How to Build a $5M Brand From an Online Audience

TL;DR

Build an audience around a problem you personally understand, document your product development, and sell the solution to that existing community. Jeremy grew a natural alternatives business from about $5,000 in its first month to more than $5 million in one year by expanding the product range, using timely meme marketing and email, buying ingredients in bulk, and prioritizing repeat customers.

Transcript

this is Jeremy a guy who makes over $5 million a year selling toothpaste online and the crazy part is he started this business from a van I was just kind of down on my luck like wanted to reset my life sold all my belongings quit my job bought this like $2,000 van on Craigslist I flew out to his Warehouse in California to get his story and ask him ... Read More

Key Insights

• The original product idea came from a personal problem: Jeremy disliked conventional toothpaste and found plain baking soda too harsh and salty, so he experimented with ingredients while documenting the process publicly on Twitter.
• The first customers were members of an existing online community that shared Jeremy's animal-based health perspective. Their feedback helped shape the product, and that alignment allowed him to sell about 100 tooth powders soon after launching on Shopify.
• Tallow honey balm became the leading product because customers gave enthusiastic reviews and shared it without payment. Mint bone toothpaste became the second-best seller, while planned soap was expected to extend the company's bathroom and hygiene range.
• The company makes, packages, and ships its handmade products from its San Diego headquarters. Tallow is still placed into containers by hand, and the operation ships roughly 500 to 600 orders on a strong day.
• Controversial marketing works by generating comments, shares, and Instagram distribution. Jeremy looks for divisive ideas, but connects them to the brand through relatable messages instead of relying only on direct descriptions of the products.
• Timely meme marketing requires continuous attention to online culture. Jeremy uses recognizable people and fresh current-event images, writes a relevant message around them, and connects that message to a product while the source event remains familiar.
• Product expansion raises average order value because customers can combine five or six items priced under $20. Larger baskets reduce shipping and processing costs relative to the order value, helping the business move toward meaningful free cash flow.
• Customer retention is central to the company's long-term strategy, with almost 40% of purchasers returning. Jeremy attributes this focus to customer service that tries to resolve any reported problem completely and immediately.

Questions & Answers

Q: How did Jeremy find the idea for his toothpaste business?

Jeremy found the idea through his own attempt to stop using conventional toothpaste. He initially brushed with baking soda, but found it harsh and extremely salty, so he began adding other ingredients. After seeing a video involving an egg in a protein shake, he researched eggshell powder and added it to his tooth powder. He documented these experiments on Twitter, where followers said they wanted to try the product.

Q: How did Vanman get its first online customers?

Vanman's first customers came from the Twitter community Jeremy had already joined and cultivated while living in his van. He posted health observations and documented the tooth powder as he developed it. The audience shared his animal-based perspective and understood why ingredients such as eggshell powder appealed to him. When he launched on Shopify, he sold about 100 tooth powders, far more than the 5 to 15 he expected.

Q: How did Vanman grow from $5,000 a month to a multimillion-dollar business?

Vanman combined an established online audience, products based on Jeremy's own preferences, expanded product selection, and increasingly effective marketing. Revenue benefited when Instagram posts or memes gained traction, while email performed better than Jeremy initially expected. Operational improvements also mattered: the company bought ingredients in bulk, added people to production, and adopted small tools that increased speed. The business eventually exceeded $5 million in one year.

Q: How does meme marketing generate sales for Vanman?

Vanman's meme marketing uses recognizable images, familiar people, and current events to express the brand's message in a relatable, shareable format. Jeremy said a successful Instagram post can cause sales to rise immediately. His process involves watching online culture continuously, finding an image while it is still fresh, writing the implied dialogue or message, and connecting it back to a product or brand viewpoint.

Q: Why does Vanman keep expanding its product range?

A broader product range allows existing customers to purchase several related hygiene items in one transaction. Individual products such as tooth powder and mouthwash can cost under $20, but a customer buying five or six products creates a much larger order. Jeremy said this raises average order value while lowering shipping and processing costs relative to revenue. Expansion has included deodorant, mouthwash, hair oil, and planned soap.

Q: What are Vanman's best-selling products?

Jeremy identified tallow honey balm as Vanman's leading product and mint bone toothpaste as its second-best seller. The balm stood out because reviews were highly enthusiastic and customers repeatedly shared it without being paid. The company also sells tooth powder, deodorant, mouthwash, hair oil, bison fat, and cow fat. Jeremy expected soap, which was still being prepared, to become another strong seller.

Q: How does Vanman manufacture and fulfill its products?

Vanman makes, packages, and ships its products from the same headquarters in San Diego. Production remains highly hands-on: workers scoop tallow into containers with spoons, continuing a method used since the company's earliest days. Jeremy described physically demanding production sessions that could last 12 hours. As the business grew, bulk purchasing, additional workers, and small tools helped make production faster and more economical.

Q: What is Jeremy's long-term vision for Vanman?

Jeremy wants Vanman to move beyond bathroom and hygiene products into food and animal ownership. The plan includes owning cows and bison, establishing a bee farm, and selling honey, milk, meat, eggs, and dairy. By creating several premium products from each animal, he believes the company could fund better animal care and offer high-quality meat at prices comparable to those found at Walmart.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Jeremy reset his life by selling his belongings, quitting his job, and buying a $2,000 van. While posting health ideas on Twitter, he documented his experiments with homemade tooth powder. Community members expressed interest, giving him an audience for a product that sold about 100 units when it launched on Shopify.

• Vanman expanded from tooth powder into tallow honey balm, toothpaste, deodorant, mouthwash, hair oil, and planned soap. Multiple affordable products increased average order value because customers could combine several items. Bulk ingredient purchasing, additional workers, and small production tools eventually improved efficiency and helped the company generate free cash flow.

• Marketing centered on divisive Instagram posts, timely memes, and email. Jeremy connected current events and recognizable images to product messages, producing sales spikes when posts gained traction. His longer-term strategy emphasizes responsive customer service, repeat purchases, animal ownership, and using more of each animal to support affordable meat, eggs, and dairy.