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The Failure Factor

Where entrepreneurs get real about their stories and turn failures into lessons for success.   Hosted by Megan Bruneau, The Failure Factor explores the journey of business owners, entrepreneurs and thought leaders who have faced significant challenges, persevered through adversity, and emerged triumphant providing listeners with insights to navigate their own entrepreneurial paths   There's a myth out there that failure is career-ending and that success is achieved without any bumps in the road. In reality, it's surviving rock bottom what gives entrepreneurs the experience, confidence and edge that ultimately causes them to thrive.   Packed with actionable insights, vulnerability, and inspiration, each episode aims to help you navigate your own challenges and grow stronger through adversity.
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Branch Basics Co-Founder Allison Evans on Healing From Chronic Illness, Failing Publicly, and Rebuilding to $50M 0
Dec 3, 2025

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 

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