From Women-Pay-More to $310 M Exit: How Billie Shook Up Razors

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👋 Hey Deal Lift readers

Today we’re diving deep into Billie, the razor-and-body-care brand that took on the so-called “pink tax,” built a culture movement, and exited for $310 million. If you’re launching a consumer brand, this one’s a gold mine of lessons: brand mission, DTC strategy, influencer growth, retail penetration, and acquisition timing. Let’s unpack it.

🧠 The Spark: Price, Gender & Founders’ Frustration

Back in 2017, co-founder Georgina Gooley noticed a simple but infuriating pattern: when buying razors, women’s versions cost more than men’s — same blades, same function, higher price. This is the “pink tax.”

Georgina and her co-founder Jason Bravman — with backgrounds in advertising and consumer brands — realized they were looking at a clear gap: a chance to create a brand built on parity, simplicity, and trust. That became the idea for Billie.

They didn’t just want to sell razors. They wanted to reframe the shaving experience for women — from shame or gender penalty to empowerment and fairness.

🛠️ Execution Timeline: How Billie Got Built

Here’s the year-by-year breakdown of the rise:

🎯 Why It Worked — Four Strategic Levers

1. Mission + Narrative

Billie didn’t just sell blades. They sold fairness and culture. The “pink tax” message resonated. That emotional resonance became their moat.

2. Design & Branding

Sleek packaging, relatable campaigns (body hair in adverts), social-first creative. They looked and felt like a brand made for you, not just marketed at you.

3. Channel Strategy — DTC First → Then Retail

Started direct-to-consumer, built brand & community, then expanded into retail once validation was strong. This gave control + margin early, then scale + distribution later.

4. Exit Timing & Acquisition Strategy

Acquired by Edgewell for $310 M in 2021. That was smart: they didn’t try to be a $1 B unicorn. They built a strong brand, proved growth, and exited at the right moment.

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🧩 Tactical Breakdown: What Founders Can Steal

• Message matters: Your brand should fight a real injustice or reflect a real insight. Billie’s: women paying more for the same blades.

• Visual boldness: Showing women with body hair in ad campaigns? That’s gutsy. It defines you.

• Build brand before retail: DTC gives you control, data, community. Then you scale.

• Product line expansion = future growth: Billie moved from razors → body care. Not being just a razor brand.

• Exit is a tactic, not a dream: Building to $310 M exit means you might miss unicorn splash—but you win real $$ plus legacy.

🔍 Additional Insights You Might’ve Missed

• Billie’s product philosophy: performance + fairness. Not just “we cost less,” but “we work great and don’t penalize you because you are a woman.”

• Retail expansion accelerated post-acquisition. Edgewell’s distribution muscle helped take Billie from DTC-only to mass shelves.

• Culture branding: By focusing on women’s voices, diversity, body positivity, they built community loyalty beyond price or blade count.

• Scalability: The acquisition allowed Billie to tap supply chain, manufacturing, retail channels faster than pure DTC could.

• Growth beyond razors: Soon you’ll see Billie in body wash, deodorant, grooming kits — turning into a lifestyle brand, not just a razor.

🧠 Final Thoughts

Building a billion-dollar brand doesn’t always start with a crazy tech invention.
Sometimes it starts with “I noticed something unfair.”
Georgina Gooley and Jason Bravman turned a simple insight into a brand explosion.

Here’s what matters:

• Clarity of vision (no pink tax + high performance)

• Bold branding (break norms, show the truth)

• Smart channel sequencing (DTC → retail)

• Growth timing + exit strategy

If you’re a founder building consumer brand — take this one to heart.
Your next big idea might be less about “new tech” and more about “fairer, smarter product for the ignored consumer.”

✅ Deal Lift Takeaway

Playbook Title: The Billie Brand Framework
Key Moves: Mission-driven product, brand before channel, scaled exit.
Apply This: Find the consumer injustice. Build the product. Communicate it boldly. Scale the brand. Exit strategically.

— Deal Lift

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