The scale of success two young women can achieve simply by exchanging videos about pickled vegetables might seem incredible. However, Lea Marx and Yasaman Bakhtiyar managed to turn this idea into reality. Both loved pickled vegetables. They watched and shared videos related to them on social media. Gradually, this shared passion led them to the idea of starting their own business.
Both girls quit their jobs and started selling pickled vegetables. Their company is currently valued at approximately 810 million rupees.
Lea and Yasaman met at the University of Southern California in the USA. Both graduated in 2022. After graduation, they started working in different places. Nevertheless, their friendship and communication continued, especially regarding pickled vegetables. In 2023, they began regularly exchanging videos about pickled vegetables on social media—sometimes it was a video about a specific flavor of pickled vegetable, and sometimes it was a funny way to eat them.
During this process, they realized the significant interest people had in pickled vegetables. That's when the question arose: why not turn pickled vegetables into a business? They didn't just stop at talking about the idea; they decided to leave their jobs and begin preparing their venture.
Launching the business was not easy, as neither girl had much experience in running a food sales business. Therefore, they first consulted friends who were already in the field. Additionally, they communicated with many people in the food business through social media. They tried to understand how to properly make pickled vegetables, how to deliver them to consumers, what the packaging should be like, and how to grow the business.
After that, they founded their company, Good Girl Snacks. They paid special attention not only to the taste of the pickled vegetables but also to how they were presented to the public. Understanding popular slang and trends among youth on social media, they named their pickled vegetables 'Hot Girl Pickles.' Every aspect, from the design of the pickle jar to social media promotion, was made fun and original. They presented the pickled vegetables not just as a food product but linked them to youth preferences and the world of social media, allowing their product to stand out from traditional pickles.
In February 2024, they released their first product—Hot Girl Pickles. Initially, they sold it directly through their own website, which allowed them to interact directly with customers. Thanks to feedback from buyers, they could find out which flavors were in demand, what people liked, and where improvements were needed. Gradually, the recognition of their pickled vegetables grew, and they started appearing in major stores. In 2025, their pickled vegetables received permission to be sold in well-known American stores Whole Foods Market and Erewhon. Later, they also started selling pickled vegetables in small packs, in addition to jars, for people's convenience.
The hard work of the two friends gained significant recognition when their company, Good Girl Snacks, received initial investment of $3 million. Following this, the company's valuation rose to $85 million, equivalent to approximately 810 million rupees. It is important to understand that these 810 million rupees are the estimated value of the company itself, not the earnings of the two friends. The company has not disclosed its total revenue or profit.
Currently, Lea and Yasaman plan to expand their business. Their intentions are not limited to selling pickled vegetables; they are preparing to bring other food products to the market. The story of these two friends is special because it started not with a large corporation or huge investments, but with an exchange of videos about pickled vegetables between two friends. They recognized their preferences, understood people's preferences, and then turned it into a commercial enterprise. Today, this modest beginning has grown into a company worth about 810 million rupees.