In this episode of Add To Cart, we chat with Serene Lim, the mind behind Gellae (the gel nail stickers that make salon-quality nails achievable at home) and Cup 49  (bubble tea kits that bring café indulgence to your kitchen). Hear how Serene took Gellae to seven figures in its first year, racked up 400 million TikTok views, and landed her gel nail stickers on the shelves of 165 Boots stores across the UK and Ireland. We learn about how she crafts data-driven content strategies, addresses real customer pain points in creative ways, and how she bootstrapped her expansion without taking on outside investment. Serene also offers insights on balancing creativity with calculated risk-taking to achieve sustainable growth.

This episode was brought to you by:

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Shopify Plus

About your guest:

Coming from a non-business background and a family that faced challenges during their first decade in Australia, Serene Lim has defied the odds to bootstrap and scale two thriving eCommerce brands. As the sole founder, she led Gellae, her DIY gel nail sticker brand, to seven-figure success within its first year, amassing over 400 million organic views on social media. This rapid momentum caught the attention of Boots, which now stocks Gellae in 165 stores across the UK and Ireland. Serene is also the founder of Cup 49, a DIY bubble tea kit brand that allows tea lovers to recreate their favourite drinks at home. Both brands focus on addressing real-world frustrations with affordable, convenient solutions. When she’s not building brands, Serene is a massive foodie who loves travelling, bunnies, and all things miniature.

About your host:

Nathan Bush is the host of the Add To Cart podcast and a leading eCommerce transformation consultant. He has led eCommerce for businesses with revenue $100m+ and has been recognised as one of Australia’s Top 50 People in eCommerce four years in a row. You can contact Nathan on LinkedIn, Twitter or via email.

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