In this episode of How They Scaled It, I sit down with Cat Lepetit, the visionary founder of Sun Drunk, a beach lifestyle brand rooted in joy, sustainability, and good vibes. She shares how a day at the sandbar sparked a movement and how she built a community-driven business—one pop-up at a time.
Along the way, Cat opens up about letting go of corporate playbooks, embracing slow growth, and redefining what success looks like on her own terms. From hand-selecting eco-conscious materials to building a fiercely loyal customer base face-to-face, her story is a lesson in intuitive, purpose-driven entrepreneurship.
00:01 Meet Cat Lepetit and the birth of Sun Drunk
01:21 The spark: a sandbar moment that inspired it all
03:19 The missing market for moms at the beach
05:12 Leaving corporate beauty to start fresh
08:51 Launching Sun Drunk on French Revolution Day
10:22 The reality of brand awareness in a noisy world
11:48 Grassroots pop-ups as brand incubators
14:42 Health-conscious events and finding product-market fit
16:02 Staying sustainable without compromise
19:25 More than towels: building a lifestyle and a vibe
21:02 The challenge of branding something intangible
24:03 Measuring success as a self-funded founder
25:30 Creating superfans through live shopping
27:21 Rejecting hollow innovation for timeless quality
29:43 Going back to tradition over trends
32:26 Dreaming bigger: stores, beach bars, and full experiences
34:37 Advice to her past self: follow the joy, and trust your gut