Living Your Legacy – Plant-Powered Haircare That Went Viral

Host: Sam (Rudy Mawer)
Guests: Jeff & Ella, Founders of Oomph by Botanical
Date: October 14, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode of Living Your Legacy dives into the journey of Jeff and Ella, the dynamic couple behind Oomph by Botanical—a haircare brand built on plant-based formulas and authenticity that recently went viral with 8 million product views in a single month. The discussion uncovers the “why” behind their unique viral product, the gritty behind-the-scenes of launching from scratch, and how building a genuine online community fueled both their growth and personal legacy.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Origin Story & Product Innovation

• Personal Need as Inspiration

  • Ella’s struggle with curly, dry hair in Arizona led to years of trying ineffective, expensive products and salon treatments.
  • The product idea took shape after a trip to Georgia where the climate helped Ella’s hair, prompting Jeff to search for a way to recreate that environment.
  • Jeff: “Me being an engineer, I said, well, yeah, let me get on that. So I went to the drawing board. I looked up natural ingredients that are very effective, that could work to hydrate hair.” [03:00]

• Formulation & Features

  • They combined keratin, collagen, a blend of oils, and essential oils for both scalp health and hair growth, resulting in a lab-tested product suitable for all hair types.
  • Jeff: “We made something that works for all hair types. Got it lab tested, made sure it was safe for everybody. It passed with flying colors. And we said, I think we're onto something.” [03:43]

2. The Entrepreneurial Rollercoaster

• Building Amid Scarcity

  • Launched the product with overdrafted bank accounts and pressure to sell enough to fund a proposal trip.
  • Ella’s established social media following (“my boos”) was key to their successful pre-launch sellout.
  • Ella: “They came and they really helped support us. So they got us sold out for our presale and we were able to afford our proposal trip...” [04:43]

• Growth & Challenges

  • Early days included frustrating losses, like having to discard misprinted labels despite tight finances.
  • Jeff: “We made everything in small batches at first and we had to throw away $120 worth of labels. I'm like, we only have $80 worth of ... and we just threw that away on labels.” [06:00]

• Measuring Success

  • Recognizing how progress doesn’t always feel apparent day-to-day, even as numbers double.
  • Ella: “You feel... you don’t see the progress... and then you’re like oh, whoa. Like you said, we doubled. And it didn’t feel like that at the time.” [05:47]

3. Turning Virality into Impact

• Ups and Downs of Going Viral

  • Not every viral video converts to sales; a 4-million-view video brought in zero sales at one point.
  • Jeff: “Oh, it's great. That's what we wanted. But then, oh, no, we got zero sales. And then you realize, what are we even doing?” [08:50]

• Sticking With It

  • Importance of resilience and adaptation when things don’t work as planned.
  • Jeff: “It's always something you don't know that’s going to hit you, and you just have to get through it.” [10:14]

4. Branding & Product Authenticity

• Standing Out from White Labelers

  • Jeff emphasizes the importance of putting genuine soul and intention into your product.
  • Jeff: “If it’s just a label, then that’s nothing. It needs to have soul, you know, you need to fully back it and understand everything in it.” [11:00]

• Personal Touch

  • Jeff began using the product himself, realizing its versatility and value for all family members.

5. Building Community & Content

• Consistency & Vulnerability on Social Media

  • Ella credits her success to consistent posting and authenticity—sharing both struggles and victories.
  • Ella: “You’re going to have videos where you spend so much time on it and then it won’t get the views…” [12:20], “Just be yourself. Post the bad stuff. If anybody hates it, it’s like seven people. There's billions in the world.” [14:10]

• Power of Raw, “Ugly” Ads

  • The posts that perform best are often the least polished, most relatable—waking up, sharing real emotions, imperfect appearances.

6. Legacy & Mindset

• Meaning of Legacy

  • For Ella and Jeff, legacy means modeling growth, vulnerability, and togetherness for both their family and their audience.
  • Jeff: “You don’t have to be perfect first before finding your perfect person or your perfect product...” [15:51]
  • Ella: “I want to leave a positive legacy for our family.” [15:39]

• From Humble Beginnings to Impact

  • They started from living together on a mattress topper; now they’ve grown a business and a family.
  • Jeff: “We started sleeping together on a mattress topper on the floor of a tiny apartment... Now we’re in a pretty decent house. We have a business, we have a family that’s growing.” [16:34]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Replacing an Entire Haircare Line:
  Jeff: “This has replaced every one of her hair care line, except for our shampoo and conditioner... If it replaces 9 out of 10 of what you use at home, then we’re just going to make that as efficient as possible.” [07:10]

• On Entrepreneurs’ Expectations:
  Jeff: “It’s definitely going to cost you a ton more money than you expect. A ton. And being an engineer, I have unbelievable spreadsheets to track... but you’ll be stunned at how much tape costs or boxes.” [09:40]

• On Mindset During the Journey:
  Jeff: “If you have a $500 setback when you’re just starting, I mean, that’s going to be a $500,000 setback in the future. But you need to be the person to say... how do I move past this?... I could be mad about it, or I can fix the problem and carry on.” [10:14]

• On Video Virality:
  Sam: “It’s often the ones you don’t think are good or plan that go crazy every time.” [12:35]
  Ella: “Those ones just do really well because you can connect to someone right away because there’s a lot of people out there... You can see that they can become happy because they are like you.” [14:10]

• On Authentic Community Building:
  Ella: “Being vulnerable online has helped me grow my audience… So now it’s really cool that I have a product that can help them too, with their hair and their confidence.” [08:03]

Important Timestamps

• [02:15] – The personal problem that sparked product development
• [03:00] – Jeff’s engineering approach and formulation process
• [04:43] – Launching while financially stretched and leveraging social support
• [06:00] – The harsh realities and unexpected setbacks of bootstrapping
• [08:50] – Viral moments that led to zero sales and rethinking strategy
• [11:00] – Differentiation beyond white labeling and product authenticity
• [12:20] – Ella’s key to social growth: consistency, authenticity, thick skin
• [14:10] – The power of “ugly” ads and relatability
• [15:51] – The couple’s definition of legacy
• [16:34] – From mattress toppers to business owners: their origin story

Where to Find Jeff & Ella

• TikTok Shop: Botanical Shop
• Website: Botanical Shop (Shopify)
• Socials:
  • Ella: [@ellaboo]
  • Jeff & Oomph by Botanical: [@botanicalshop]

“Put a little oomph in it.” — Ella [17:35]

Summary Takeaway:
This is a story of persistence, authenticity, and personal growth fueling both a viral brand and a meaningful legacy. Jeff and Ella’s journey underscores the importance of solving real problems, building community through vulnerability, and maintaining resilience—lessons invaluable for any aspiring or seasoned entrepreneur.