In the fast-paced world of beauty and personal care, it’s rare to find a brand that prioritizes mental health. Sisters Sadie Bowler, 16, and Abby Bowler, 18, began their entrepreneurial journey in their own bathroom, when they realized existing products were all about “fixing” appearances rather than nurturing overall well-being. This gap in the market, combined with personal experience facing mental health challenges, inspired them to create a line of hair and body care products that would address more than outward appearances.
Together, the Bowler sisters founded SadieB, a cruelty-free personal care brand that features shampoo, conditioner, and body wash. With a brand that prioritizes body, mind, and the Earth, the company has been noticed by big retailers like Target, which gave it shelf space in more than 500 stores nationwide. While this meteoric rise is a testament to the hard work of these entrepreneurs, one can’t ignore the support provided by their robust network of mentors, who guided them through the complexities of business.
Ahead, discover how these founders identified and leveraged impactful mentors to build their brand.
Starting close to home
Chris Bowler, the sisters’ father, was their first and most consistent mentor. Having founded a charcuterie company in 2008, he had previous experience in the consumer packaged goods (CPG) space. Meeting weekly, he helped SadieB navigate everything from product development to financial planning. This regular guidance laid the foundation for the sisters’ business acumen and gave them the confidence to pursue their vision.
But the Bowlers didn’t stop there. They knew that to disrupt the beauty industry, they needed to expand their network beyond family. So, they took to the streets of their neighborhood—quite literally.
In a serendipitous encounter on their sidewalk, they struck up a conversation with their neighbor, Beau Oyler, the founder of Enlisted Design, an agency that specializes in branding. They got to talking about the Bowlers’ vision for SadieB and the inspiration and passion behind the brand. This conversation led to a crucial partnership. Beau believed in Sadie and Abby, and agreed to work with them to shape SadieB’s brand identity and packaging design. To afford Beau’s services, SadieB ended up swapping equity in the company in exchange for Enlisted Design’s brand work.
Leveraging community events
Abby credits the brand’s Target partnership to a connection made at a networking event. “Within Utah, there’s a really strong female founder network,” she says. At one such event, she met Cherie Hoeger, founder of Saalt Period Care, who later introduced her to a broker that helped secure their Target deal.
She suggests, when possible, business leaders attend industry events and founder meetups in their area. These gatherings can be goldmines for meeting potential sponsors and mentors that can lead to a brand making game-changing connections.
Seeking out people with complementary skills
“Often in entrepreneurship, or to build a business, you need so many different skill sets. And it’s rare that any one person would have all of those skill sets,” Abby says. Throughout their journey, Sadie and Abby continually sought out experts with complementary skills.
When Abby needed to learn bookkeeping, she reached out to a family friend with accounting experience who walked her through the process. This hands-on mentorship approach allowed the sisters to quickly acquire the diverse skills needed to run a successful business. Abby says founders should Identify gaps in their knowledge base and seek people they know who can fill those gaps. This could include experts in other industries or fields like finance, marketing, or operations/logistics.
Creating a chain of connections
Networking can feel like a daunting task. Abby suggests thinking of it as a chain. “Our experience has been, you connect with one person ... and then that person knew a packaging expert, and that person [knew someone else],” she explains.
The cofounders constantly seek guidance, and stay curious throughout their process, helping them build a brand that’s not only commercially successful but also making a positive impact on girls’ mental health.
Even the youngest founders can disrupt an established market and create meaningful change with the right mentors and a clear vision. Check out the full Shopify Masters episode to hear Sadie and Abby share more advice they’ve learned from growing SadieB and finding great mentors.
