What does it take to build a 7-figure beauty brand without Amazon, big box retail, or plastic packaging?

In this episode of The eCom Growth Show, Danan Coleman is joined by Kate Assaraf, founder of DIP, to talk about building a sustainability-forward haircare brand that’s thriving by doing things differently. From launching salon-quality shampoo and conditioner bars to championing women-owned refill stores across the country, Kate shares how she turned frustration with “greenwashed” products into a fast-growing brand with real impact.

This conversation goes beyond eCommerce strategy. Kate opens up about the plastic crisis, the hidden frustrations behind sustainable shopping, why most “eco-friendly” products fail to win repeat buyers, and how she built a loyal customer base by focusing on product performance first. She also shares why keeping DIP off Amazon was a values-based business decision, how understanding the customer shaped every part of the brand, and what founders should know before starting a product business today.

If you care about brand building, sustainability, customer psychology, retention, honest marketing, and building an eCommerce business with intention, this episode is packed with insights.

In this episode, we cover:

• How Kate built a 7-figure brand outside Amazon

• Why DIP focuses on refill stores and independent retail

• The real problem with many sustainable products

• What customers actually want from plastic-free beauty

• How to build a brand around values without sacrificing growth

• The role of AI in beauty marketing and product development

• Why customer understanding matters more than trends

• What it means to grow a business without losing your mission

🔗 Connect with Kate Assaraf:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kate-assaraf-b25a741a7/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dipalready/

Website: www.dipalready.com

⏰ Timestamps:

00:00 Intro

00:44 Meet Kate Assaraf and the story behind DIP

02:24 Why plastic-free haircare became her mission

07:32 How Kate built a 7-figure brand off Amazon

11:33 What pushed her to create DIP

16:03 The problem DIP was designed to solve

17:34 Kate’s goals for the company

19:04 Saving money with long-lasting haircare

21:20 Building products for every hair type in one household

24:29 Why daily-use haircare matters

28:55 How to build a business that lasts without pushing volume

31:55 Growing a company without losing the human side

35:08 The difference between fragrance-free and unscented

41:20 AI in beauty: opportunity vs. risk

47:24 Why ethical profit matters in business

52:18 Kate’s advice for anyone starting a brand today

56:30 How she studied real customer behavior before launching

59:22 Why DIP refuses to sell on Amazon

01:01:12 Building community through independent retail

01:05:10 Where to find DIP

01:06:21 Final thoughts

#TheeComGrowthShow #SustainableBeauty #HaircareBrand

KEEP IN TOUCH:

🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danancoleman

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ecomgrowthshow

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🐦 X (Twitter): https://x.com/eComGrowthShow

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@eComGrowthShow

Danan Coleman is an expert in the Amazon field. He's been actively selling on Amazon since 2010 and in the SaaS and Service network for Amazon sellers since 2018. After helping companies like ManageByStats and Carbon6 scale and be sold, he started his eCom Triage [https://ecomtriage.com] to help sellers with solutions to complicated and seemingly impossible tasks like removing negative reviews and detecting critical and detrimental changes to your product detail pages. He also consults both brands and agencies in the Amazon space.