Bringing a Pioneering Skincare Brand Into Its Next Era — With Modern Scale
Written by: Rio Callans
Brought Sage Skincare — a 30-year legacy brand — into its next era by transforming founder-led operations into a scalable direct-to-consumer business. Translated the founder’s clinical vision into modern systems, subscriptions, and digital education — creating predictable revenue, freeing her from daily bottlenecks, and positioning the brand for sustainable growth while honoring its legacy and founder’s vision.
Brand
Sage Skincare — a beloved heritage brand built by paramedical esthetician Barbara Strickland. Known across St. Louis for her education-first philosophy, Barbara spent decades traveling and teaching, creating clinical-grade, aloe-based formulas that delivered visible results long before they were mainstream.
Sage Advice by Sage Skincare was a pioneer in corrective skincare, combining paramedical expertise with advanced ingredients rarely seen in independent brands at the time. The line offered non-comedogenic, aloe-based formulations enriched with peptides, acetyl hexapeptide-8, and plant stem cells—years before these ingredients became standard.
Stage
Founder-Led | B2C Skincare | 30+ Year Legacy | Transitioning from word-of-mouth favorite to scalable direct-to-consumer model
The Challenge
Legacy Brand, Founder-Dependent Operations
Barbara wasn’t just the founder — she was the brand. She formulated every product (often custom blended), led all education, managed fulfillment, and held all institutional knowledge. The formulas had decades of credibility, but the business ran entirely on her shoulders:
No operational infrastructure or digital systems
No automated fulfillment, CRM, or subscription programs
An outdated website lacking SEO, modern UX, and optimized product photography
Limited brand assets or marketing channels beyond word-of-mouth
Scaling impossible without duplicating the founder
The challenge: modernize and scale without diluting what made Sage special — its clinical rigor, education-first ethos, and founder’s personal touch.
The Approach
I joined as Sage as second-in-command across operations, systems, and brand strategy. My role was to translate the founder's vision into a scale-ready, B2C business while keeping the integrity of the clinical philosophy intact.
Phase 1 — Foundation and Alignment
Audited workflows and identified bottlenecks in fulfillment, vendor management, and customer education
Built Sage’s first CRM and post-purchase automation to support personalized regimens
Overhauled inventory, production, and vendor communication; order turnaround cut from 3 days to 1
Negotiated suppliers and reduced costs by 30% while improving product quality
Implemented KPI dashboards (orders, repeat rate, COGS, AOV) and monthly budget vs. actuals
Modernized branding with updated labeling, SEO web content, product photography, and educational tools
Phase 2 — Digital Scale and Recurring Revenue
Launched subscription kits and “Try Me” sample packs to create predictable revenue
Established a subscription program with 300+ monthly recurring customers in year one, contributing ~25% of sales
Introduced virtual skincare analysis, enabling national and international expansion
Created branded protocols and training tools to replicate Barbara’s clinical expertise online — including the “Remember to Ice” method with reusable ice cubes
Optimized e-commerce funnel, UX, and email campaigns; online customer base up 150% in 18 months
Standardized brand voice and messaging for consistent education-driven marketing across email, web, and social
Sage advice aloe-based formulations enriched with peptides, acetyl hexapeptide-8, and plant stem cells — years before these ingredients became mainstream
Ingredient-focused marketing piece designed to build trust with label-reading, sensitive-skin, and acne-prone consumers — highlighting Sage’s hero mask and education-first philosophy through transparent, benefit-driven storytelling
Key Results
Predictable Revenue: Subscription program stabilized cash flow and drove ~25% of sales in its first year
Customer Retention: Returning customers increased by 45% through lifecycle automation and personalized education
Operational Efficiency: Fulfillment cut from 3 days to 1; ingredient delays reduced by 30%
Market Reach: Online customer base grew 150% in 18 months, fueling 40% total revenue growth
Founder Leverage: Freed Barbara from daily operations, enabling focus on innovation, formulation, and high-level client care
Brand Elevation: Modernized visuals, refreshed digital presence, and clinical protocols positioned Sage as both heritage and high-performance
Scale-Ready Systems: Documented SOPs, QA workflows, and operating cadence made the brand sustainable beyond the founder
Outcome
Sage Skincare evolved from a founder-reliant legacy practice into a scale-ready direct-to-consumer brand. Every touchpoint — from fulfillment to marketing — reflected Barbara’s philosophy while freeing her to innovate and deepen client relationships.
This work became a blueprint for my approach today at Soluna Partners: partnering with visionary founders to align brand and systems, modernize operations, and build frameworks that allow them to scale without compromising their core values.
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