952 Kate Assaraf: More Heads to Turn

How to Build a Brand without Advertising, Amazon or Influencer Gimmicks

Microplastics are in everything, including a lot of what we eat, drink and put on our skin, and now, even in the nucleus of our cells, including human blood and organs, where they can cause damage to our DNA. Research shows these microscopic plastics cause inflammation and can lead to diseases like cancer. 

That’s why Kate Assaraf set out to build a truly plastics-free hair care line that’s good for us, good for the planet, and delivers results.

Kate founded Dip Sustainable Hair Care out of genuine frustration with the sustainability space. Tired of the “plastic-free at all costs, performance be damned” narrative and marketing tactics that overwhelmed consumers, she asked herself a crucial question: What if a brand treated customers with respect and focused on real results?

That has meant a strategy for her plastic-free shampoo and hair conditioner bars that means no Amazon, no big box retailers, no relentless advertising, and no paid influencers—and a brand she’s grown organically to a 7-figure business.

Today Kate shares how she doubled-down on “better than salon quality” results, so her customers couldn’t help but rave about it and share it with friends—all without plastic waste or a luxury price tag. And unlike the typical startup chase for hypergrowth, Kate is purposely building Dip for sustainable, measured growth: Her products are made locally, teams grow at a manageable pace without burnout, and she encourages customers to 

support local refill stores and keep their dollars in the community instead of feeding giant corporations.

Kate is also a Forbes columnist, and a mom of two who proves that entrepreneurship and motherhood can coexist without burnout—by prioritizing presence, purpose, and smart business choices. Kate has been featured in Allure, Cosmopolitan, Modern Salon, and The Unwash, was named NJ’s Mompreneur of the Year (2024), and was honored as a “Woman of Courage” by Insigniam Quarterly. She’s passionate about helping other moms in business build profitable brands without sacrificing their families, values, or sanity.

More about Kate Assaraf at www.dipalready.com

Create and share clips of your favorite moments of this or any other podcast episode on across social media via Podopolo, and join the conversation with Kate and me in the Wings episode comments section.

More about Kate at Dip Already

Kate Assaraf is a serial entrepreneur and the founder and CEO of Dip Sustainable Hair Care, building a 7-figure beauty brand without Amazon, big-box retailers, or influencer gimmicks. Kate is also a Forbes columnist, and a mom of two who proves that entrepreneurship and motherhood can coexist without burnout—by prioritizing presence, purpose, and smart business choices. Kate has been featured in Allure, Cosmopolitan, Modern Salon, and The Unwash, was named NJ’s Mompreneur of the Year (2024), and was honored as a “Woman of Courage” by Insigniam Quarterly. She’s passionate about helping other moms in business build profitable brands without sacrificing their families, values, or sanity.

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