Pulp Riot / Danger Jones: David Thurston

Pulp Riot / Danger Jones: David Thurston

From Starting Small by Cameron Nagle

March 13, 2026 · 47 min · Episode 267

About this episode

David Thurston shares the story of building Pulp Riot and launching Danger Jones, emphasizing creativity and community in the beauty industry.

David Thurston didn’t set out to build the fastest-growing hair color brand in professional beauty history. But that’s exactly what happened. As the founder of Pulp Riot, David created a brand that shook up the salon industry — bold colors, artist-first culture, and a community that felt more like a movement than a product line. Just 23 months after launch, Pulp Riot was acquired by L’Oréal for $150M. The day the deal closed, David was sitting in a Jersey Mike’s when a bank notification popped up: $85M had just hit his account. Seven years later, he and his wife Alexis are back building — this time with Danger Jones, a brand that blends hair color, fashion, and film into something entirely different from traditional beauty companies. No corporate playbook. No venture capital. Just creativity, community, and a belief that artists deserve a brand that actually represents them. In this episode, David shares the full story behind Pulp Riot’s meteoric rise, what really happens after a life-changing exit, and why he decided to start over — building Danger Jones from scratch across 43 countries. Make sure to check them out at: https://www.dangerjonescreative.com/ Check out my new book…

People in this episode

Host: Cameron Nagle

Guest: David Thurston

Topics covered

  • entrepreneurship
  • hair color
  • beauty industry
  • business acquisition
  • creative branding
  • artist community

Keywords

  • Pulp Riot
  • Danger Jones
  • David Thurston
  • L’Oréal
  • hair color
  • entrepreneurship
  • beauty brand
  • artist culture
  • business acquisition

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Pulp Riot, L’Oréal, Danger Jones, Starting Small Media

Books & works: Starting Small: The Raw Truth Behind Entrepreneurship and the American Dream

Places: Jersey Mike’s

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