Makeup artist bootstraps diaper bag brand past 1.7 million dollars without investors
Alexandra Rutkay, a 43-year-old New York City makeup artist working on Law & Order: SVU, has taken her diaper bag brand citymouse past 1.7 million dollars in total sales without outside investors. She launched it from her apartment at the end of 2022 using about 8,500 dollars of her own savings. It made about 135,000 dollars in 2023 and reached seven figures within 18 to 24 months.
The independence was bought with hours that never show up in the accounts. Alexandra Rutkay kept working more than 50 hours a week on film sets while building citymouse. Orders were once packed in the family living room and stock was counted by hand. Her husband left his career to run operations full time. The reward she names is control: no one to answer to.
Source: Entrepreneur · October 12, 2026