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MNGT 301-001

Assignment 1

The Bercaw Sisters, Bath Bombs, and Business

Stephanie Schomer, the deputy editor of Entrepreneur magazine, explains how two

sisters, Caroline and Isabel Bercaw, went from average middle schoolers to millionaires with

their bath bomb products in her article “How These Teen Sisters Make $20 million a Year on

Bath Bombs” in the September 2019 issue of the Entrepreneur magazine. The Bercaw sisters

loved bath bombs, but not the mess that came with them, so they set out to find a solution. They

started testing new bath bomb recipes in their basement at home, as well as adding rings, toys,

etc. to the center of them as a gift to the users. According to Isabel Bercaw, they “took a batch to

a local art fair in Minneapolis to see if people would buy them” (Schomer, 2019). Schomer says,

“the girls spent the next year perfecting their recipe…returned to the annual art fair the following

year, this time with twice the amount of product [and] sold out again” (Schomer, 2019). From

there, the sisters realized this could become a successful business, which they named “Da Bomb

Bath.” They began to ask around at different businesses if they would be interested in selling the

bath bombs at their stores, meanwhile they were still learning the entrepreneurial process, as they

had no knowledge in any business courses. Their bath bomb products were being sold in 30 local

businesses in their town and eventually, they were being sold across the country. The sisters had

started with just the two of them in their business, but then included their mother to assist in

product delivery and as CEO, and before being picked up by Target, they had ten employees

total and were making “20,000 bath bombs a month” in their basement (Schomer, 2019). While

preparing for the products to be placed in 1,800 Target stores across the country, the product

inventory was so overwhelming in their house that the product had to be moved to a warehouse
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for storage. The girls began using software systems to keep track of product and to help make the

business function more efficiently. Currently, the girls make $20 million a year on these

products. By adding a surprise to the middle of the bath bombs, the girls targeted a new market

and set the standard for other company’s’ bath bomb products. Currently, their products are

being sold in Target, Ulta Beauty, Hot Topic, CVS, and many more. The sisters have also

extended their products and are now producing bath salts, bath shots, and body scrubs, alongside

of their original product, bath bombs.

The Bercaw sisters’ business venture supports the presence of entrepreneurial attributes.

They are passionate, determined, and always persevere, which has made their business a

booming success.

Caroline and Isabel Bercaw were passionate about continuing their hobby and soon

turned it into a business. The sisters were involved in moving forward every step of the way and

were always ready for the next objective. As Schomer says, the sisters were “pitching their

product to other local businesses, increasing their sales and learning with each new step” (2019).

The sisters wanted to find new ways to make their business grow and were passionate about

communicating to many people in their local community in order to make that happen. When

Schomer asked the Bercaw sisters about their business, they responded with excitement, which is

a clear indication of the passion they have for their venture (Katz, 2018, p. 30).

The attribution of passion leads into their determined attitudes. Isabel says they had

“talked about Target as a big dream and [they] thought maybe in five years [they] would be in a

place to pitch to [Target]” (Schomer, 2019). They started with a plan to sell their products in

local businesses and build up to a larger retail store, in this case, Target. Fortunately for them,

their hope of selling nationwide in this popular retail store came early, even when they weren’t
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looking for it. Currently, Caroline Bercaw is a senior in high school and Isabel is a freshman in

college and is majoring in entrepreneurship, but Isabel Bercaw says they will be able to take the

knowledge they learned throughout this business venture and apply it to whatever they choose to

do in with their futures (Schomer, 2019).

The Bercaw sisters also have the attribution of perseverance, which is fueled by their

passion and determination. They had started their entrepreneurial venture by testing the bath

bomb products and seeing how they would sell at a local art fair, which they sold out at

(Schomer, 2019). They decided to return the following year with an improved product and sold

out once again (Schomer, 2019). This displays perseverance because the sisters wanted to fix any

errors in their product before selling them. Also, Isabel Bercaw says they “never had any formal

business education” (Schomer, 2019). However, this did not stop them. Isabel goes on to say that

they would “ask [their] parents, research online, call business owners…[and] reach out to

anyone” (Schomer, 2019). The sisters would find someone or something that could help them

when they could not solve a problem, take the next step in their business venture, or just simply

needed advice on what to do next.

The Bercaw sisters have the entrepreneurial attributes of passion, determination, and

perseverance, which has helped their business form into the success that it is today. This

company, which was built from the ground up, started when the two entrepreneurs were in

middle school and at the young ages of 11 and 12. Now, Da Bomb bath products generates $20

million a year, but it wasn’t without hard work and the incredible drive of these two women.

With this in mind, it seems apparent that Da Bomb bath products will continue to flourish in the

retail industry.
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Works Cited

Katz, J. A., & Richard Green (2018). Entrepreneurial Small Business (5th e.). New York, NY:

McGraw-Hill Education
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Schomer, S. (2019, August 20). How These Teen Sisters Make $20 Million a Year on Bath

Bombs. Retrieved from https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/337846