Mari Llewellyn, co-founder of Bloom Nutrition, joins The Failure Factor to share the unpolished story behind building a wellness brand that grew from $5 fitness PDFs into a multi-category company selling nationwide at Target, Walmart, and beyond.
Mari didn’t set out to be an entrepreneur. After hitting a personal rock bottom in college, she rebuilt her confidence through fitness, consistency, and keeping small promises to herself. That personal transformation sparked an online community—one built on vulnerability, free value, and trust—long before Bloom ever existed.
In this conversation, Mari reflects on the scrappy early days of selling digital products through Instagram DMs, launching supplements without outside capital, learning publicly, and navigating the pressure of being both founder and face of the brand. She also opens up about missteps, including products she chose to walk away from, scaling beyond her personal identity, and what it’s been like to run a fast-growing company while going through IVF and redefining her priorities.
This episode is a grounded look at building something meaningful without waiting to feel “ready.”
Key Takeaways and Topics
Rebuilding confidence after personal rock bottom
Turning free content into sustainable business models
Why she started with digital products, not physical ones
Learning entrepreneurship without formal training
The risks of being both founder and brand
Starting before things feel “perfect”
When to listen to feedback—and when to pivot
Owning product mistakes publicly
Scaling beyond a personal brand
Navigating IVF while leading a company
Letting seasons of life reshape leadership
Why trust compounds faster than hype
The Failure Factor Podcast was brought to you by Off The Field Coaching. Explore working with one of our coaches at http://offthefieldcoaching.com
Hosted by Megan Bruneau: therapist, executive coach, speaker, Forbes contributor, and host of The Failure Factor. For more info, visit https://meganbruneau.com
Subscribe to the podcast newsletter at https://thefailurefactorpodcast.com
Follow Mari Llewellyn:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marillewellyn
Bloom Nutrition:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bloomsupps
Hosted by Megan Bruneau:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meganjbruneau/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/megan-j-bruneau-m-a-rcc
Branch Basics Co-Founder Allison Evans shares the story behind one of today's fastest-growing human-safe cleaning brands—serving 240,000+ households and generating $50M annually.
What began as Allison’s search for answers to debilitating chronic pain in college became the blueprint for a mission-driven company rooted in integrity and transparency. But at the height of early success—$2M in revenue, nine employees, and a passionate customer base—Allison and her co-founders made an unthinkable call: shutting the company down after discovering they couldn’t verify a key ingredient in their hero product.
In this conversation, Allison walks through the shame, backlash, and financial fallout of that decision—while pregnant—along with the 18-month rebuild that followed. From becoming accidental chemists to restoring customer trust to scaling into 600+ Target stores, her story is a case study in resilience and values-driven leadership.
It's the founder dilemma no one talks about: when doing the right thing means risking everything.
Key Takeaways and Topics
The chronic health crisis that sparked Allison’s mission toward toxin-free living
The early growth of Branch Basics—and the ingredient controversy that halted it
Navigating public criticism, refunds, layoffs, and an IRS audit simultaneously
Rebuilding from scratch: 100+ reformulation attempts and finding the right partners
How transparency, community, and mission made a comeback possible
The mindset shift required to lead through shame, uncertainty, and pregnancy
The role of content and education in driving long-term customer loyalty
Lessons on partnership, boundaries, and sustainable founder capacity
The Failure Factor Podcast was brought to you by Off The Field Coaching. Explore working with one of our coaches at http://offthefieldcoaching.com
Hosted by Megan Bruneau: therapist, executive coach, speaker, Forbes contributor, and host of The Failure Factor. For more info, visit https://meganbruneau.com
Branch Basics: https://branchbasics.com
Branch Basics Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/branchbasics
Megan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meganjbruneau
Megan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/megan-j-bruneau-m-a-rcc
Subscribe to the podcast newsletter at https://thefailurefactorpodcast.com