Built a $5M/Year Business with No Employees

Today’s business was started by a mom who used a basic TikTok strategy (with no prior experience) to turn a simple product idea into 5 million+ in revenue (this year) with no employees.

This story caught my attention because it proves you don’t need a massive following or big budget—just a relatable solution and the right platform.

Lou Rice was annoyed by one simple thing:

Struggling to comfortably hold her e-reader while feeding her child or multitasking around the house.

Instead of accepting the annoyance, she created Strapsicle—a comfortable, practical strap for tablets and e-readers.

She knew nothing about business or marketing. So how did she grow the business? How did she get the word out?

She turned this idea into a multi-million dollar business using TikTok. ⬇️

👉 In this email, we’ll cover:

✅ How Strapsicle found customers with TikTok
✅ Why short-form platforms are a goldmine for beginners in 2025
✅ Simple strategies to replicate this success yourself

📱 From Annoyance to Viral Product

Lou Rice had no tech experience, no massive following, and certainly no advertising budget. She simply solved a common frustration and then thought:

And they did.

But how could she let them know about it?

🎥 TikTok: The Viral Launchpad

Lou turned to TikTok, even though she had zero followers. Today, platforms like Instagram and TikTok's algorithm don’t care about your follower count—they prioritize engaging, relatable content.

First she reached out to influencers and sent them free products in exchange for a video.

@themarysarge

I love this kindle accessory over a pop socket! Super comfy, removeable and comes in tons of colors #kindleaccessories #kindleaccessory #k... See more

She also posted her own videos simply showing Strapsicle in action. Solving a common problem clearly and visually.

@strapsicle

And guess what?

Her videos blew up.

Their video above has over 5M views and Strapsicle has only a few thousand followers.

🚀 That is the power of short form content today. Millions of views, zero followers needed

Lou’s very first videos quickly reached millions of viewers because TikTok rewards content—not creators.

Here's why TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts are perfect for beginners:

✅ Anyone Can Go Viral: You don’t need followers; you just need good content.
✅ Fast Results: Quickly discover if your idea resonates.
✅ Free Traffic: Zero cost, maximum reach.

This is the same approach lots of other brands are using today to get eyeballs on their products.

The Nutr nut milk making machine used the same Tiktok strategy and grew to millions of dollars through organic videos simply demonstrating their product.

@nutr

Coconut creamer is just better when you make it yourself 😍🥥 #dairyfree #sustainability #zerowaste #healthyrecipes #cleaneating #kitchenga... See more

🎯 How You Can Do This Too

1. Find an Annoying Problem: Something simple yet widely felt.

2. Solve it Clearly: Create or source a simple product that fixes the problem.

3. Create Short Videos: Clearly and authentically demonstrate the product.

4. Post Consistently: Keep sharing relatable, problem-solving content.

🔥 Other Businesses That Went Viral This Way:

• 🧋 Simple Modern: Sold millions of tumblers using Instagram Reels.

• 🧼 Dr. Squatch: Soap brand went viral overnight through funny YouTube Shorts.

• 🎨 Paintbynumbers.io: Turned hobby kits into millions through TikTok demonstrations.

There are countless niches still untapped. Maybe yours is next.

💡 Key Takeaways

✅ Solve a relatable problem—simple solutions resonate best.
✅ Leverage short-form video platforms to go viral fast.
✅ No followers, no budget? No problem.

🔥 Final Thoughts

Strapsicle’s success proves anyone can build a multi-million dollar brand by leveraging short-form content.

This is coming from me — a guy with no Instagram, no TikTok, no Facebook.
(I’ve only seen the power of YouTube firsthand.)

But maybe it’s time I start on those channels too.

Hope you enjoyed this one. Have a great weekend!

— Tim