Ecommerce Operations Overhaul for a Beauty & Skincare Brand
The Problem
When I began working with this beauty and skincare brand the business was growing, but operations were strained.
The company managed over 300 SKUs, tens of thousands of past purchases, and a growing customer base with an average order value of $75. Customer communication alone exceeded 100,000 messages per month across email, text, phone calls, and multiple social platforms, with public comments and private messages treated as separate conversations.
Fulfillment was slow and inconsistent. Inventory fluctuated unpredictably. Customer complaints were increasing. Most processes lived in people’s heads, and the founder was personally involved in resolving day-to-day issues just to keep things moving.
Everything lived everywhere, and growth was outpacing structure.
How I Got Involved
I initially began working with the company on an e-commerce platform migration, moving the store from a legacy shopping cart system to Shopify.
That project gave me full visibility into how the business actually operated behind the scenes. While the website migration itself was successful, it quickly became clear that the platform was not the core issue.
The real constraints were operational.
As I diagnosed what was breaking down across customer service, fulfillment, and inventory, I shared my findings and advised on the changes needed to support continued growth. That work expanded into additional projects and ultimately into a fractional role focused on building stronger operational foundations across the business.
The Diagnosis
Looking at the business as a connected system, several core issues emerged:
Customer service was fragmented across multiple channels with no centralized customer record
Fulfillment workflows were not designed for volume or efficiency
Product bundles slowed order processing
Inventory decisions were reactive instead of planned
Marketing, customer service, and fulfillment operated independently
The founder had become the operational bottleneck
None of these issues could be solved in isolation. The business needed clarity, consistency, and execution across departments.
The Work
Over the course of our engagement, I led a comprehensive operational overhaul.
Customer Service and Experience
Customer communication was centralized into a single system capable of handling high-volume, multi-channel conversations while preserving full customer history. Templates, automation, and escalation paths allowed the team to respond consistently and efficiently, with full context for each customer.
Because this was a high-touch brand, we also introduced automated workflows and self-service processes that allowed customers to get order updates, shipping information, and common answers without needing to speak to a person. This reduced unnecessary live interactions while preserving the ability to connect with a beauty expert when it actually mattered.
Customer service was connected to order data, marketing activity, rewards, and reviews so representatives could support customers without guesswork or duplicated effort.
Fulfillment and Inventory
Fulfillment operations were redesigned for speed and scale.
Product bundles were pre-built and treated as single products. Dedicated fulfillment stations were created with high-use products and packaging within immediate reach. Inventory was reorganized into structured storage zones, improving tracking, counting, and reordering.
For custom-made products, planning processes and waitlists were introduced to reduce customer frustration and give the business clearer demand visibility.
Marketing and Retention
Lifecycle marketing was rebuilt to support repeat purchases and higher engagement. This included segmentation, post-purchase follow-ups, replenishment reminders, personalized product recommendations, reviews, rewards, and loyalty initiatives designed to strengthen long-term customer relationships.
The email list grew from approximately 15,000 subscribers to over 80,000 in 2 years, supported by more intentional engagement and personalization.
Team Structure and Operations
Organizational structure was clarified across departments, including defined reporting lines, supervisory roles, and leadership layers between staff and ownership.
I also supported the transition away from an overextended PEO model to a more appropriate payroll and HR structure, ensuring compliance, benefits continuity, and clearer onboarding and offboarding processes.
This allowed the business to operate with clearer ownership and accountability, without relying on constant founder intervention.
The Results
By the end of our working relationship, the business had achieved measurable operational and financial improvements:
Supported operations across 300 SKUs and 40,000+ past purchases
Centralized 100,000+ monthly customer messages into one operational hub
Increased email list from ~15K to ~80K subscribers
Improved fulfillment speed by approximately 70 percent
Reduced customer message volume by approximately 50 percent
Scaled revenue from under $1M to approximately $6M over the engagement
Most importantly, the business could operate with consistency and control instead of constant reaction.
The Takeaway
This work was not about installing tools or fixing one department.
It was about diagnosing operational breakdowns, developing a clear plan, advising on the right changes, and implementing systems and structure that created stronger foundations across the business.
Once those foundations were in place, the company could grow without relying on chaos or founder-led firefighting to function.
This Work Is For You If
Your business looks successful on the outside, but feels chaotic behind the scenes
Customer service, fulfillment, and operations are disconnected
Important information lives in people’s heads instead of systems
You are the bottleneck, even with a team
Growth has outpaced structure, and it’s starting to show
This work is not about quick fixes or one-off projects.
It’s for founders who are ready to stop holding everything together themselves and build operational foundations that support consistent execution, clear ownership, and sustainable growth.
If your business only works because you’re constantly involved, this is the work that changes that.
