A near-fatal business crisis, while painful, offers a rare chance to rebuild. Founder Sarah LaFleur views surviving COVID-driven store closures and layoffs as an opportunity to implement lessons learned and build a more resilient company the second time around.
In a refill-based business model, the consumable scents or ingredients will change, but the reusable vessel remains. Therefore, the vessel's design must be unmistakably beautiful. It's the enduring physical object that builds brand recognition and emotional resonance with the customer in their home.
There's a critical distinction between founding a company and effectively running it as a CEO. Founder Sarah LaFleur notes that while she had the vision from day one, it took ten years to master the operational skills, people management, and financial acumen required of a true CEO.
Focusing on a customer's mindset and shared values (a psychographic) rather than their age (a demographic) allows a brand to appeal to a wider audience. M.M. LaFleur successfully sells to professional women from their late 20s to their late 50s by targeting a shared professional identity.
A massive PR event like an appearance on Shark Tank can skyrocket sales temporarily, but this surge is rarely sustainable. The founder of Soar saw sales jump from $120k to $440k, only to fall back to $105k the next year, highlighting the need to plan for the inevitable normalization.
A purely direct-to-consumer model is challenging for a single, niche product. Instead of broad performance marketing, Tick Socks was advised to pursue B2B2C partnerships with summer camps. This highly targeted channel directly reaches the ideal customer (parents) at the point of need, offering a more capital-efficient growth path.
The marketing appeal of "eco-friendly" may be waning. For a brand like Siblings refillable candles, a more powerful angle is to position the product as a form of modern luxury: owning fewer, higher-quality, permanent items. This shifts the focus from environmental obligation to aspirational lifestyle and superior design.
According to founder Sarah LaFleur, the most critical CEO job is managing one's own mental and emotional state. She emphasizes that navigating the immense self-doubt inherent in entrepreneurship requires dedicated tools like mental strength coaching and meditation, which are essential for survival and leadership.
To overcome price objections for a premium product in a commodity category, reframe the value proposition. Instead of selling "expensive socks," Tick Socks should sell "a summer's worth of protection" from tick-borne illnesses. This shifts the customer's focus from the item's cost to the invaluable peace of mind it provides.