Ecommerce On Tap

Aaron and Nathan reveal how Bloom Nutrition went from a niche pre-workout brand founded by Mari Llewellyn and Greg LaVacchia to Amazon’s best-selling greens powder, all by tapping into untapped audiences and making strategic moves that AG1 missed. You’ll hear how Bloom leveraged social media influence, taste innovation, and multi-channel growth to win over wellness consumers, landing partnerships with big-box retailers like Target and Walmart, and securing a minority stake sale to Nutrabolt at an impressive valuation.

From pioneering candy-flavored protein and pre-workout supplements through collaborations with household names like Warheads and Mondelez, to expanding into energy drinks, cereals, and snacks, Ghost has become more than just a supplement company—it’s a lifestyle brand that captures the spirit of an entire community.

Aaron and Nathan dove into the fascinating growth story of Nutrafol, the supplement brand that’s redefining hair wellness. We explored how three founders, each with their own hair loss journey, built trust through clinical trials and strategic partnerships with dermatologists, then scaled to a massive Unilever acquisition. We unpacked lessons on positioning, subscription business models, and how to expand your brand by leaning into science-backed results. If you’re building in ecommerce or supplements, Nutrafol’s journey is packed with actionable insights.

We’re kicking off an exciting new category—supplements! We dive deep into the origins, evolution, and explosive growth of the supplement industry in America, taking you from its roots in traditional medicine and early 20th century vitamin discovery, through the postwar boom of multivitamins, the bodybuilding and counterculture movements, and all the way to the modern era of influencer-led brands and trend-driven innovation.

Vacation was founded by a pair of beach-loving creatives who teamed up with the mastermind behind PoolSuite FM, an internet radio station obsessed with retro leisure vibes. Together, they built a brand that’s as much about playful escapism as it is about serious sun protection. From recreating the iconic Orange Gelee tanning gel to launching Instagram-worthy whipped sunscreen, Vacation’s journey is a masterclass on community-driven branding, product innovation, and leveraging cultural nostalgia for explosive growth.Nathan and Aaron break down the science behind sunscreen, the regulatory hurdles for global expansion, and how Vacation has gone from a DTC darling to the #1 sunscreen in Target. With $40 million in revenue and serious acquisition buzz, this episode peels back the layers on what it takes to disrupt a legacy category—and why the future of sunscreen just might look like the past.https://poolsuite.net/Vacation ad: https://www.tiktok.com/@vacationinc/video/7132998444548885802(00:00) - Intro (01:59) - Non-resident Import Record Loophole (03:24) - Customs Fraud (04:12) - Nutrabolt investing in Bloom Nutrition (05:27) - Skincare Review (07:15) - Sunscreen 101 (12:56) - Sunscreen around the World (18:05) - Sunscreen Market (19:22) - Vacation Founding Story (32:08) - Brand Identity (39:47) - Vacation Growth (41:55) - Exit Potential (49:27) - Closing

Nathan and Aaron dissect Medik8’s unique “CSA” framework (Vitamin C in the morning, Sunscreen by day, Vitamin A at night), explaining how clear, habit-forming routines became a cornerstone for consumer loyalty and retention. The episode unpacks Medik8’s growth strategy, including their unconventional start through professional channels like medispas and dermatologists, the transition to retail and D2C, and their eventual partnership with private equity for rapid expansion into the US.

Glow Recipe. From their origins as ambitious executives at L'Oréal to becoming founders who redefined how the West thinks about skincare, Christine Chang and Sarah Lee's journey is packed with bold decisions, cultural insight, and some seriously impressive growth.Nathan and Aaron unpack Glow Recipe’s evolution—from a K-beauty curation website born out of a mere $50,000 investment, to a fruit-forward, community-driven skincare powerhouse that’s become a best-seller in Sephora and pulled in over $300 million in revenue. They break down what made Glow Recipe stand out (hint: it’s not just watermelon masks) and discuss the smart supply chain maneuvers, viral community campaigns, and the huge brand pivot that fueled their rapid scale.

In this episode of Ecommerce On Tap, hosts Aaron Alpeter and Nathan Resnick take you through the incredible journey of Curology—the team that managed to build a $200 million brand not once, but twice. 🎉We dive deep into:The founding story of Curology and its breakthrough in prescription teledermatologyThe complex regulatory and compliance hurdles of launching in the healthcare industryHow Curology scaled from a niche telemedicine offering to a DTC powerhouse, and eventually, to major retail shelves like Target, CVS, Walmart, and AmazonThe company’s remarkable post-pandemic pivot: how they navigated the decline in telehealth demand and reinvented themselves with OTC (over-the-counter) skincare productsBehind-the-scenes insights into their supply chain, fundraising rounds, growth challenges, operational pivots, and leadership transitionsLessons for founders on spotting exit windows, adapting to market shifts, and whether personalization is a competitive moat—or a margin trapPlus: Hot takes on celebrity economy trends (Sydney Sweeney’s brand impact!), presidential executive orders shaking up e-commerce, and why Curology’s story is a rare case study in business reinvention and resilience.

Starting from a college dorm room, Topicals quickly evolved into Sephora's fastest-growing skincare line, selling a product every minute at its peak. This isn't just a story of impressive growth—it's about challenging the historic blind spots of the beauty industry, championing cultural representation, and the tenacity of two founders determined to serve overlooked communities.Nathan and Aaron walk us through Topicals' rapid journey: their unique approach to brand-building, the grit required to raise funds, how they cracked the code to a coveted Sephora partnership, and what happens when hypergrowth meets the realities of scale. Beyond Topicals, they also unpack broader trends in ecommerce, recent acquisitions shaking up the space, and the future of culture-driven holding companies.Dr Squatch Article: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/new-alpha-why-dr-squatch-unilevers-next-flagship-mens-aaron-alpeter-nt5reKellogg Article: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/quiet-candy-empire-thats-eating-your-breakfast-aaron-alpeter-isuse

On this episode of Ecommerce On Tap, we broke down how Hailey Bieber’s skincare brand, Rhode, achieved a billion-dollar valuation in just three years—with less than ten products, no paid celebrity endorsements, and a viral waitlist strategy. We looked at why authenticity and hands-on founder involvement mattered more than just lending a celebrity name, how tactical storytelling and minimalism fueled insane demand, and what founders can learn about operational excellence, keeping product lines focused, and preparing for a massive exit.