Kelly Love is committed to transparently telling the story behind Branch Basics, a cleaning product company free of harsh chemicals that she co-founded with two friends.
But Love didn’t go to business school, and neither did her co-founders. So how did they find a formula that fit?
To start, the co-founders aligned on the same mission: health and helping people. That meant building a brand around consumer education and transparency. During a recent Office Hours episode, Love noted that letting go of perfection, finding support, sticking to their products’ promise, and slowing down when needed all helped the brand grow and thrive.
Although Love and her co-founders didn’t have business backgrounds, they had bold ambitions. Here’s how they built a brand from the ground up.
1. Let Go of Perfection
The Austin, Texas-based brand doesn’t have a perfect story.
Before it was a consumer brand, Branch Basics first launched as a marketplace selling a curated variety of clean-label products. A year later the team decided to convert the company into its own mission-based brand, with clean ingredients at its core.
“We really didn’t spend a lot of time trying to go by the playbook,” Love said. “We really just led with our heart.”
The team committed to a brand rooted in consumer education, but that itself is challenging, Love explained. The definition of ‘clean’ products is an imperfect one, Love noted, which can create confusion for consumers and even suppliers.
“It is confusing out there because ‘naturally-derived’ or ‘made from natural ingredients’ can sometimes actually be synthetic,” Love explained.
To combat that, the brand made sure communication and product transparency was at the core of everything they did. By doing that, shoppers became more dedicated to the brand, Love said.
2. Seek Outside Support
Most business owners need support to reach their goals. Even with co-founders, many businesses require additional support, which for Branch Basics included friends, family, and mentors.
The team also took part in an incubator program through the University of Virginia Darden School of Business.
From how to fundraise to how to manage a supply chain, the company has learned a variety of lessons – and faced many challenges too. But the problems and pitfalls presented opportunities to refine their strategy and become better.
3. Keep Your Promises
Doing what’s right isn’t always easy. After 2015, the brand’s biggest year, the company paused operations due to supplier issues. Since transparency is a core value for Branch Basics, shutting down was the only option to regain control of the products, Love explained.
“It became very clear we needed to sever this relationship and that we weren’t going to be able to grow a sustainable strong business,” Love said.
While they had to lay off many team members right before the New Year, the co-founders didn’t give up on their products’ promise. Instead, they reassessed and took action to reformulate the products and rebrand the company.
Although they had doubts, they were “committed to trying,” Love said, adding that “believing in what you’re doing and being passionate about it” is key for any business to succeed.
“We knew we had information to share, even if we just became a blog, that would help people,” Love said. “We focused on [believing] ‘We know our hearts are true to this, we’re going to do what we can. We can’t promise we’re going to be able to make something awesome, but we’re going to do everything we can to try.’”
The co-founders invested their own money to relaunch the brand. The company also got audited around that time. Luckily, three chemists worked with the company for free to create new product samples. It took two years and over 100 samples (with lots of cleaning) to get there.
“One day we were like ‘I think we did it!’” she said. About 45 previous customers, friends and family members tested and approved the new line.
The company hired two operational experts, allowing the founders to focus more on marketing and education.
4. Slower Can Be Better
Because it focuses on clean ingredients, the Branch Basics team understands the importance of testing and getting it right. Sometimes that means smaller steps to conquer larger strategies.
For example, they started slow when trying new messaging tactics, like podcast ads and influencer partnerships.
According to Love, being “urgently patient” has helped the brand overall. The team never was in a hurry, but instead nurtures customer relationships through email and direct messages instead of constantly launching products, Love said.
“We’ve definitely played the slow game,” she said. “We’ve built this trust with our customers where they know whatever we’re going to work on, it’s going to be safe, and there’s this loyalty there.”
The Takeaway
Letting go of perfection and asking for help are important in running and growing a brand. Additionally, slowing down and focusing on fulfilling product promises leads to loyal relationships in the long run.
This article is part of Office Hours, a series that connects you with entrepreneurs and expert tips for running and growing a business right now. Find their can’t miss conversations here.
