What a $10M Beauty Brand Does Differently Than a $1M Brand

Written By Brandi Tindall

(And How to Bridge the Gap Without Burning Out)

If you’re stuck between $1–3M in annual revenue, chances are you’re wearing too many hats, your team is a patchwork of freelancers/agencies and in-house hustlers, and your marketing strategy is… reactionary at best.

You’re not alone. Most beauty, wellness, and lifestyle founders get stuck here.

I’ve sat in the trenches with early-stage brands and dissected the strategies of those at $10M+. The difference? It’s not about doing more, it’s about doing it differently.

Here’s what $10M+ beauty brands do differently (and how to know if you’re ready for your next move):

1. They Run a Real Marketing Department (Not a Marketing Group Chat)

At $1M, it’s normal to be in Slack channels with freelancers or manually managing your own Klaviyo flows.

At $10M? There's a marketing system - not just a bunch of tasks.

👉 There’s a head of marketing (Fractional or full-time) who owns the strategy and keeps every channel accountable. 👉 They know what’s working, what’s wasting spend, and how each channel feeds the funnel. 👉 Their team isn’t just posting and praying - it’s executing a 90-day roadmap tied to business outcomes.

💡 The shift: Stop managing freelancers. Start leading a strategy.

2. They Know Their Numbers (And Make Decisions With Them)

Smaller brands often rely on gut feelings or creative whims. Larger brands? They’re making data-backed moves weekly.

A $10M brand can tell you:

  • Their MER by channel

  • Blended CAC and contribution margin

  • The LTV of customers by source

  • Email revenue per subscriber

  • Repeat rate by SKU or cohort

And because they know this, they don’t panic during slow seasons - they optimize.

💡 The shift: Move from creative-led to metrics-led marketing.

3. They Play the Long Game With Brand + Performance

At $1M, you’re likely chasing ROAS like it’s gospel.

At $10M? They’ve learned the hard way that ROAS is just part of the puzzle.

They invest in:

  • Retention: Email, SMS, loyalty programs, and CX.

  • Brand equity: Strategic storytelling, PR, influencers.

  • Acquisition diversity: Affiliates, organic, retail, paid.

And most importantly - they think beyond paid ads.

💡 The shift: If Meta ads disappeared tomorrow, could you still grow?

4. They Treat Their Business Like a Business - Not a Side Hustle

This one’s tough love.

Founders at the $1M level are often still stuck in the weeds. Founders at the $10M level? They’ve stepped out and built a leadership team - even if it’s fractional.

They’ve documented SOPs, forecasted cash flow, created a marketing calendar, and built in breathing room.

They’re not scrambling for content ideas the night before a launch.

💡 The shift: Start acting like the business you want to be, not the one you used to be.

Final Thoughts

The path from $1M to $10M isn’t a sprint - but it is a mindset shift.

It’s moving from:

  • Hustle → Systems

  • Guessing → Tracking

  • Doing → Leading

If you’re stuck in the in-between, you don’t need to do more. You need a smarter, CMO-level marketing strategy that aligns your brand, budget, and bandwidth.

And if that’s what you’re ready for - let’s talk.

P.S. I originally shared these insights in a LinkedIn article. If you want to join the dialogue or follow my insights for scaling beauty and wellness brands, connect with me there.

📩 I help 7-figure beauty, wellness, and lifestyle brands scale with sustainable strategy, smart marketing, and exit readiness. Explore my services here.

Brandi Tindall