How to Build a $100M Brand Without Raising a Dollar | Peach & Lily

Alicia Yoon, founder of Peach & Lily, reveals how she built a $100M K-beauty brand from scratch without venture capital. In this exclusive Foundr Podcast interview, you’ll learn the exact steps she took to break into major retailers like Ulta and Walmart, introduce viral skincare trends like “glass skin” and snail mucin to the Western market, and scale Peach & Lily into one of the most trusted beauty brands in the world. Whether you’re an aspiring eCommerce founder or a mid-stage entrepreneur looking to grow sustainably, this interview is packed with proven strategies and insights on branding, product development, retail expansion, and disciplined growth.

What you’ll learn from this interview:
• How Alicia turned her personal struggle with eczema into a $100M brand
• The bootstrapping strategies she used to survive with just $7 in her bank account
• Why she rejected VC funding and scaled Peach & Lily sustainably
• The disciplined growth framework that kept the business profitable
• How to identify market gaps and launch products that truly resonate
• The strategy behind breaking into retailers like Ulta, Walmart, and CVS
• Why longevity beats virality in brand-building and how to stay consumer-focused

By the end of this interview, you’ll walk away with a blueprint for building a resilient, founder-led brand that consumers trust, retailers want, and competitors can’t copy—so you can apply the same principles to accelerate your own eCommerce journey.
TIMECODES
00:00 - Intro
01:18 - Growing Up With Eczema & Discovering K-Beauty
04:03 - Why She Left Wall Street to Start Peach & Lily
07:25 - Building a Brand Without Outside Investors
10:14 - How She Introduced K-Beauty to the U.S. Market
13:42 - Overcoming Early Challenges & Skeptics
17:01 - Her Philosophy on Customer Experience & Product Quality
20:19 - The Breakthrough Moment That Put Peach & Lily on the Map
23:56 - Building Trust Through Education & Transparency
27:43 - Expanding the Brand While Staying True to the Mission
31:12 - Lessons in Leadership, Grit & Adaptability
34:28 - How She Balances Growth With Self-Care
37:40 - Alicia’s Advice for First-Time Founders
40:02 - Closing Thoughts & Key Takeaways