My ear-piercing business brings in $70 million a year
An entrepreneur discusses building a successful ear-piercing business that generates $70 million annually, despite initial skepticism about customer retention. She raised $25 million across multiple funding rounds and emphasizes that passion and business fundamentals matter more than founder gender.
Summary
The founder of a major ear-piercing business shares her journey of building a $70 million company in the face of early doubts. Critics questioned the business model's viability, arguing that unlike restaurants, ear-piercing wouldn't have weekly recurring customers. However, she recognized the continuous market opportunity through new third-graders, newborn babies, and customers building 'ear stacks' with multiple piercings as a form of self-expression. The entrepreneurial journey included many challenging moments where she considered giving up but persevered through determination. The company's funding journey spanned several years, beginning with $5 million in seed capital, followed by a Series A in spring 2021, and culminating in a $20 million Series B round by fall of the same year, totaling $25 million raised. She advocates for gender-neutral evaluation of founders, emphasizing that success depends on being a confident CEO with a profitable, growing business that serves industry needs. The founder measures success not just in financial terms but through the emotional impact - witnessing customers' joy, smiles, and family celebrations after getting piercings.
Key Insights
- The founder recognized a continuous market opportunity through new third-graders, babies being born, and customers building full ear stacks to celebrate themselves, despite critics saying the business wouldn't have recurring customers like restaurants
- The entrepreneur experienced many days when she wanted to give up but kept going, which ultimately led to the company's success
- The company raised approximately $25 million total across multiple rounds: $5 million in seed capital, then a Series A in spring 2021, followed by a $20 million Series B by fall 2021
- The founder argues that gender shouldn't matter for founders, stating that if your business can make money, grow a following, and serve industry needs, you'll have a successful business
- The founder measures success through customer emotions, specifically the piercings, smiles, clapping, and family joy that follow, emphasizing that success is about the joy they're bringing
Topics
Transcript
[0:00] I was being told that the business idea was not going to be successful because I wasn't going to, like a restaurant, have recurring [music] customers every week. When I knew that there was always a new grade of third [music] graders. There were always babies being born. And people were getting lots of piercings. They were building a full beautiful ear stack [music] so that they could celebrate themselves. There were many days when I wanted to give up. And I would just have to keep [music] going. And ultimately that got us to where we needed to be. [0:31] We raised money over a period of years. We raised about $5 million in seed capital. Then we…
Full transcript available for MurmurCast members
Sign Up to AccessMore from CNBC Make It
I Hid A Speakeasy In A Gas Station – Now The Business Brings In About $5 Million A Year
Tony Donatell owns The Farmer's Cellar, a hidden speakeasy disguised behind a cooler door in a gas station convenience store in Lakeville, Minnesota, which generated nearly $5 million in revenue in its first year. The business succeeded by creating an authentic 1920s experience using salvaged antiques, maintaining a 70/30 drinks-to-food sales mix with high cocktail margins, and leveraging the novelty of discovery to attract customers.
Don't listen to this modern dating rule
Modern dating culture promotes emotional avoidance as a strategy, but clinical evidence shows that vulnerability and direct communication actually build real intimacy. Asking for reassurance isn't weakness; it's a sign of emotional maturity and courage.
The Internet's Grandma & Granddaughter Advice Duo On Dating, Marriage And Family
Kim Murstein and her 79-year-old grandmother Gail discuss how the American Dream has evolved across generations, exploring redefined definitions of success, changing attitudes toward traditional milestones like marriage and homeownership, and the importance of bridging generational gaps through family connection and mutual respect.
I chased my dessert-making dreams — now my ice cream business brings in $2.8M/year
An ice cream entrepreneur shares how she turned a Friendsgiving dessert recipe into Malai, a $2.8M/year ice cream business inspired by her grandmother's Indian spice blend. She emphasizes the importance of bootstrapping with minimal funding, gathering customer data through surveys, and how early press coverage from the New York Times propelled business growth.
I'm A Teen That Buys Abandoned Storage Units — My Side Hustle Brings In $135,000/Year
Michael Haskell, an 18-year-old entrepreneur, discusses his successful side hustle of buying and selling items from abandoned storage units, generating approximately $135,000 in revenue in 2025. He shares insights into his auction strategies, financial management, and future business aspirations.