The Truth About Building Saie Into A $100M Brand: Laney Crowell | Ladies Who Launch

Laney Crowell launched Saie in November 2019, just months before the world shut down. Since then, she has built it into a beauty brand with more than $100 million in annual sales, growing over 50% year on year while staying profitable. Now, Saie has launched in Sephora UK, and Laney joins Rochelle on Ladies Who Launch to share the full journey.

Laney shares how a foundation that made her break out became the idea for a skincare-first makeup brand, why she raised $1 million and what it cost her, how Sephora first said no and then came back wanting every door, and why being the first beauty brand to sponsor the New York Knicks was a lightning-bolt marketing idea. She also talks about building the business from her bedroom during lockdown, why she believes the slower you go, the faster you get there, and the money advice every founder should hear before they raise.

In this episode:

• Launching Saie in the UK and why it took six years to get here
• The foundation breakout that sparked the idea for Saie
• How her community has shaped the brand, from the name to the very first products
• Laney’s path from Estée Lauder to founder
• Raising $1 million, launching with three products, and the $100K of mistakes
• Hand-delivering 200 mailers from a rented van with a decal
• Being rejected by Sephora, then signing a deal to launch in every door
• Going viral with the Glowy Super Gel
• Becoming the first beauty brand to sponsor the New York Knicks
• Celebrating $100M in sales
• Founder advice: invest in operations, rethink the org chart as you scale, and know your worth when you negotiate

If you're building a brand, thinking about raising investment, or curious how a founder turned a bold idea into a $100M business, this one is for you.

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CHAPTERS

00:00 Saie’s Rocketship Growth

00:30 AD Starling Sponsor

05:07 The Breakout “aha” Moment

08:08 Estée Lauder Digital Roots

09:41 Important of Having A Start Up Tribe

14:33 Fundraising Advice

21:52 AD Starling Sponsor

23:33 Building TikTok Hype Early

24:03 Sephora Full Circle Deal

26:32 Scaling With A Small Team

27:41 The Power Of Slow & Steady Growth

29:35 Parenting Boundaries

33:51 Knicks Sponsorship

36:50 Celebrating 100 Million Sales

38:02 Founder Finance Advice

41:00 Future Proofing Family Time

41:47 Final Thanks And Wrap

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