We were lucky to catch up with Amy Kapolnek recently and have shared our conversation below.

Amy, appreciate you joining us today. It’s easy to look at a business or industry as an outsider and assume it’s super profitable – but we’ve seen over and over again in our conversation with folks that most industries have factors that make profitability a challenge. What’s biggest challenge to profitability in your industry?

Profitability in the my industries isn’t just about having a great product – it’s about navigating the growing tension between rising costs and shrinking resources. For my clients – self-funded indie businesses – that balance has become even harder to find.

Right now, we’re seeing a perfect storm: customer acquisition costs are higher than ever, brand loyalty is more fleeting and tariffs are driving up production and supply chain expenses across the board. Add in rising labor and cost-of-living, and suddenly, every dollar is under scrutiny.

The reality is that indie beauty brands were already being asked to do more with less and these new costs only make that gap wider. When operational costs climb, the first thing to get squeezed is often the marketing budget. But marketing isn’t a nice-to-have; it’s the growth engine. I’m seeing this play out in real time with clients – brands are having to make tough calls about where to allocate every single dollar.

That often means pulling back on awareness-driving efforts like paid media, influencer collaborations, content creation and sampling to cover rising production costs. And for small brands trying to compete in a crowded market, losing visibility can be a literal death sentence. (We saw this firsthand in COVID with the astronomical rise of customer acquisition costs.)

The hardest part? There’s no margin for error. Without millions in venture backing, founders have to place extremely smart, strategic bets and that often means zeroing in on what actually drives acquisition and retention. It’s forcing indie brands to double down on owned channels, strengthen their customer journey, lean heavily into community building and create systems that convert casual interest into long-term loyalty. Every decision has to work harder, go further and deliver real return.

But when costs rise and capital is limited, there’s only so far you can stretch. That’s the real strain – not just the dollars, but the decisions they’re now forced to make and the (additional) sacrifices that come with it. Do you cut marketing? Delay your next hire even though you desperately need manpower? Push back your new product launch you’ve spent the last year and a half formulating and planning? None of those choices are easy but for indie brands, they’re the new reality.

Amy, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I’m the founder of the fwrd group, a growth consulting firm built specifically for indie, female-founded businesses that are stepping into their next phase of growth and expansion. I’ve spent nearly two decades in the beauty, wellness and CPG worlds, from launching global brands like Gucci Beauty and Olay to working side-by-side with founders building something from the ground up.

In 2014, I launched the fwrd group because I kept seeing the same thing over and over again: visionary founders building incredible brands, but doing it without the strategic support they actually needed.

Today, I serve as a Strategic Advisor and Fractional CMO to emerging and scaling businesses, offering annual growth planning, ongoing advisory and executive-level leadership. My sweet spot is helping brands get out of the weeds, focus on what’s actually working and build a plan for what’s next. I’ve been in the rooms where strategy is made and where the real work gets done, which is why I know what it really takes to build momentum and move a business forward. My approach blends big brand thinking with real-world experience, so the strategies we build aren’t just bold, they’re practical.

Working with indie businesses has been the through line of my entire career. That’s really what sets the fwrd group apart: we get indie brands – not just the marketing side, but the emotional and operational reality of running a small business. Because we are one, too. We’re not here to hand over a cookie-cutter “playbook” or stay at arm’s length; we work closely with founders on what actually moves the needle whether that’s strengthening the business model, tightening the go-to-market strategy or preparing to fundraise.

I’m proud of a lot – the brands I’ve helped scale, the founders I’ve helped turn lofty visions into living brands – but more than anything, I’m proud that I’ve built a business rooted in partnership, excellence and trust. For me, it’s not just work, it’s personal. It’s about showing up for the people behind the brands. Getting in the trenches with them. And providing the partnership and perspective they want and need.

At the end of the day, when founders work with me, they’re not just getting a trusted advisor. They’re getting a partner who thinks like a founder, leads like an operator and isn’t afraid to roll up her sleeves and get dirty.

Alright – let’s talk about marketing or sales – do you have any fun stories about a risk you’ve taken or something else exciting on the sales and marketing side?

One of the proudest moments of my career didn’t come from a data deck or a fancy pitch. It came from a gut feeling.

A client of mine was positioning her brand squarely in the prestige beauty category – think: beautiful branding, slightly elevated price point, tight distribution. But something didn’t sit right with me. Her products were great – truly amazing – but I couldn’t shake the feeling that she was chasing the wrong aisle. I told her, point blank: go mass.

Drop the price, shift the demographic younger and open up the business to a whole new audience through mass retail. I had zero hard data to back me up at the time – just a strong sense of market behavior, a growing (but still untapped) category and years of experience that told me this was the move.

To her credit, she listened. She made the shift. And by the end of the following year, she broke 7 figures. The next year? 200% YoY growth. This year, she’s projected to hit 8 figures and is stocked in nearly 5,000 doors across top national retailers including an expansion into Canada.

I’m deeply proud to have helped guide that shift. But even more than that, I’m proud of her hustle. She ran with it, executed and never looked back. This wasn’t just a marketing win – it was a lesson in trusting your gut, reading the white space and knowing when to bet big on a brand – and founder! – that’s ready for it.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

That my worth isn’t tied to how much value I provide.

As women, we’re often taught that our productivity is our worth; that we have to be everything to everyone, do it all and do it perfectly. Regardless if our cup is full or bone dry. Not only that, but we’re conditioned to believe there’s only room for one of us at the top, so we push harder and outperform not just the men in the room, but the other women too.

The result is years spent over-delivering, saying yes to everything, proving my value in every possible way because I thought that’s what it took to succeed and belong.

And while that mindset may have earned me experience, it also burned me out, cost me money and led to being undervalued and taken advantage of — more times than I care to count and ways I wish to remember.

Eventually (read: YEARS) I realized: my ideas, perspective and presence are enough. I don’t need to prove my worth by constantly producing, fixing or giving more than I have, especially at the cost of my health, my values and my circle.

Unlearning that has been one of the most powerful shifts not just in how I lead, but in who I work with, the boundaries I hold and where I choose to spend my time and energy.

If you’re reading this: Your worth isn’t something you hustle for. It’s already yours.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.thefwrdgroup.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amykapolnek/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amykapolnek/

Image Credits

**the lifestyle photos provided were sourced many, many years ago. I do not remember the source or for how long usage was. I want to make it clear that these are the only additional photos I have that match the branding of my headshot. If you would like to use your own photos that have a guaranteed license attached to them, please do that. Thank you for your understanding!