Case Study: Turning Chaos into a Scalable Indie Brand
The Challenge
This novelty candy startup had been in business for less than six months and was heading toward a projected $30–40k first-year revenue—at a loss. Behind the scenes, it was absolute chaos, with no clear processes and everyone doing whatever they wanted. While the company had branding and a roster of high-profile influencers ready to amplify their reach, there was no strategy, no wholesale channels, and the company wasn’t positioned to handle a viral moment that was about to hit.
Our Role
Hella Indie was initially brought in to clean up shipping, but it quickly became clear the challenges went far deeper. We expanded our role to manage nearly every aspect of the business outside of physical manufacturing, social media, and finance administration. Part of the initial ask included creative support, especially targeting the local market. Our work focused on:
- Refreshing and refining branding to support long-term growth
- Analyzing COGs and cutting unnecessary costs, including packaging
- Streamlining and standardizing processes across operations
- Developing customer service and wholesale programs to expand reach
- Partnering with the manufacturing R&D team to expand product offerings
With authority to restructure operations, implement systems, and shape creative direction, Hella Indie transformed a chaotic startup into a scalable indie brand.
The Process
Step 1: Discovery and Immersion
We began with a full week of deep immersion into the brand, reviewing their four products—two flavors in two sizes—and learning existing processes. We held in-depth conversations with the owners to understand why each product was created and their vision for the company. This foundation of operational insight and creative understanding guided all subsequent work.
Step 2: Operational Intervention
After evaluating the business, it became clear that projected sales would result in a first-year loss equal to the company’s initial investment. We immediately focused on stabilizing operations and setting the business up for scalability, implementing standardized workflows, refining fulfillment processes, and creating clear systems for tracking costs and sales.
Step 3: Stabilization and Expansion
We realigned existing staff to focus on other client projects, partnered with the manufacturer to establish discount thresholds, and immediately added a third flavor to diversify the lineup. We sourced new suppliers for packaging and shipping to reduce COGs while enabling future scaling. Concurrently, we began developing merchandise and identifying opportunities for local events and tradeshows to expand engagement and alternative revenue streams.
Step 4: Creative Strategy and Market Activation
With operations stabilized, we focused on creative strategy and leveraging the viral potential of the product. Influencers were actively seeking collaboration, and major media outlets reached out to feature the candy. We went logo-heavy across all merchandise, purchased and branded a van for local activations, strategically sponsored podcasts and events, and executed pop-ups—including one at an art gallery in Hollywood. Locally, we targeted the greater LA area with shops and same-day delivery for online orders, combining community engagement with experiential marketing to maximize impact.
Step 5: Results and Impact
Hella Indie helped the startup ride its viral wave, expanding the product lineup from four offerings to ten flavors across five sizes and launching a fully realized merchandise line. A dedicated street team drove local promotion while strategic partnerships amplified brand visibility. Projected first-year sales of $32,000—at an $80,000+ loss—were transformed into $1.4 million in sales with a 13% profit.
By the end of the 12-month contract, customer service and distribution were transferred to a 3PL, further reducing overhead and shipping costs and enabling international reach. The original ownership has since exited, and the brand continues to thrive today under new stewardship.