It’s Fall Y’All!
And we’re about as basic as it gets around here. We’re all about the cozy sweaters and pretty leaves, and don’t even get us started on the food. Fall is hands down the best food season. Anyone else stocking up on all the pumpkin goods at Trader Joes? After an action packed summer, we’re ready to slow things down a bit aaaaaand not gonna lie, getting the kids to bed earlier because it’s dark at 6 pm is an added bonus.
Our Bras
We mentioned that we’re making some design improvements to our bras. Well, since we don’t actually know how to sew, we went straight to the pros. One of our biggest moves this summer was to hire an apparel design firm, The Squad, to take our sketched-on-a-napkin designs and translate them to a formal tech pack. The Squad is made up of two women, Stephanie and Kozet, and together they hold 9 patents in sports bra design. Stephanie is credited for launching American Eagle’s Aerie....BIG time mic drop.
Thank you to those of you that provided feedback! Your input is literally shaping our next launch. With the help of these experts and your thoughts, the new designs are in the works! More details to come, but these bras are going to be SO. GOOD.
Our Brand
Six months ago we sent off our trademark application (okay okay, our attorney filled it out) and we finally received news from the US Government that AVYN is officially trademarked! Opening that big manila envelope honestly felt like we received our college diplomas. Hallelujah!
Our Biz
We’re going to start pounding the pavement in 2020 to get our bras in retail stores. We’ve been working with some local boutiques and fitness studios to refine our wholesale strategy so let us know if you see AVYN popping up around town!
But since retail isn’t our backgrounds, we’ve been hitting the books. We’re in the middle of a sales bootcamp to dissect our target customer, explore the best avenues for sales, and perfecting our pitch.
So, now on to the Q & A:
What has been your biggest win recently?
Chandler: Locking in a tradeshow for 2020! We’ll be heading to Dallas in April for the JPMA Best in Baby show and I’m so excited to talk to media, influencers, retailers and industry experts to spread the AVYN love!
Lauren: Being a guest on a podcast!!! A local Portland podcast, So You Had A Baby, invited Chandler and I to share our postpartum experiences and what led us to start AVYN. Even though the recording was done at my home with just the two of us huddled around my iphone speaker, I still had my annoying public speaking jitters. In the end I got over my fear (with the help of a beer) and the episode turned out better than we anticipated. It aired Sept 2 and you can find it on iTunes!
What are you most focused on right on?
Chandler: Making sure we have everything together before the holidays. Not only is it a crazy time for retail, it’s a crazy time in our personal lives. I have two little girls’ birthdays, my husbands birthday, and I think we’re hosting about 25 people for Thanksgiving, so yeah...time to get real organized!
Lauren: I’m in the same boat as Chandler. My son’s birthday is the day after Thanksgiving (same as Chandler’s husband) and MY husband’s birthday is Dec 24th! Staying organized is our life vest right now so I’m doing my best to keep things from falling through the cracks.
What’s keeping you motivated?
Chandler: Lauren. For real. She’s so good and ON IT. I can’t be the slacker! It’s also incredibly motivating to see other people genuinely excited by our product. And coffee.
Lauren: Making money! We attended a Women’s Speed Mentoring Night at Mercy Corps Northwest a few weeks ago and met some super smart women who gave us advice on all things SEO, marketing strategies and other things I knew literally nothing about 6 months ago. Applying these principles to sell more bras equals more money to grow our business with.
What are you most excited about?
Chandler: I’m so excited to start looking at wholesale. Not to brag, but I’m pretty good at online shopping so combing the internet for local shops has been right up my alley!
Lauren: Going on a trip to Dallas with Chandler for the JPMA Trade Show! I’m picturing power blazers, negotiating deals, and margaritas to celebrate our success at night. Is this realistic? Haha.
Where’s your next adventure?
Chandler: Hmmm...good question! Since our schedules are action packed for the rest of the year, I think we’re staying local. You can find us celebrating the release of Frozen 2 (which my daughter thinks is being made just for her 4th birthday) and having a boozy brunch before we see the Nutcracker (my favorite holiday tradition). Early next year I’ll be ready for a break in the rain and some sunshine on the beach!
Lauren: When my husband convinced me to move to Portland 9 years ago, I agreed with the caveat we travel somewhere warm and sunny every winter or else I will sink into a deep depression from lack of Vitamin D. He has held true to his word and come January we’ll be in Mexico. Until then we’ll be staying local for the holidays with family coming to US!
Thank you thank you thank you for all your love and support! We're the first to admit that we're still learning and it's not always smooth sailing, but you all have been so kind (and patient) as we're finding our way! If you ever have questions, suggestions, or just want to say hi, please don't hesitate to reach out!
xoxo
Chandler & Lauren
