This article is part of the Gigabeat Execs In Tech series, where we explore the minds and motivations of influential leaders. Sarah Gibson Tuttle, founder and CEO of Olive & June, built a modern nail-care brand by turning real consumer friction into friendly systems — then scaled it from a Beverly Hills salon to a national, omni-channel business. Here’s her journey, playbook, and impact.
Early Career: From Wall Street to Beverly Hills — and a Builder’s Eye for Service
Before Olive & June, Gibson Tuttle spent a decade as an equity sales trader at J.P. Morgan and Morgan Stanley in New York. The work refined her instincts for client service and operational rigor — but she craved building something tangible. A move to Los Angeles and a search for a consistently great, approachable nail experience set the course. She named the brand after her great-grandmother and grandmother, a nod to high standards with heart. (Olive and June)
The Birth and Rise of Olive & June: Salon Roots, System Mindset
She opened the first Olive & June salon in Beverly Hills in 2013, then listened obsessively to what made at-home nails hard: shaky non-dominant hands, confusing tools, and upkeep between manis. In 2019, she shifted from salon-only to product-led, launching the at-home Mani System and patented tools — including The Poppy, a universal bottle handle designed to steady your stroke. The brand paired hardware with education (Olive University, classes, and content) to teach before it sold. (Olive and June, Q4 Capital)
Scaling the Network: From DTC to Big-Box Endcaps
With product-market fit established online, Olive & June earned endcaps and inline space across mass retail: 1,300+ Target stores beginning in 2021, expansion in 2022, national entry into Walmart in 2023, and Walgreens in 2024. The assortment broadened from long-lasting polish to press-ons (including size-inclusive systems), gel, quick-dry lines, and an ecosystem of care tools — all manufactured via an asset-light model. By 2024, net sales were ~$92M. (Q4 Capital)
Leadership and Success: The SGT Playbook
A few principles show up repeatedly in Gibson Tuttle’s choices and interviews:
- Solve real friction, then teach. Tools like The Poppy and full “systems” address shaky hands, fit, and removal — and the brand wraps them in how-to content that demystifies DIY. (Q4 Capital)
- Democratize the category. Price points and distribution aim to make salon-quality results accessible everywhere — not just in beauty capitals. (Q4 Capital)
- Community first, then scale. Olive & June earned distribution by building a loyal DTC community that retailers could see and measure. (Q4 Capital)
- Operate like a product company, not just a polish brand. Systems thinking, patents, and continuous tooling upgrades sit at the center. (Q4 Capital)
Recognition followed: Fast Company named Olive & June one of its Most Innovative Companies in Beauty (2024/2025), with press-on innovations and recycled materials highlighted across the coverage. (Fast Company)
A Strategic Exit — and a Bigger Platform
In late 2024, Helen of Troy (owner of Hydro Flask, OXO, Drybar and more) agreed to acquire Olive & June for $225M in cash plus up to $15M in earn-out — a $240M headline value — while retaining the brand’s leadership and running it as a stand-alone business. The buyer guided to the deal being immediately accretive and reiterated ~$92M 2024 revenue for Olive & June at closing. (investor.helenoftroy.com, Retail Dive)
Why It Matters: Systems that Unlock Access
Olive & June didn’t just sell polish; it productized confidence. By packaging tools, education, and shade ranges with size-inclusive press-ons, the company reduced time, cost, and skill barriers — expanding the category for consumers and retailers alike. In a beauty market where “insurgent brands” win by solving pain points at scale, Gibson Tuttle’s systems approach turned DIY from intimidating to delightful. (Q4 Capital)
The Legacy in Motion
Gibson Tuttle’s story reads like a founder’s template: bring a service ethos from finance, obsess over the customer’s hurdles, design simple tools that make those hurdles disappear, and distribute wherever your community shops. With new owners and a bigger platform, the next chapter of Olive & June looks less like a polish line — and more like a continually evolving operating system for nails. (Q4 Capital)
