They were best friends from Georgetown — one burning out on Wall Street watching her skin deteriorate, the other finishing medical school while obsessing over skincare science. Together they built 4AM Skin, a circadian rhythm skincare brand backed by Nobel Prize winning science that says the opposite of everything the skincare industry has been telling you. From bootstrapping on $80K for three years to closing a $4 million round with Kaboo, landing in 1,745 Target stores, and selling out four times on TikTok Shop — and doing all of it while one of them finished her medical degree — this is the startup story you need to hear.
In this episode, we cover: • Why waiting to raise money was the best decision they ever made and what they learned bootstrapping first • Why doing less with your skincare is actually backed by Nobel Prize winning science • What it really takes to go from idea to nationwide retail distribution • How to build a brand that breaks every rule and still wins • The co-founder dynamic that actually works and how two best friends keep it that way • Why timing is everything when it comes to retail and fundraising
Tune in to hear how two best friends built one of the most exciting skincare brands right now — on their own terms, on their own timeline, and without ever compromising on what they believed in.
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