Gloria Edge

Thanks so much for joining us this week. Want to subscribe to Beauty and the Brand? Have some feedback you’d like to share? Connect with us on

What if the secret to an iconic beauty brand lies in a Reddit post, a few failed experiments, and a relentless drive to serve a community?

In this episode of Beauty and the Brand, Aggie sits down with Austin Beals, co-founder and CEO of Dermazen, a DTC skincare brand born out of a decade-long battle with seborrheic dermatitis. Austin shares how his personal skin struggles led to a breakthrough product, and how that formula—originally posted for free online—sparked a movement and a business now on the cusp of 8-figure growth. You’ll learn how Austin used customer feedback loops, educational marketing, and biofilm-busting skincare science to build a loyal base of raving fans (without big ad budgets or fancy labs). Whether you're DIY-ing your first formula or dreaming of becoming a category leader, this episode is packed with actionable takeaways for founders ready to grow with intention, impact, and innovation.

Chapters:

• 00:00:00 - When Ads Actually Work: The Power of Raw, Real Moments
• 00:01:22 - Meet Austin Beals: From Digital Marketer to Dermazen CEO
• 00:02:30 - 10 Years of Flare-Ups: My Battle With Seborrheic Dermatitis
• 00:05:23 - A Kitchen Breakthrough: The Formula That Finally Worked
• 00:18:39 - How a Skin Crisis Sparked the Dermazen Mission
• 00:25:54 - From Free Samples to a Fast-Growing Brand
• 00:32:54 - Why You Need 30+ Versions of the Same Ad
• 00:34:46 - Emails That Convert: Dermazen’s Retention Engine
• 00:35:45 - Trust First, Revenue Follows: Our Customer Philosophy
• 00:37:46 - Vulnerability Converts: What We’ve Learned About Authentic Ads
• 00:43:17 - Speak to Their Pain: Messaging That Builds Movements
• 00:47:45 - Scaling Without Compromise: The Growth Journey
• 00:53:05 - The Product That Took 20 Iterations to Get Right
• 01:02:29 - What’s Next: Partnerships, Products, and Serving More People
• 01:04:59 - Final Words for Founders: Start Messy, Stay Focused

Links and Resources:

• 5 Days to Growing Our Iconic Beauty Brand Challenge for only 17$
• Website
• Austin on LinkedIn
• Aggie on LinkedIn
• AB Creative
• Aggie on Instagram

Thanks so much for joining us this week. Want to subscribe to Beauty and the Brand? Have some feedback you’d like to share? Connect with us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube to leave us a review!

Mentioned in this episode:

5 Days to Growing Your Iconic Beauty Brand Challenge