In 2018, a California couple invested $5,000 in Bala; today, their fitness brand generates more than $30 million in annual sales

Establishing a consumer brand does not always need a traditional startup formula or rapid dependence on outside funding. Some founders instead start with a clear product challenge, test their ideas carefully, stay disciplined with resources, and eventually develop systems that can aid expansion.

That approach is mirrored in the story of Natalie Holloway, Co-Founder and CEO of Bala. At Female Founder Collective’s The 10th House, Holloway talked about how she and co-founder Max developed the fitness brand from an initial $5,000 investment into a business producing over $30 million in annual sales.

Starting With a Problem

Bala started with a challenge rather than a conventional business plan.


After leaving their advertising professions and traveling through Asia, Natalie and Max found that wrist and ankle weights had changed very little over the years. The products they encountered were not especially functional or visually attractive and did not mirror how modern consumers were required to exercise.

Rather than inventing a completely new category, the founders chose to redesign a familiar product.

That strategy enabled them to work within an established type of fitness equipment while creating something they believed could feel newer, more elevated and relevant.

They also avoided immediately committing to the business full-time. After returning to the United States, Natalie and Max spent two years developing prototypes while continuing to work full-time careers.

Testing Demand Before Scaling

Bala's initial validation arrived from customers rather than investors.

The founders launched the product on Kickstarter, offering them a path to verify demand, refine their placing, and finance their initial production run without getting into unnecessary challenges.

For the founders, the experience illustrated that early proof for a product can come from customers and market reaction rather than solely from outside capital.

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The Value of Having a Co-Founder

Holloway also shared her perception on working with a co-founder. While she recognizes that building a company with a partner, particularly a spouse, can present risks, she supports having another “real adult in the room” for the long-term development of a business.

As a company becomes larger, both its emotional and operational demands can elevate. A complementary partner can offer another perspective, challenge decisions, balance strengths and share responsibility.

At Bala, Natalie leads brand, marketing, and operations, while Max concentrates on product design, finance, and legal. Although their responsibilities have shifted over time, the underlying division has remained clear.

Growing Through “Guerrilla Marketing”

Before Bala had a dedicated marketing budget, the founders depended on what Holloway called “guerrilla marketing.”

Instead of depending mainly on advertising, they pursued partnerships, collaborations and community-based opportunities. They contacted many brands, frequently approaching organizations that were somewhat larger than Bala, and proposed certain ideas made to benefit both sides.

Most of those attempts did not succeed, but enough partnerships came together to produce exposure and help strengthen the brand.

Holloway highlighted the importance of approaching potential partners with a clear concept and an easy “yes.” Rejection was treated as part of the process rather than a reason to stop reaching out.

Diversifying Revenue Channels

As Bala expanded, the company developed many revenue channels instead of depending on one source.

The business developed via direct-to-consumer sales, Amazon, and wholesale.

Bala also made use of its direct-to-consumer method to wholesale relationships. Through a Shopify-powered B2B portal, wholesale customers can shop directly. This will minimize the need for continuous sales support and make the process simpler to scale.

Staying Flexible

flexibility as another significant part of building the business.

Whether the issue has contracts, technology or broader strategy, decisions can be reconsidered as situations change. Nothing has to stay permanent if a different approach makes more sense.

That readiness to revisit decisions has been especially significant as Bala has developed and responded to changing situations.

Lessons From Building Bala

What makes Bala's journey significant is not simply the scale the company has reached, but the way Holloway explains its development.

The founders had to make disciplined decisions from an early stage, test ideas before making larger commitments and develop a brand capable of standing on its own.

For founders building consumer brands, the story offers a timeless lesson: there is no single formula for creating a successful organization. Product quality, clear positioning, disciplined growth, strong systems, and the willingness to adapt can all play significant roles in building a business over time.

Source: The 10th House