What It's About
An Amazon product manager takes the plunge and starts a swimwear line.
Words of Wisdom
Jessica shares some important advice about facing challenges along the way, “so many people get intimidated by the fact that there’s so much to do and so much you don’t know how to do, like building a website or filing taxes. You can either get overwhelmed by this, or you can figure it out as you go.”
Fun Fact
U.S. retail sales of swimwear were approximately $3.6 billion when Instagram launched in 2010. They rose to $4.6 billion last year in 2018. That’s a lot of swimsuits! [CNBC - Source]
Notes from Chris
Episode 1529
Jessica Reed was bored. She had an unloved, underpaid nine-to-five job and knew she could achieve so much more. The challenge was figuring out what exactly that would be. She began to brainstorm about the things she enjoyed, such as water skiing and going to the beach, and a problem associated with them, like not being able to find the perfect swimsuit. This was in early 2018, and as she continued to think about what she wanted to do, she stumbled upon a story about a young woman from Australia who started a swimwear brand. As she read the article, Jessica realized how similar she was to that Australian. They both had very little capital available and shared a love for sunshine, the beach, and swimsuits. And since Jessica had yet to find a swimsuit she personally loved, she figured it would be a perfect opportunity to create her own. Jessica launched Seattle-based Ballard Bikini with an investment of $493, which she used to purchase her first swimwear samples. Though she doesn’t have a design background, her manufacturer allowed her to sketch out ideas on paper and send them over for feedback. She included the preferred measurements, colors or prints. From there, the manufacturer makes samples of the pieces. Once Jessica approves, she places a bulk order. Jessica worked on getting her website up and running, and commissioned a logo from her cousin. She placed a bulk order that totaled a little more than $4,000 for her first launch, but here’s a key point: she did a pre-sale in order to cover the cost of the order, during which she made about $1,200 over the course of six weeks. Looking to the future, Jessica hopes to launch a YouTube channel focused on sharing tips for starting a business and building wealth. In the long term, she would love to publish a book.
MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:
- Learn more about Jessica Reed and checkout her full line of bikinis at her website, ballardbikini.com.
- Two Women Create Swimwear Brand for D-Cups and Up: After getting fed up with poorly-fitting swimwear, two friends realize that women with larger bust sizes are just an afterthought when swim brands design suits—so they set out to create an alternative.
- Bikini Model Creates Multi-Million Swimsuit Line: A swimsuit model uses industry connections and social media savvy to launch a high-end shopping site taking on major swimwear companies from the beaches of Miami.
- Aussie Student Starts Million-Dollar Bikini Biz: When an Australian student is in need of spending money, she starts a bikini side hustle that grows well beyond “itsy bitsy.
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Resources
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