Dani Austin, From Dorm Room Vlogs to 8-Figure Beauty Brand

In this episode of More to Say, host Amber Venz Box sits down with Dani Austin — digital creator, community builder, and the founder of Divi, the haircare brand that started with a single scalp serum and has grown into a multi-million-dollar powerhouse sold nationwide at Ulta. Dani shares her journey from secretly filming “Things I Wish a Sister Taught Me” in her college dorm room to building an audience of over 2.5 million loyal followers, opening up about the vulnerability that fueled her community, the challenges of publicly sharing hair loss, and how she transformed personal struggle into product innovation. She and Amber talk candidly about monetizing as an early creator, launching a hero product, turning feedback from “haters” into brand growth, balancing motherhood with entrepreneurship, and what’s next for Divi. Whether you’re a brand builder, creator, or simply curious how a dorm-room side hustle can evolve into a 8-figure business — Dani’s story is one you won’t want to miss. WE DISCUSS: (00:16): Filming her first YouTube videos in her dorm room before “selfie” was even a word. (01:39): Joining LTK and learning how affiliate linking gave her control over her income and audience trust. (04:20): Why vulnerability is Dani’s superpower and how sharing real moments built deep connections. (11:49): Developing the first Divi scalp serum from DIY recipes in her bathroom to a sell-out hero product. (14:40): Walking away from early bad deals — why saying no to only 2% equity was the best thing she did. (15:39): Scaling Divi beyond herself — from $40M in sales of one SKU to building a community-led brand. (18:51): Turning negative reviews into product innovation — inviting critics to test new formulas firsthand. (34:21): Dani’s content strategy: focus on depth first, then let virality follow. (36:00): How LTK remains a core part of Dani’s brand, audience connection, and product insights. (43:35): Dani’s approach to balance: putting “trashy” everyday family moments before business. LTK for Creators: https://creator.shopltk.com/apply/creator/home?utm_source=pr&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=mts LTK for Brands: https://company.shopltk.com/en-us/brands/apply?utm_source=pr&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=mts Learn more about More To Say: https://company.shopltk.com/more-to-say?utm_source=pr&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=mts Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-Dq7MW-K04X4mFz66offfe0F9YdPSYL1&utm_source=pr&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=mts Follow and Shop Amber's LTK: https://www.shopltk.com/explore/AmberVenzBox/collections/11ef176f7149a07bbc3a0242ac110013?utm_source=pr&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=mts Follow Amber on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ambervenzbox/?utm_source=pr&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=mts Connect with Amber on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ambervenzbox/?utm_source=pr&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=mts Follow and shop Danie’s LTK: https://www.shopltk.com/explore/daniaustin Follow Dani’s on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/daniaustin/?hl=en Connect with Dani’s on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/dani-austin/ Follow Dani on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thedaniaustin?lang=en