By: Alva Ree
The CEO of 365 SUN grew Nutree Professional into a $14 million hair care brand, launched two new labels in 2025, and brought them to the New York Fashion Week runway. He explains why most e-commerce brands fail and what the winners do differently.
When Lance Thompson talks about e-commerce, he doesn’t start with ads or algorithms. He starts with the product.
“Amazon is the most honest marketplace in the world,” says the CEO of 365 SUN LLC. “You can buy traffic, but you can’t buy repeat customers. If the product doesn’t deliver, the reviews will tell everyone within a month.”
Thompson’s Florida-based company manages and builds beauty brands. Under his leadership, Nutree Professional grew from launch to $14 million in sales. In 2025, 365 SUN went further and launched its own brands. Jumy Bee is a Korean-inspired hair care brand for Gen Z. Miami Sun is a direct-to-consumer tanning brand. The company also served as a beauty sponsor at New York Fashion Week.
We asked Thompson what he has learned along the way.
1. “Inventory Is Strategy, Not Logistics.”
“Most founders think stockouts are an operations problem. On Amazon, a stockout is a ranking problem. You lose your position, and buying it back costs two or three times more. We plan inventory months ahead. A product that’s always available is half the battle.”
2. “Advertising Should Buy Data, Not Just Sales.”
“Early on, every ad dollar is market research. You learn which keywords convert, what price customers accept, and which claims they care about. Once you know that, you cut spend and let organic ranking carry you. If a brand’s ad spend never goes down, something is wrong with the product or the listing.”
3. “Protect Your Brand Like It’s Your Bank Account.”
Counterfeiters and listing hijackers are a real threat on Amazon. 365 SUN has gone as far as court action to protect its brands. “Every fake seller on your listing steals not only revenue but trust. If a customer gets a bad copy, they blame you. Brand protection isn’t a legal expense. It’s customer service.”
4. “Don’t Depend On One Channel.”
“Amazon is a great engine, but it’s rented land. Fees change, rules change. We build our own websites, email lists, and communities so we own the relationship with the customer. The healthiest brands use Amazon for reach and DTC for loyalty.”
5. “Gen Z Doesn’t Search, It Discovers.”
That idea is behind Jumy Bee. “Older customers type a need into a search bar. Younger customers see a product in a 15-second video and buy it because it feels fun and real. So we built Jumy Bee for TikTok first: bright, playful and affordable, with K-beauty ingredients that actually work.”
6. “Credibility Can’t Be Bought, But It Can Be Earned In Public.”
The company sponsored beauty at New York Fashion Week. “When professional stylists use your products backstage under runway pressure, it says more than any ad. Then we bring that story back to the product page.”
What’s Next
Thompson plans to keep expanding the portfolio across Amazon, its DTC stores and international marketplaces. His advice to new founders is simple:
“Fall in love with the customer, not the channel. Platforms will change. Customers who trust you will follow you anywhere.”
