STEEL – Jawline Gum
About the Company
STEEL – Jawline Gum was founded by Matt Phelps, a YouTuber and product analyst, who discovered a gap in the market for jawline-enhancing products. The idea stemmed from the rising popularity of jawline exercises and the lack of a convenient product to help improve facial structure. Matt's business started as an experiment, targeting customers interested in improving their jawlines, many of whom found him through his YouTube content and organic Google searches.
The business sold mastic gum, a natural substance with historical significance, known for strengthening jaw muscles. This hard gum was marketed as an intuitive and effective tool for jawline improvement. The company focused on keeping its operations simple, offering a unique product while using common tools for logistics, customer service, and marketing.
Idea Behind Company
Matt’s journey began in 2020 when he discovered mastic gum through a subreddit. After years of experimenting with various ineffective jawline exercisers, he found that mastic gum provided noticeable results. The simplicity of chewing tree sap to improve jaw muscles fascinated Matt, and he realized there was a potential market for this product.
His interest was further piqued when he used Google’s Keyword Planner to identify demand for terms like "jawline gum" and "chewing gum for your jawline." Discovering that thousands of people were searching for such a product, Matt knew he had found a niche. This realization, combined with his background in product analysis, prompted him to pursue the idea.
Creating the Company
The initial stages of STEEL began with product research and sourcing. Matt contacted suppliers of mastic gum and ordered samples to develop his product. He decided on using cylindrical containers similar to those used for tobacco pouches and had a label designed via Fiverr. Although he started without perfect packaging, he quickly moved ahead with launching his business.
Matt took a hands-on approach to design, packaging, and branding, keeping costs low and focusing on creating a marketable product. He tested the waters by spending minimal amounts on Google ads and continuously tweaking his website and product presentation. Despite an initial failure with paid ads, his perseverance led to organic success through SEO.
Launching the Business
STEEL officially launched after Matt saw his first organic sale from a visitor. SEO became the primary driver of traffic to his site, as Matt focused on producing high-quality content and articles that targeted keywords with low competition. He leveraged Google Keyword Planner and AllInTitle searches to identify untapped keyword opportunities, which helped his articles rank high on search engines.
Matt also expanded his reach through YouTube, where he shared tutorials and content related to jawline exercises. His channel quickly gained a following, helping boost his business further. Additionally, after much difficulty, Matt launched on Amazon, which rapidly became a major sales platform for STEEL.
Earnings
At its peak, STEEL – Jawline Gum generated $9K in monthly revenue, with 55% gross margins. The business was highly profitable due to minimal customer acquisition costs, as most traffic came through organic search and YouTube. However, as the business grew, Matt faced challenges scaling internationally, particularly with managing taxes and logistics.
Despite these challenges, STEEL enjoyed success on Amazon, where it accounted for 40% of all sales. Matt reinvested profits into the business and used his YouTube channel to generate additional passive income. Ultimately, the business was profitable but ended in 2024.
