In 2012, Caroline and Isabel Bercaw, like many young girls, were captivated by bath bombs. The two sisters enjoyed experimenting with different recipes for the fizzy, aromatic creations, and they decided to add a little surprise inside, like a tiny toy. After testing their bath bombs at a local art fair in Minneapolis, they quickly realized they had stumbled upon something special.
By 2015, their products had made their way into 30 local shops, and in 2016, after attending an international trade show in Atlanta, the sisters were able to expand their reach across the country. “We were making 20,000 bath bombs every month in our basement,” Isabel recalls, looking back at the rapid growth.
Everything took a significant turn when Target reached out to them with an offer to stock their product in 1,800 stores. Isabel remembers, “We knew we had to get organized quickly.” At this point, their mom, Kim, stepped in as CEO, while Caroline and Isabel focused on the creative side of the business, like product development and marketing. They also moved production and storage to a nearby warehouse to accommodate the increasing demand. The girls even joined their school’s On the Job program, which allowed them to balance schoolwork with their growing business responsibilities.
Their friends and school community have been incredibly supportive, as Caroline shares, “Some people who don’t know us will come up and ask, ‘Hey, you’re the bath bomb girls. How much money do you make?’” However she adds “I’d rather they ask about our day-to-day lives, about what it’s like to run a business. It’s not about money; it’s about the work and the journey.”
Today, Da Bomb is a thriving company, generating over $20 million in annual revenue, and it remains self-funded. Despite the success, the Bercaw family has stayed grounded, with family bonds growing stronger as they continue to work closely together. Isabel, who is now starting her freshman year of college just down the road from the company’s warehouse, says, “We talk about bath bombs all the time. Sometimes we’ll be out to dinner and say, “We just need 20 minutes to be a family.” But this has brought us closer.” Their business journey has helped them stay united, with each family member supporting one another.