goop

So here's the thing about goop-it's basically become the wellness empire that everyone either loves or loves to hate, and honestly, both reactions make perfect sense.

Founded by Gwyneth Paltrow in 2008 as just a simple weekly newsletter for friends and family, it's somehow grown into a 200-employee enterprise that's valued at around $250 million. And look, you can roll your eyes at the jade eggs and $200 candles all you want, but there's something undeniably fascinating about how goop makes its own branded lines of clothing, skin care, fragrance, vitamins and supplements, and body products while focusing content on wellness, food, style, work, and travel.

The brand has this weird ability to spark conversations that somehow always end up in the mainstream. Paltrow herself admits she can "monetize those eyeballs" from what she calls "cultural firestorms." It's kind of genius, actually-controversy becomes currency in the attention economy.

But here's what's really interesting: goop has expanded way beyond just selling stuff online. They've got permanent stores in Los Angeles, New York City, and London, plus wellness summits, pop-ups, a book imprint, and The goop Podcast. You can actually visit their physical locations in Santa Monica, Montecito, Hawaii, and other spots to test products in person.

And despite all the criticism about pseudoscience and overpriced products, the company doubled its revenues from 2014 to 2015, and again from 2015 to 2016. Say what you want about the jade eggs, but people are clearly buying what they're selling. The whole thing feels like a masterclass in building a lifestyle brand that people either desperately want to be part of or desperately want to mock-and both reactions keep the cash register ringing.