Erin Potempa-Wall, right, with her sisters Emily Potempa, left, and Sarah Potempa, middle
ERIN POTEMPA-WALL
| Company Founded: | The Beachwaver Company | Graduation Year: | 1999 |
| Title: | Co-Founder and COO | Degree: | B.A., English Philosophy |
| Location: | Chicago, IL | Residence Hall: | Cavanaugh |
Erin Potempa-Wall grew up as the oldest of five children in Libertyville, a northern suburb of Chicago. It was always clear where she would attend college. Her father, Gary Potempa, was the starting middle linebacker for the University of Notre Dame in 1973, the year the Fighting Irish defeated the Alabama Crimson Tide to win the national championship.
“Dad was always super involved with Notre Dame,” she said, “and so was our family.”
It was also clear that Potempa-Wall would one day pursue entrepreneurship. Her father founded his own dental practice, while two of her uncles started and ran small businesses. After graduating from Notre Dame, she earned a law degree from Loyola University Chicago, worked as a prosecutor, and later practiced general litigation on her own.
In 2010, when her sister Sarah, a globally recognized celebrity hairstylist, came to her with an innovative new curling iron idea and asked her to join a startup, Potempa-Wall didn’t hesitate.
She said YES!
“I was looking for something new and different, and I wanted to build something. The bigger risk would have been staying in an unfulfilling career path,” Potempa-Wall explains.
Sarah’s big idea was a curling iron with a rotating barrel that would automatically wind the user’s hair around it. This would replace the cumbersome manual task of curling hair, making it faster and easier for users to achieve the beautiful hairstyles of their favorite actresses, models, and other fashion icons. The name of the new hairstyling tool: the Beachwaver.
No one understood the pain point better than Sarah. For years, she had relied on difficult-to-handle traditional curling irons to style her illustrious clients, including Emily Blunt, Reese Witherspoon, Camila Cabello, and Busy Philipps. Although she knew how to deliver great looks for red carpet events, guest appearances, and fashion shoots, she understood how difficult it was for fans to replicate those looks with traditional tools.
Potempa-Wall explains, “You have to remember, this was before the internet, social media, and Zoom were big. Sarah was on the phone with a fashion editor, trying to explain how she achieved a certain look for a celebrity. It was impossible to explain. She thought there had to be a better way.”
The first challenge was taking the idea from concept to working prototype. The Beachwaver curling iron had to be easy and intuitive to use, wind hair on its barrel without snagging, and heat to the proper temperature. “We had a lot of back and forth with our designer and manufacturer,” Potempa-Wall said. “It had to work the way we envisioned, and it had to be safe.”
Potempa-Wall also leveraged her legal expertise. She prepared the company’s incorporation documents, negotiated with suppliers, and oversaw tooling and manufacturing. The most time-consuming and arduous task was preparing and filing for patents.
“Being first to market with the Beachwaver curling iron, we had to protect our technology. For the first six years, that was much of what I did. Today, we have 21 trademarks, seven patents, and additional patents pending. It was a painful process, but it had to be done. A lot of people try to steal our technology. While we do address knockoffs that infringe on our patents, we have a limited amount of time on earth, and I choose to spend my time building our brand rather than worrying about knockoffs.”
To fund the company, they used their credit cards, and Potempa-Wall cashed in her 401(k). They took no outside venture capital and continue to be fully self-funded.
Once they had a working prototype of the Beachwaver curling iron—“We totally Frankensteined it,” Potempa-Wall said—they met with the QVC shopping channel about launching it on television. QVC loved it, which put manufacturing efforts into overdrive.
“We figured out how to manufacture the products and had them air-shipped to JFK Airport in New York City. Sarah and I rented a truck, drove to JFK, picked them up, and then drove to QVC in Pennsylvania to deliver them. When we backed our truck up to the loading dock, it was too low, so the dock workers wouldn’t unload it since it wasn’t a regulation-sized truck. We asked if we unloaded the truck, would they take our boxes inside. They agreed, so that’s what we did,” she said.
The response to the Beachwaver curling iron on QVC was overwhelmingly positive. Shoppers loved it. Beauty editors loved it. And after people bought and used it, the enthusiasm grew.
“We literally blew people’s minds,” Potempa-Wall said. “They loved the quality, ease of use, and the curls. Once they saw the Beachwaver in action, they knew we were legit.”
It didn’t take long for awards to start pouring in from the beauty and fashion industries. To date, the Beachwaver Company has received around 70 awards. Most recently, in June 2024, they won two prestigious Bella Beauty Awards for Innovative Hair Products.
Some of the feedback from customers was totally unexpected. Stylists with carpal tunnel syndrome reached out to say thank you. Because of the Beachwaver’s automated wrapping of hair on the barrel, they could avoid repetitive wrist movements and style their clients pain-free. They also heard from a customer born without an arm who said the unique design of the Beachwaver curling iron allowed her to style her hair quickly and easily.
“This feedback was very gratifying as we’re dedicated to innovation, accessibility, sustainability, and empowerment,” Potempa-Wall said. “Our goal is to make people feel a little more confident when they walk out the door.”
In the early days of scaling the Beachwaver Company, the Potempas leaned into Sarah’s celebrity client base. They used the Beachwaver curling iron on photo shoots for Vogue, Vanity Fair, and other fashion magazines, and to style models and celebrities for Fashion Week, Swim Week, and red-carpet events. Potempa-Wall recalls, “At one show, we styled 50 models in about 10 minutes using the Beachwaver. We got the models in and out fast.” The beautifully consistent waves and curls, along with the speed of the process, generated significant brand-building buzz.
When selling on social media channels became popular, younger sister Emily Potempa joined the company as chief creative officer, and the Beachwaver brand took the internet by storm. Fun, informative videos showing exactly how to use the Beachwaver curling iron went viral on TikTok, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and their own website. The videos often include promotional codes to boost sales, garnering thousands upon thousands of views.
“This is how we truly built the company,” Potempa-Wall said. “It was and is a phenomenal opportunity to connect with customers, educate and get feedback, and above all, build a community. We try to be a positive, supportive force on the internet; good vibes only!”
Being supportive means welcoming customer input. And people started asking questions beyond how to use the Beachwaver curling iron. Requests came in for advice on how to care for thin hair, curly hair, and hair prone to breaking. This led the Beachwaver company to launch a line of hair care products: volumizing sprays, mousses, scalp oil, heat-protecting, and hypoallergenic shampoos and conditioners. They formulate all their hair care products in-house, do no animal testing, are vegan, contain no harsh chemicals, and are made with love.
One of Potempa-Wall’s favorite products is a leave-in hair detangler. “My children (she has four) have really curly hair that’s hard to brush. This product works! I’m really proud of the products we bring to market and excited for people to use them.”
Sustainability is a top priority for the company, and great effort has been made to reduce packaging and use recyclable materials. Beachwaver customers are encouraged to recycle. All their hair care products are made in the United States to avoid unnecessary shipping and thus lower their carbon footprint.
Perhaps surprisingly, Potempa-Wall says success has been their biggest challenge. “We are incredibly hard-working Midwesterners. There are so many opportunities, and we want to be the best partner we can be. That creates problems as we’re a small team and can get spread thin.”
Today, Beachwaver products are available in the United States, Europe, Australia, and Canada. While the company primarily sells direct to consumers, they are considering retail store partnerships. Potempa-Wall attributes their success to having a great partnership between the sisters and the quality and integrity of their products. The biggest win, she said, is staying true to their mission and running an honest business. “We have an opportunity and a responsibility to make a positive impact, and we are grateful for that every day.”
Potempa-Wall, who was honored with the Alumna of the Year Award in 2023 from Mendoza Women in Business and Notre Dame Undergraduate Women in Business, offers this advice to women who would like to start a company:
“As women, we are brought up to be people pleasers and to quietly follow the rules. Instead, I think we should listen only to ourselves. Honestly, I don’t care what other people think, as we are on a mission to grow our brand. I don’t let any negativity or criticism occupy my mental space. We have a limited time on earth, and I am obsessed with filling my time pursuing my own dreams. My advice is to not listen!”