The Exchanges

Q and eventual profitability. You decided in, or I guess in 2015, you start to experiment with pop-up stores, um, which you had kind of done a version of early on when, when you're going to these, like, Christmas markets and stuff, but this would be, uh, was it, I mean, was the idea that it would be like, uh, dipping your toe in potentially opening a brick and mortar store?

A So I knew that retail was going to be part of our strategy from the beginning. I mean, it's in my first pitch deck. I, this is a category where historically, 90% of purchases were made offline when I started this brand. So we were already doing something very different, and, um, I knew that there was just going to be this consumer that it was going to be a much harder shift in their behavior to buy online. And so We rented a window of a store, um, like a little window area in Venice, um, and we put some signage up, and we just saw the way that people responded when they touched and felt our products, that it was a real selling point. Like, our products felt good. And, you know, I think because we knew that everyone was buying offline, it just felt like, you know,

AI assessment note: “I knew that retail was going to be part of our strategy from the beginning.”

Q So when do you know, like when you You know, introduce a new product or line. How much time do you give it before you decide whether it it's not working? Or, you know, what is like the timeframe you kind of allow for? And when do you know it's time to kind of move on?

A It's a great question because, you know, and it depends, you know, for us, you know, we, we introduced new colors, we introduced new categories. Furniture was a unique example of a category that was very different, um, than our core assortment. And so, um, you know, we, we gave it a go for about a year, um, and we still do sell some bed frames. Um, but it quickly just became clear that, you know, the supply chain, the logistics, the, um, White glove delivery that brought strangers into the homes of our customers. I mean, there was a lot going on and the margin profile. So it just, it impacted our business dramatically in a way that, you know, we could have anticipated probably a bit more, but part of what, you know, being a founder or running a business is, you know, being comfortable taking some risks and knowing that they might not all land.

AI assessment note: “we gave it a go for about a year”

Q And, and he was just a friend that you had met in New York?

A He was a friend that I had met in New York through the startup world, and, um, he had started many different companies, and he was like, yes, this is a great idea. But I will say, at the time, I also was like, this is a great idea, but, like, who's gonna do it? You know, like, I, I, I had this idea, but it hadn't really dawned on me that I could be the founder. And my friend looked at me and Um, and he said, you are a founder. And I said, what? No, I'm not. Um, what do you mean? And he said, I've never said this to anyone else, but you are a founder, and you are going to start this business, and you are going to be the CEO. And, you know, sometimes there are these moments that are so transformative, and this was one of them for me, because he saw something in me that I did not see in myself, and I, all of a sudden, believed him. I was like, you're right, I'm a founder. And I remember calling my parents saying, um, I'm gonna found a company, and I'm gonna be the CEO of this company, and my parents, I think, fell off their chair.

AI assessment note: “He was a friend that I had met in New York through the startup world”

Q Yeah. And how did you, I mean, you really had, had no experience managing people in your previous job, which isn't necessary, but now it's like on the job training, like you are literally managing a team of people. How did you find that to, did it come naturally to you or was it hard?

A You know, it came naturally. I mean, I think that the team of two to team of 20 is a really special time. You know, everyone is somewhat sitting around the table together. There's a lot of communication and collaboration, and of course there's, like, you know, various issues that come up, um, but there was just so much energy and excitement. I think what helped me the most, to be honest, is that my first few jobs out of college, um, I had pretty challenging managers, and I worked at companies with pretty poor culture, and so while I didn't necessarily have a model of what to do, I had a very clear model of what not to do, and that went a long way.

AI assessment note: “You know, it came naturally.”

Q Awesome. Do you ever do that? I mean, this is a little personal question, but do you ever do affirmations?

A Yeah. No, I, yes, I do. And I, I do them with my kids too. I mean, I, it's part of, um, our bedtime routine, you know, and I, um, You know, my daughter and I do them together, you know, when she's, yeah, when she's having a, a tough moment, you know, we look at each other, we, you know, we both say, you know, we're strong, like, you know, we say it together, we, you know, I think it's, I think it's really powerful, um, like manifesting and, you know, visualizing and repeating, um, these mantras can really, Transform. I mean, I have a gratitude journal practice. It's, you know, quite similar to an affirmation practice. And, um, I find even if you find yourself affirming the same things every day, you know, at some point it really starts to seep in and Become part of your identity and who you are.

AI assessment note: “yes, I do. And I, I do them with my kids too.”

Q there's a marriage collapsing. I know in your case, your marriage split up, it broke up, um, while you were trying to scale this business. And You know, you had two small kids. How did you, how did you deal with that, you know, the, the, the challenges in your personal life and also still, you know, come to work every day and just have the energy to do it?

A Um, it was the hardest time of my life, honestly. Um, you know, I, I think a lot about when things started to fall apart in my personal life, um, and the gratitude I had for my professional life, because while things were somewhat in chaos and crisis behind closed doors, I had this other door that I could walk through where things were seemingly perfect, and where things were Positive, and there was growth, and, and even during some of our more challenging times at Parachute, I was very private about what was going on. So, you know, most of my executive team members didn't really know what was even happening, and I felt very guarded, and I felt very alone, and, um, in many ways ashamed of what was happening, and also this real desire to show up as this, like, Super professional human that could function. And in reality, I couldn't. And I'm very pleased to say that in the past, you know, year and a half, two years, I've really prioritized a lot of my own personal development and growth and have done a lot of what we like to call in LA the work. Um, and in retrospect, again, I, I wish I had asked for more help. I wish I would have said, you know, I'm going through this and I think what I would have found out is that I was not alone, and I probably would have been connected to a number of people who had experienced similar things, and, um, you know, I think people often tell me ho…

AI assessment note: “while things were somewhat in chaos... I had this other door that I could walk through”

Q show up to pitch meetings and try to be something, you know, and when you were kind of more aggressive and assertive, you found that people responded to you differently. Now, you know, let 1011 years into the, into the brand, you are the leader, you're a CEO, you're respected, and so with that comes confidence, right? How long do you feel it took you to get to that place?

A I mean, it's an ever evolving journey, but I do think that, you know, as you have more product market fit, the brand starts to speak for itself. So you become the voice of the brand, but you're using numbers, you're using data points, you're using anecdotes, you're able to speak to the opportunity in such a different way than when you're just getting off the ground. You know, you have, even though it's, it's still new, you have two and a half, three years of Of a product that has become popular within your community, you know, a place that is a gathering center, you know. So I think having that passion for what you're building mixed with the real information that this is a product that people want and that would have great appeal on the shelves and, you know, just is going to require some capital to take it from point A to point B. Um, is a story that people want to hear about. And I think, you know, you're looking for the right partner. So for someone who's going to understand, you know, I think for me, that was also a great way to weed out people that I didn't want to work with. And, you know, you mentioned that too, that some of these people that have talked to you about potential investments, you wouldn't want to work with anyway. Um, and that's a really great bit of information. And so, you know, if someone is hung up on The fact that you're a woman, I mean, it's not their…

AI assessment note: “it's an ever evolving journey, but I do think that, you know, as you have”

Q mean, you were success, you were growing, and you were raising money, and, but still, I mean, it was, I mean, at that point, I think you'd raised about 46, seven million dollars total, which is a lot, but, but with that money comes expectations, and you were going to become a mom. You know, how did you manage, you know, all of these different huge changes in your life?

A It was tough. I mean, it was a big change. You know, I think up until that moment of becoming a mom, my career and this role as leader and CEO and founder was my entire identity, and it was also important for my team. I mean, you know, at that point, I had some really strong leadership, and it was great to be able to watch people step into these bigger roles in my absence and, um, I love being a mom. I mean, being a mom is one of my greatest joys, and being a mom that can share my company and my success with my daughter and now son, you know, is, is amazing. I mean, I love bringing my kids to parachute stores and the whole thing.

AI assessment note: “watch people step into these bigger roles in my absence”

Q Okay. 300 cents. And, um, and in the meantime, as a solo founder, you know, you talk about Um, you sort of alluded to this idea that it was overwhelming. What was overwhelming? What was your to-do list?

A My to-do list was endless. My to-do list was everything. I mean, I actually remember one day, uh, like, catching up with a friend and my friend being like, so what do you even do every day? And I burst into tears. I was like, what do you mean, what do I do every, what do I do every day? And, you know, I think it's, it's, it's so interesting because that the, the phase of pre-build, especially when, like, no one around you understands what you're doing, is, is really dark. It's really lonely. I mean, being a founder in general can be really lonely and really isolating and feel like you're an island of One, but before you have a physical product to show someone, I mean, to be fair, it was a fair question, you know, like, what do you do every day?

AI assessment note: “My to-do list was endless. My to-do list was everything.”