How They Scaled It

How do you build a skincare brand that breaks stigma and empowers men to look and feel their best? In this episode, I chat with Lekha Vyas, the founder and CEO of Elvy Lab, a groundbreaking men's skincare brand she launched in 2022. Lekha's journey from working with beauty giants like L'Oréal, Estée Lauder, and Chanel to becoming a trailblazing entrepreneur is inspiring. Today, Lekha is well on her way to scaling Elvy Lab into a legacy brand with lasting impact in the cosmetic hygiene market. 

00:37 Introducing Laika Vyas and Elvy Lab

01:09 Laika's Journey in the Beauty Industry

05:11 Identifying the Gap in Men's Skincare

07:53 Challenges and Strategies in Men's Grooming

20:07 Transitioning from Big Brands to Startups

21:04 Recognizing Burnout and Embracing Slow Days

21:25 The Rewards and Challenges of Being a Founder

22:17 The Importance of Growth and Small Wins

24:15 Advice for Aspiring Founders

35:09 The Reality of Retail and Advertising Costs

36:52 Final Reflections and Advice

Follow Courtney and Lekha:

Connect with Courtney: 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/courtney-wasserburger-14543519/

Website: https://rightleftagency.com/about/gma

Connect with Lekha: 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lekhavyas/

Website: https://elvylab.com/

Lekha’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lekahontas/?hl=en

Elvy Lab’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elvy_lab/?hl=en

In this episode, I sit down with Jessie Healy, a celebrated marketer and the founder of Ecomm Rockets Coaching Group, a platform that helps DTC brands scale profitably by focusing on foundational business strategies. As the former owner of Webtopia, Jessie scaled her agency to 20 employees, worked with global clients, and eventually sold the business to focus on coaching and consulting.

00:00 Introduction to How They Scaled It

00:52 Jessie Healy's Journey to Webtopia

04:07 Challenges and Strategies in Growing an Agency

09:57 Transition to Coaching and Consulting

11:56 Balancing Business and Personal Life

20:13 Creating Profitable Ad Campaigns

24:14 The Essence of a Great Ad

26:07 The Importance of Intention in Advertising

27:08 Balancing In-House and Outsourced Content Creation

28:35 Navigating Profitability and Pricing Strategies

32:56 Scaling Your Business: Systems and Processes

40:58 Leveraging AI for Early-Stage Businesses

42:52 Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs

Follow Courtney and Jessie:

Connect with Courtney: 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/courtney-wasserburger-14543519/

Website: https://rightleftagency.com/about/

Connect with Sarah: 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ecommercecoach/

Website: https://www.jessiehealy.com/

Customer behavior, identity, and emotions have the biggest impact on the success or failure of your marketing efforts. Still, so many businesses are unable to account for consumer psychology. This week on How They Scaled It, I had the absolute pleasure of chatting with Sarah Levinger, a Forbes-featured consumer behavior analyst, creative strategist, and performance creative consultant. Sarah is an expert at bridging the gap between psychology and marketing, helping D2C brands like Hexclad, True Classic, Fabletics, and others boost their paid advertising ROI by creating deep emotional connections with their customers. Now, she’s at the head of Tether Insights, where she helps other businesses apply behavioral science to produce faster and more meaningful results.

00:00 Introduction 

00:38 Meet Sarah Levinger: Consumer Behavior Expert

03:37 The Power of Emotional Connections in Marketing

13:10 The Role of Surveys and Reviews

17:32 Understanding Generational Differences

22:19 Balancing Psychology and Authenticity in Branding

26:46 The Evolution of Trust in Brands

29:34 The Importance of Humanizing Your Brand

32:48 Future Consumer Expectations

35:34 Behavioral Analysis in Marketing

48:25 Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs

50:55 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Follow Courtney and Sarah:

Connect with Courtney: 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/courtney-wasserburger-14543519/

Website: https://rightleftagency.com/about/

Connect with Sarah: 

Tether Insights: https://www.tetherinsights.io/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahlevinger

Welcome back to How They Scaled It, the podcast where scaling businesses meets innovation, strategy, and a little bit of grit. Today, I sit down with Chris Doyle, the President and CEO of Billd —a financial solutions company that empowers subcontractors across the U.S.

Chris shared his journey from identifying inefficiencies in the construction industry to launching Billd as a game-changing solution for financial growth. If you’re curious about what it takes to innovate in a niche market like construction finance—and to do it profitably—this episode is for you.

00:00 Introduction

00:28 Meet Chris Doyle

01:02 Founding Billd: The Vision and Challenges

06:25 Customer Relationships and Financial Health

08:54 Innovative Financial Solutions and Market Education

18:12 Data-Driven Decision Making and Industry Disruption

21:41 Effective Marketing Strategies for Growth

27:40 Adapting Leadership Styles in a Growing Company

33:23 Handling Economic Fluctuations and Growth Challenges

37:33 Focusing on Core Strengths and Future Plans

40:28 Decision-Making and Conviction as a CEO

45:47 Advice for Aspiring Founders

47:44 The Story Behind the Company Name

50:48 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Follow Courtney and Chris:

Connect with Courtney: 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/courtney-wasserburger-14543519/

Website: https://rightleftagency.com/

Connect with Chris: 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopherldoyle/

Website: https://billd.com/

On this episode of How They Scaled It, we take a unique turn and explore scaling in the nonprofit world with Betsy Neptune, the Executive Director of BUILD Boston. BUILD empowers high school students from under-resourced communities to become CEOs of their own lives through entrepreneurship.

Betsy shares how BUILD equips Gen Alpha with essential entrepreneurial skills like collaboration, problem-solving, and grit. We uncover BUILD’s unique approach of integrating its programs into schools, scaling through partnerships with teachers, and the crucial role of volunteer business coaches. Betsy also discusses the challenges of scaling a nonprofit sustainably in today’s economic climate and how BUILD’s impact prepares students not only for business but for life.

00:00 Introduction to How They Scaled It

00:41 Meet Betsy Neptune: Empowering Youth Through Entrepreneurship

01:51 The Origin and Evolution of BUILD

03:37 BUILD's Unique Approach to Teaching Entrepreneurship

07:25 Year One: Business Ideation and Design Thinking

11:14 Year Two: Making the Business a Reality

21:43 The Role of Business Team Coaches

26:18 Future Leaders: BUILD's Impact on Students' Careers

30:02 Challenges in Business and Workforce

31:03 Corporate Partnerships and Shared Value

31:59 Scaling BUILD: Strategies and Challenges

47:04 BUILD's National Expansion and Future Plans

51:11 Advice for Aspiring Professionals

53:32 How to Get Involved with BUILD

Learn more about Courtney, Right Left Agency, and BUILD: 

Courtney Wasserburger: LinkedIn | Right Left Agency

Betsy Neptune: BUILD.org/Boston

This week on How They Scaled It, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Alex Persson, the CEO of Privy. Alex is one of those leaders who just gets it—how to build brands that thrive by focusing on what matters most: their customers.

We dive deep into:

If you’ve ever wondered how to build real connections with your customers or want strategies to maximize your email and SMS impact, this episode is for you.

Tune in now for all the insights and actionable tips!

00:28 Meet Alex Persson: Scaling E-commerce with Privy

01:10 Customer-Centric Culture at Privy

03:04 Driving Innovation Through Customer Feedback

05:49 Measuring Success in SaaS

08:25 Challenges and Strategies in SaaS Growth

10:55 Acquisitions: Lessons and Strategies

17:31 Future Trends in E-commerce Tools

21:12 The Power of Niche Marketing

22:44 Authenticity in Email Marketing

24:39 Understanding Your Audience

27:31 The Role of Automation

30:51 Common Mistakes in Email Marketing

35:33 Future Plans for Privy

38:23 Long-Term Success Tips

39:43 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Connect with Courtney:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/courtney-wasserburger-14543519/ 

Right Left Agency: https://rightleftagency.com/about/ 

Connect with Alex: 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/perssonalex/ 

Privy: https://www.privy.com/ 

Ever wondered what sets successful influencer marketing apart from just another viral post? In this episode, I sit down with Jake Hay, partner at PopShorts, a top influencer marketing agency, to unpack the real journey behind building a lasting brand through authentic influence. From the inception of PopShorts to the complexities of financing and scaling, Jake shares invaluable insights on blending strategy with creativity in a fast-paced industry. Learn about the pivotal moments, key strategies, and challenges they faced working with top-tier brands like Disney and Netflix. This conversation reveals the tactics brands need to know to make influencer marketing work and the behind-the-scenes decisions that keep businesses thriving.

00:24 Meet Jake: Partner at PopShorts

01:07 Early Challenges in Influencer Marketing

02:25 Financial Hurdles and Scaling Strategies

04:22 Educating Clients and Building Case Studies

06:45 Adapting to Industry Changes and Trends

08:59 The Role of AI and AR/VR in Marketing

14:07 Micro vs. Macro Influencers

17:58 Paid Media and Omni-Channel Strategies

23:06 Campaign Metrics and Guarantees

23:46 Influencer Content vs. Branded Content

25:04 Identifying Real Influence

25:44 Brand Safety and Influencer Costs

26:31 Diversity in Campaigns

27:17 Digital Footprint and Content Strategy

28:45 The PopShorts Journey

32:49 Challenges of Scaling a Project-Based Business

35:04 Leadership and Internship Program

38:38 Future of Influencer Marketing and PopShorts

40:30 Final Thoughts and Advice

Learn more about Courtney and Right Left Agency: https://rightleftagency.com/

Follow Courtney and Jake:

Connect with Courtney: 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/courtney-wasserburger-14543519/

Right Left Agency: https://www.linkedin.com/company/right-left-agency/

Connect with Jake & PopShorts: 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com /in/imnotjustkiddin/

PopShorts: https://popshorts.com/

Welcome to How They Scaled It! I’m Courtney, and today, we’re going deep into the world of franchise marketing with someone who’s truly mastered the game. Meet Alex Pujji – founder of Right Left Agency and former head of growth of the franchise Pinspiration. Alex has been on an incredible journey, turning Pinspiration from a small two-location startup into a thriving franchise with over 45 locations! She’s here to break down what it takes to market and grow a franchise, sharing the strategies, grit, and key moves that made it all happen.

00:25 Meet Alex Pujji: Founder of Right Left Agency

00:53 Starting Right Left Agency: The Early Days

02:54 Choosing the Right Marketing Niche

04:29 Scaling with the Right Team

05:29 First Big Success: Pink Dust Cosmetics

07:58 Venturing into Franchising with Pinspiration

11:51 Challenges and Strategies in Franchise Marketing

23:13 The Future of Franchise Marketing

24:30 Personal Reflections and Advice

33:34 Conclusion and Farewell

Follow Courtney and Alex:

Connect with Courtney: 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/courtney-wasserburger-14543519/

Right Left Agency: https://www.linkedin.com/company/right-left-agency/

Connect with Alex: 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexpujji/

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