Building a Seven-Figure Sustainable Business: Lessons from Dip Hair Care with Kate Assaraf, CEO and Founder, DIP Hair Care

What You’ll Learn from This Blog:

How Dip Hair Care built a purpose-led, seven-figure sustainable brand.
What real sustainability means beyond packaging in the beauty industry.
Why community-first growth helped Dip outperform traditional retail routes.

Introduction:

In the ever-evolving landscape of entrepreneurship, the journey of building a brand is filled with challenges and triumphs. If you’re interested in entrepreneurship, sustainability, or the ever-evolving beauty industry, there’s a lot to learn from Kate Assaraf, founder and CEO of Dip Haircare , as discussed on the Product & Packaging Powerhouse podcast, hosted by Megan Young Gamble.

If you’re launching a sustainable beauty brand, or just curious about sustainable businesses, this episode is a must-listen. 🎧 Listen to the full podcast episode HERE

1. Start with Purpose, Not Just Packaging

Dip Hair Care isn’t your average beauty brand. Kate Assaraf launched Dip to meet her own need for truly effective, plastic-free hair care products after growing tired of “hoity-toity marketing” and eco-friendly options that lacked performance. The goal? Make sustainability feel fun, accessible, and high performing, for every hair type in the family.

2. Sustainable Business Means More Than Packaging

As Kate Assaraf points out, the beauty industry often addresses sustainability superficially, focusing solely on packaging. True sustainability, however, should consider ingredient sourcing, ethical labor, operational impacts, and consumer habits. For Dip, this includes careful evaluation of synthetic versus natural fragrances and a commitment to using great fill dead stock bottles, proving that a “perfect” look doesn’t matter as much as keeping plastics out of landfills.

3. Community Above Convenience

Rather than launching on Amazon or big box retail, Dip Hair Care built momentum by partnering with local refilleries and retailers, intentionally forgoing e-commerce’s allure of convenience. Kate Assaraf believes that supporting local businesses is a vital part of sustainability: not just for the planet, but for the economic health of our communities.

4. Iterate, Listen, and Lead Authentically

Building a seven-figure business took over 40 reformulations, endless feedback sessions with diverse focus groups (“your meanest friends are the best testers!”), and genuine transparency in marketing. Kate Assaraf also emphasizes the karmic value of supporting your network and paying forward success through donations and bonuses.

Conclusion

The conversation with Kate Assaraf and Megan Young Gamble offers a wealth of knowledge for entrepreneurs and sustainability-focused brands. If you want to build a sustainable brand that resonates, follow Kate’s playbook: prioritize purpose, serve your community, embrace radical transparency, and never lose your sense of humor. Success and real impact will follow.

Ready to take your brand from idea to impact? Megan Young Gamble and GLC help founders bring products to life with purpose, strategy, and sustainability. Tune into the Product & Packaging Powerhouse™ Podcast for more real founder stories and actionable insights to power your next launch.

🎧 Listen to the full podcast episode HERE

Kate’s Bio – Kate Assaraf is the founder of Dip, a seven-figure sustainable haircare brand built without Amazon or big-box retailers. Named NJ Mompreneur of the Year in 2024 and a Forbes contributor, Kate has become a voice for ethical entrepreneurship and independent retail. Through Dip, she’s empowering a community of refill shops, small businesses, and eco-conscious consumers to prove that sustainability can be both effective and empowering.