Dana Roberts spent years watching fifth-grade girls panic through their first periods with ill-fitting products and no preparation. The period care aisle hadn't changed in decades. Same brands. Same sizing that was never designed for a 10-year-old's body.
When she pitched the idea to her god-sister, Dr. Monica Williams, she got a polite brush-off. Years later, Monica's own daughter started showing signs of puberty, and suddenly the problem wasn't theoretical anymore.
What followed was a brutal education in bootstrapping: cycling through agencies, surviving iOS 14.5, and funding an entire company through pitch competitions because traditional VCs wouldn't write checks. Last year, a three-minute pitch won them $1 million from Pharrell Williams. Then Ulta told them to change their name if they wanted shelf space. They did it in 90 days.
Now Scarlet by RedDrop is in almost 400 stores trying to fix something the industry ignored for generations.
GUEST LINKS
- Scarlet by RedDrop: tryreddrop.com
- Ulta product page: ulta.com/brand/scarlet-by-reddrop
- Black Ambition Prize: blackambitionprize.com
- Klaviyo: klaviyo.com
- Smart Marketer: smartmarketer.com
SPONSORS
- Swym - Wishlists, Back in Stock alerts, & more getswym.com/kurt
- Cleverific - Smart order editing for Shopify cleverific.com
- Zipify - Build high-converting sales funnels zipify.com/KURT
WORK WITH KURT
- Apply for Shopify Help: ethercycle.com/apply
- See Our Results: ethercycle.com/work
- Free Newsletter: kurtelster.com
The Unofficial Shopify Podcast is hosted by Kurt Elster and explores the stories behind successful Shopify stores. Get actionable insights, practical strategies, and proven tactics from entrepreneurs who've built thriving ecommerce businesses.
