After disrupting the billion-dollar men's footwear industry with his premium, Italian-crafted sneaker brand, which was sold to Steve Madden, Ryan Babenzien set out to launch another D2C business. But this time with unmatched thoughtfulness and intentionality. He asked himself a simple question… What criteria does my next product need, in order for it to become a major success?  After determining that framework, he launched Jolie Skin Co.— a beauty and wellness brand that brought in more than $4M in its first year. In today’s episode, Ryan lets you in on the framework that disrupted an industry and revolutionized an antiquated product. You’ll learn about the “X-factor” that every founder should pray for, the shower subscription model he used to add $2M+ ARR, and one of the biggest mistakes he sees from first-time founders. Key Takeaways with Ryan Babenzien The backstory on how Ryan founded Greats, which he says is the world's first digital native footwear brand. The business framework Ryan focused on to build a business that did $4M in the first year. The value in making a product “identifiable by its DNA” — and how Ryan used Nest as inspiration. How Ryan hit $2M ARR in one year by implementing a SaaS model into a product business. What Ryan believes is the most valuable voice you can tie to your brand. Getting 12 million views from a TikTok and the “magic” of user-generated content. The "severe" mistake Ryan made with raising capital. The two huge lessons Ryan learned from selling his first company that he incorporated into building Jolie Skin Co. Why Ryan believes founders have to "learn how to say no." A blunder Ryan often sees from first-time founders. Where Ryan thinks a lot of D2C businesses go "upside down." Want the Full Show Notes? To get access to the full show notes, including audio, transcripts, and links to all the resources mentioned, visit Retention.com/10 Rate & Review If you enjoyed today’s episode of Ten Years In The Making, hit the subscribe button on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen, so future episodes are automatically downloaded directly to your device. Connect with Adam Robinson: LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamtalksemail/  Get The Podcast on: APPLE: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/10-years-in-the-making/id1656993308 SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/show/4LPWNrljdXFv0caHvfQUIv?si=qiHzoPUdR-6TSgUJOiwyrw YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBJe-176R0xRyfb9eBk80Yg?sub_confirmation=1