Jess Hatzis Turned a $10k Investment into a $100M Skincare Business
You know Australian beauty biz Frank Body for its cheeky branding and legendary coffee scrub. The brand was initially bootstrapped as a side hustle after the founders pooled together $10,000. By the end of their third year in business, Frank hit $20M in sales, and by 2024 the brand is reportedly targeting $100M in annual revenue.
Launching in 2013, (peak Valencia filter era), Frank Body was one of the first brands to take Instagram really seriously. The team was posting every hour of the day—before scheduling apps existed. Jess and her cofounders set alarm through the night to post regularly and reach their global audience.
They were OGs of UGC and one of the first brands to get customers posting about their beauty products and shower routine online.
Building the distinct, cheeky voice of Frank has been key to standing out in a very noisy beauty space.
“Don't try and replicate what other people have done. Really understand the target audience and the values of your brand. How do we talk with people in a way that reflects those values? It was that foundation that allowed us to create the voice.”
Once Frank Body started hitting on Instagram and getting significant ecommerce traction, the next challenge was to be taken seriously as an effective brand, and not just an “Instagram trend”.
They worked on brand positioning and earned credibility by partnering with respected retailers. Frank spoke about its trend-forward reputation, younger customer demographic and digital know-how when pitching retailers.
After five years the team finally took on outside investment, ultimately looking for a strategic partnership with someone who could offer tons of experience. Unilever Ventures became Frank Body's first non-founding board member.
Four years later they raised money from a China-based private equity firm to support their launch into the region, valuing the brand at $100M.
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