Show Notes
Rochelle sits down with Karlee Zhang, founder of Hello Klean, who opens up about her journey from self-funding an idea that nobody had believed in, to having half a million loyal worldwide customers and expanding into luxury retail spaces.
Karlee unpacks the discovery that turned a plumbing issue into a beauty revelation, and the reality of bootstrapping until you find the right investors. From a sealed social strategy to navigating rapid growth, Karlee shares an insight into her honest founder lessons and top tips.
In this episode we cover: The moment a plumbing problem became a beauty product The importance of educating consumers, and how Hello Klean earned trust with a free trial How to navigate retail launches and streamlining the consumer experience Building a social strategy that cuts through the noise Navigating rapid growth and defining your success
If you’re an aspiring innovator with no clue where to start, this one’s for you!
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CHAPTERS 00:00 Introducing Hello Klean 04:24 Identifying The Water Origin Problem 07:40 Turning Plumbing Into A Wellness Brand 10:07 Educating Before Selling 13:35 Building Co-Founder Roles Efficiently 15:05 Funding R&D And Our Subscription Model 16:57 Customers Don’t Understand Category 20:04 Social Was Our First Hire 23:13 Building A Brand Narrative 24:45 Balancing Brand and Conversion 26:52 Creating Creator Partnerships That Feel Real 28:00 My Dragons’ Den Experience 34:39 Post Dragons’ Den Growth Surge - 600%! 36:19 Finding The Right Investor Fit 39:54 Expanding Shower Care Category 41:33 Redefining Success Metrics 44:30 Karlee’s Leaving Advice
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FOLLOW HELLO KLEAN Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/helloklean/ Karlee: https://www.instagram.com/karleee/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@helloklean
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