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2 episodes with fran dunaway
Top Stories:1. CrowdStrike outageGeekwire article2. LevelTen raises $65M in Series DPSBJ article3. Target cuts back on LGBTQ vendorsBusiness Insider article4. New CEO at ProvidencePSBJ article5. Homegrown closing storesSeattle Times articleAbout guest co-host Fran Dunaway - Co-Founder, TomBoyX:Fran was one of the inaugural Forbes 50 over 50, she is a media executive turned fashion entrepreneur. She co-founded TomBoyX, a Seattle-based gender neutral underwear and apparel brand in 2013 with her wife. As former CEO, she led the company to double in growth year over year and found themselves on many fastest-growing lists. Prior to this, Fran spent 25 years in media production. She also served as the Executive Director of Equal Rights Washington, a nonprofit focused on LGBTQ rights.Host Rachel Horgan:Rachel is an independent event producer, emcee and entrepreneur. She worked for the Business Journal for 5 years as their Director of Events interviewing business leaders on stage before launching the weekly podcast. She earned her communication degree from the University of San Diego.Contact:Email: info@theweeklyseattle.comInstagram: @theweeklyseattleWebsite: www.theweeklyseattle.com
Invest In Her host Catherine Gray talks with Fran Dunaway is a media executive-turned-fashion entrepreneur and co-founder of TomboyX, a Seattle-based gender-neutral underwear and loungewear brand launched in 2013. The brand started as a passion project in collaboration with her wife and co-founder Naomi Gonzalez to create the perfect button-up shirt, pivoting to focus on underwear based on the overwhelming demand for their first boxer brief for women. Fran and TomboyX are driven by a belief that brands can be a force for positive change, and their messaging promotes a human agenda to inspire conversation about gender, confidence, acceptance, and inclusion. As CEO, Fran has led TomboyX to doubled YoY growth and industry recognition that has included a listing on Inc. Magazine's 5000 fastest growing companies,(four consecutive years!) and being named one of Forbes 50 over 50 in 2020. www.sheangelinvestors.com https://tomboyx.com/ Follow Us On Social Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn
On this episode of It's Okay To Say Gay, the CEO and president of GLAAD, Sarah-Kate Ellis, explains to us why it's important to hold brands accountable and how GLAAD evaluates companies. Dr. Gillian Oakenfull, a marketing professor and faculty director of diversity and inclusion at Miami University, leads us through the history of LGBT+ advertising and today's current challenges. We also hear from Fran Dunaway, co-founder of Tomboyx, about why it's important to have queer people in leadership roles when making products for the LGBTQ+ community.
Fran Dunaway is a media executive-turned-fashion entrepreneur and co-founder of TomboyX, a Seattle-based gender neutral underwear and apparel brand launched in 2013. As a certified B-Corp, she and her partner, Naomi Gonzalez, are driven by a belief that brands can be a force for positive change, and their messaging promotes a human agenda to inspire conversation about gender, confidence, acceptance, and inclusion. Heart Stock Radio is a production of KBMF 102.5 and under written by Purse for the People
Fran Dunaway is my guest for this episode. Fran is the co-founder of Tomboy X a gender neutral underwear brand based in Seattle. Thanks for tuning into this episode of the Exploring Washington State Podcast! If the information in our conversations and interviews are enjoyable and valuable to you, please head over to iTunes, subscribe to the show, and leave us an honest review.Your reviews and feedback will not only help us continue to deliver great, helpful content, but it will also help us reach even more amazing listeners just like you!If you want to read about some of the many amazing places to explore in Washington State, you should just pack your bags and go! Explore Washington State is the perfect place for inspiration. Check it out today. Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/ExploringWash)
Adam Bryant, author of the bestselling book, Corner Office, asked over 700 CEOs, “What qualities do you see most often in those who succeed?”. The number one answer: Curiosity. Most of the ingenious inventions and extraordinary ideas throughout history all have something in common. From Thomas Edison's light bulb, Alexander Graham Bell's telephone to self-driving cars, they are all a result of curiosity. Meet our guest and Forbes 50 over 50 winner, Fran Dunaway, who is the co-founder of TomboyX, a gender neutral underwear and apparel brand. TomboyX started as a passion project in collaboration with her wife and co-founder Naomi Gonzalez to create the perfect button-up shirt, but then pivoted to focus on underwear based on the overwhelming demand for their first boxer brief for women. Under Fran's leadership, TomboyX doubled in YoY growth and was recognized on Inc. Magazine's 5000 fastest growing companies for 4 consecutive years. In this episode, Fran shares how she followed her curiosity to entrepreneurial success; what techniques have helped her navigate risk and uncertainty; and why it's important for brands to be a force for positive change and inspire conversation about gender, confidence, acceptance, and inclusion. Visit https://www.iambeyondbarriers.com where you will find show notes and links to all the resources in this episode, including the best way to get in touch with Fran. Highlights: [03:01] Taking the leap into entrepreneurship [05:51] Discovering your strengths [07:53] Open yourself up to Rainbow Unicorn Moments [10:51] Asking for help [12:55] Don't take rejection personally [14:51] Fran's approach to risk-taking [18:12] Overcoming setbacks [21:02] Staying ahead of the curve [22:32] A Day in the life of Fran [24:22] Lightning round questions [29:08] What's next for Fran Quotes: “When something goes right or the day is saved, remember that it is because of all of the things that you do that open yourself up to those magical moments.” – Fran Dunaway “Be careful with the stories that you're telling yourself about why a rejection occurred. You may not have full insight into the why.” – Fran Dunaway “Find those people in your network and be specific in your ask for where you are and what you need right now to help you.” - Fran Dunaway Lightning Round Questions: What book has greatly influenced you? Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead by Sheryl Sandberg What is your favorite inspiring quote or saying? Can't Never Could. What is one word or moniker you would use to describe yourself? Fun-loving What is one change you've implanted that made your life better? Trusting my gut would be the big thing along the way and following it and knowing that it's right and believing in myself in that way. What power song would you want playing as you walk out onto a stage? “Good as Hell” by Lizzo About Fran Dunaway: One of the inaugural Forbes 50 over 50, Fran Dunaway is a media executive-turned-fashion entrepreneur and co-founder of TomboyX, a Seattle-based gender neutral underwear and apparel brand launched in 2013. The brand started as a passion project in collaboration with her wife and co-founder Naomi Gonzalez to create the perfect button-up shirt, pivoting to focus on underwear based on the overwhelming demand for their first boxer brief for women. Fran and TomboyX are driven by a belief that brands can be a force for positive change, and their messaging promotes a human agenda to inspire conversation about gender, confidence, acceptance, and inclusion. As CEO, Fran has led TomboyX to doubled YoY growth and industry recognition that has included four consecutive years on Inc. Magazine's 5000 fastest growing companies and being named Small Business of the Year for King County and Fastest Growing Minority-Owned Company by the Puget Sound Business Journal. Prior to founding TomboyX, Fran spent over 15 years in media production including Director-level roles with political consulting firms. Her work included managing multi-million dollar budgets and large teams in production of TV/radio ads and animations for congressional candidates and social causes. She has also produced TV episodes for PBS and independent films, with festival showings at Sundance and DigiDance.Fran is active in social causes and served as Executive Director of Equal Rights Washington, a nonprofit focused on LGBTQ rights successfully advocated for passage of anti-discrimination legislation (Washington House Bill 2661) in 2006. She also served on the Steering Committee and Board of Governors of the Human Rights Campaign's Seattle chapter. Links: Website: https://tomboyx.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/frandunaway/ Instagram: https://instagram.com/fnawesomeadventure https://www.instagram.com/tomboyx/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/fdunaway https://twitter.com/tomboyx
Following a successful career as a media executive, Fran Dunaway founded TomboyX with her wife to address an unfulfilled need: good and more comfortable underwear. Since 2015, Fran has used her years of experience and knowledge to raise the profile of TomboyX, and its inclusive, gender-neutral underwear, particularly its boxer-brief style, to disrupt the $13B undergarment industry. Listen to this week's episode of Start Small, Dream BIG to learn more!
I sat down with Fran Dunaway, recent Forbes 50 over 50 awardee and CEO and co-founder of TomboyX, a Seattle-based gender-neutral clothing company to discuss operationalizing purpose and how to lean into the values and social issues important to your business. We get into the specifics of establishing and stating your organization's purpose and then consequently encouraging adoption and long-term practice.
Joining me on this episode is Fran Dunaway, founder of TomboyX.When TomboyX founders, Fran Dunaway and Naomi Gonzalez, started the company out of their garage, they did so because of one simple fact - they wanted underwear that fit who they are, not who others told them to be. It became very clear very quickly that they were not alone. TomboyX is dedicated not only to making high-quality apparel that fits everyone who loves it, but also striving for an ethical supply chain, deep community engagement, and pushing the apparel industry out of the box and into the future.In this episode we cover how Fran and Naomi, partners in love and business, saw a huge gap in the market and launched TomboyX with a killer crowdfunding campaign, had the courage to change direction which - spoiler alert- majorly paid off, and how they’ve built a brand and community that’s allowed them to work organically with superstars like Lizzo. LINKS WE MENTION: TomboyX WebsiteTomboyX Instagram Female Startup Club's Instagram In partnership with Klaviyo, the best email marketing tool for ecommerce businesses.Lizzo PODCAST - LOOSE THREADS PODCAST - BRENE BROWN BOOK - Billion Dollar LoserBOOK - Flash BoysNEWSPAPER - NY Times NEWSPAPER - Washingtonpost MAGAZINE - NBR MAGAZINE - NY mag
Fran Dunaway is a media executive-turned-fashion entrepreneur and co-founder of TomboyX, an Inc Magazine's 500 fastest growing company with a total of $24.3 million in venture backing. As CEO, Fran has led TomboyX to doubled YoY growth and industry recognition that has included being named Small Business of the Year for King County and Fastest Growing Minority-Owned Company by the Puget Sound Business Journal. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider to rate, review, and subscribe on Apple Podcasts/iTunes. It takes less than 60 seconds and it really makes a difference. Rate, review, and subscribe at HardyHaberland.com/iTunes.
Fran Dunaway is a media executive-turned-fashion entrepreneur and co-founder of TomboyX, an Inc Magazine's 500 fastest growing company with a total of $24.3 million in venture backing. As CEO, Fran has led TomboyX to doubled YoY growth and industry recognition that has included being named Small Business of the Year for King County and Fastest Growing Minority-Owned Company by the Puget Sound Business Journal. Brought to you by Haberland Group (HaberlandGroup.com) and Hardy Haberland's Programs (HardyHaberland.com). This podcast is brought to you by Haberland Group. Haberland Group is a global provider of marketing solutions. With multidisciplinary teams in major world markets, our holding companies specialize in advertising, branding, communications planning, digital marketing, media, podcasting, public relations, as well as specialty marketing. If you are looking for a world-class partner to work on marketing programs, go to HaberlandGroup.com and contact us. This podcast is also brought to you by Hardy Haberland's Programs. Hardy provides educational programs for high performers who want world-class achievement, true fulfillment, and lasting transformation in their lives. He also provides consulting for established brands and businesses that have generated a minimum of $3 million in annual sales. If you need a catalyst for transformation and a strategist for success at the highest level, go to HardyHaberland.com and apply. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider to rate, review, and subscribe on Apple Podcasts/iTunes. It takes less than 60 seconds and it really makes a difference. Rate, review, and subscribe at HardyHaberland.com/iTunes.
In this highly instructional interview, TomboyX co-founders Fran Dunaway and Naomi Gonzalez share the startup story of how they started a clothing line for women with a masculine streak without any prior business or apparel industry experience. They also share how listening to customer feedback helped them to identify their "hero" product and pivot to building a successful gender-inclusive underwear brand TomboyX. They share the different phases of building their business including running a successful Kickstarter campaign, raising funds, insider workings of the clothing business, as well as mistakes made and lessons learned along the way. Enjoy!
Made by Chicks offers an opportunity for guests to share the real, never-before-heard stories of challenges they faced while building a successful career. What unexpected people lifted them up? What cultural norms and prejudices did they have to overcome? How did they beat the kind of internal conflict that holds all of us back? Listen to the relatable, vulnerable, authentic stories behind your favorite actors, activists, CEOs, and more. Welcome to a world Made by Chicks! Follow us on Instagram.
Fran Dunaway has been an activist her entire life. Whether she was working for a nonprofit advocating for LGBTQ rights or pushing for anti-discrimination legislation, social change is in her blood. Now, as the co-founder and CEO of TomboyX, Fran makes all-inclusive, gender-neutral clothing and undergarments.“Being part of the LGBTQ community, my wife and I have always been outsiders … so it was important that we [were] inclusive in everything that we did [with TomboyX],” Fran says on this episode of The Empowered Challenger.TomboyX was born when Fran faced a simple challenge: She wanted a nice shirt for work — something with high-quality, vibrant patterns typical in menswear but with a tailored, woman's fit. Unfortunately, that proved impossible to find.So Fran had what she describes as a “rainbow unicorn moment” — she realized there was an entire group of people who had never been seen or recognized within the fashion industry, and she felt “a responsibility to [her] community” to recognize them in a compassionate way.It started with a name that Fran felt truly resonated with her target market: TomboyX. From there, an agency out of Boulder, Colorado helped “bring the brand's voice to life.”In 2013, Fran and her wife, Naomi, created a Kickstarter campaign to get their shirts into production. They raised $76,000 in 30 days, making them realize there was “a bigger opportunity than just shirts.”TomboyX needed financial backing, but finding investors upfront wasn't easy for a niche lesbian underwear company. After two rounds of funding, they're now backed by a venture capital B Corp that's “all about challenger brands and making a difference in the world.”Going from not knowing “a knit from a woven” to having TomboyX's clothing in Nordstrom, Fran built one powerhouse of a brand.Prentice's Takeaway
Today I'm joined by Fran Dunaway, co-founder & CEO of TomboyX. Over the last 7 years, they've grown to millions in revenue and a team of 32. On today's episode I go behind-the-scenes with Fran on TomboyX's team, meeting cadence, and more. You'll learn tried and true tactics you can implement to improve productivity and communication with your team. The 5-Minute Ecommerce Email Marketing HackStop leaving money on the table. Without great email marketing, you're missing out on 6-7 figures per year of revenue and profit.Download this checklist, go through it, and in less than 5 minutes you'll know exactly what you need to do to increase your email revenue.This is our secret sauce and we're giving it all away for free, no strings attached.Click here to download the checklist for free.Links:WavebreakTomboyXLearn more about WavebreakThis episode is sponsored by...Klaviyo — Over 10,000 innovative brands are growing their businesses by listening and understanding to cues from their customers--easily turning that information into valuable marketing messages used to build highly segmented, automated email campaigns, such as win back campaigns or abandoned cart emails and more.Rewind - Automatic Backups — Get peace of mind with daily, automatic Shopify and Klaviyo backups.
Female Firebrands Podcast: Ignite Change, Take Control, and Succeed in the Workplace
Fran Dunaway, CEO and co-founder of TomboyX, discusses her personal journey coming out as queer, how she’s creating an inclusive culture at TomboyX, and how we can help everyone bring their full selves to work. For all things #FemaleFirebrands, visit reverbpeople.com/femalefirebrands – where you can buy the book or download free checklists to put what you learned into action. Share your success stories and questions about being a woman in the workplace in our Google Form. Mikaela may use your stories or answer your questions in the final episode of this season!
Melanie Johnson and Jenn Foster, owners of Elite Online Publishing, interview entrepreneur Fran Dunaway. Fran teaches how to truly listen to your customers, and create a brand that means something. Learn how Fran turned her side hustle into her main source of income, mistakes she learned from along the way, and her tips to success. Video URL: https://youtu.be/690EQkAOgxI Website: http://EliteOnlinePublishing.com Full show notes: https://eliteonlinepublishing.com/making-your-side-hustle-your-main-hustle-with-fran-dunaway/
Recognizing a need for high quality, gender-neutral apparel, Fran Dunaway and her wife + cofounder created TomboyX to allow for being unapologetically who you are. Learn about their investors, the company’s long and steady approach to growing a brand, and the importance of treating everyone in the supply chain fairly. Use the code KATE!% to get 15% off your order at TomboyX.com through April 1.
Many entrepreneurs talk about how they started their businesses by filling a gap in the market that they personally wanted to have filled. Fran Dunaway's business idea that led to the creation of TomboyX followed the same pattern, stemming from her desire to create fashionable and functional shirts and underwear for women. Beginning as a side hustle and being propelled by a Kickstarter campaign, TomboyX gained massive traction amongst female and LGBTQ audiences. Fran discusses how she and her now-wife, Naomi, have seen success by providing for the needs of unmet audiences, and how they decided to make their mark on the clothing industry. The origin of TomboyX 4:26 Filling an unmet need 10:07 Working multiple jobs to make it happen 14:59 The difficulty of finding funding as a female entrepreneur 21:36 "We had this opportunity, had the name, we had the "me too" movement, we had gender neutrality, gender equity, that type of stuff that was starting to turn in these zeitgeists of the culture. "
Fran Dunaway, CEO and Co-Founder of TomboyX, shares her experience becoming a first-time entrepreneur at age 50 – and what she’s learned about herself while building a brand based on authentic self-expression.
Subscribe to theDIYpreneur on Youtube, Spotify, and my community! See how Fran's ugliness scaling a game changing business can help you with life and manage your own entrepreneurial ugliness!
Fran Dunaway, Co-founder and CEO of TomboyX, is an incredible advocate for women and the LGBTQ community. She was raised in a military family from the deep south, and has had many unique pivots in her career. Fran started TomboyX as a clothing company with her wife, Naomi, in 2013. They quickly found success and transformed solely into an underwear company based off of feedback from their customers. In just a few years, they’ve received $6.3 million in funding and have an incredible presence on social media. Fran and her wife are making an astounding impact on their mission to represent all people and encourage everyone to be unapologetically themselves.
Fran Dunaway is the co-founder of TomboyX – a gender neutral apparel brand that made its name in undies. She describes herself as coming out of the womb a boss, but I would say that Fran is the farthest thing from bossy. She’s gracious, humble, compassionate, thoughtful. She’s also incredibly smart, one of the best strategic thinkers I’ve ever met, incredibly brave and she’s seriously disrupting an industry. She says that when they launched their first women’s boxers, they accidentally stepped into a white space that so desperately needed to be filled. Well, they filled it! And they didn’t stop at boxers either. TomboyX added a full line of underwear from thongs to mid thigh shorts; now they offer bras, sleepwear, sweats, swimwear and more. Today we uncover some of the core values that drive Fran; the stuff that makes her tick. And like so many others, that secret sauce is rooted in experiences good, bad and ugly. I will say that when we stumbled upon Fran’s journey with eye cancer which floored me, she mentioned that it was 5 years after her breast cancer journey. For some reason during the interview, that statement didn’t hit me. I think I was hung up on the eye cancer journey so I literally didn't absorb that statement. It wasn’t until after I listened to the episode on a hike that I realized, Fran is a two-time cancer survivor. This woman is an absolute gift to the world and she is meant to be here doing exactly what she’s doing. Episode DEALS! TomboyX is offering 15% off with the code BLOOM15 – the funny thing is that after the interview she said she meant to say BOOM but it came out as BLOOM which I thought was sort of a play on Bloomers! We had a good laugh about that – so BLOOM15 it is. Go get some skivvies! Skirt Sports has your back – use code RUN20 for 20% off at Skirt Sports – if we’re doing a big sale, the code won’t work, but other than that, it’s yours to get a deal on our high performance, super comfy, thoughtful women’s products that work for your insanely busy lives. I love this company I've built and hope you’ll check it out because we are doing so much good in the world! Today we talk about: TomboyX didn't start with undies - it started with button-ups! (not button-downs) The power of a name Coming out: closed doors opening & why some people weren't happy about it Naomi: Fran's wife & business partner - how they make it work plus their wedding story Eye cancer came out of nowhere TomboyX in all its glory: the origin, genesis and where they are today Gender neutral clothing: How is this possible? Leadership nuggets Side note: Do you think Skirt Sports should partner up with TomboyX and make some active undies?
TomboyX CEO Fran Dunaway sits down with Cameron to discuss inclusive sizing, running a Christian group home, and drawing inspiration from wonderful customer feedback. This episode is sponsored by True & Co. (www.trueandco.com/QUEERY code: QUEERY).
Terri talks to Fran Dunaway of TomboyX about how she and her partner and wife Naomi Gonzalez started TomboyX in 2014 to create a better shirt and ended up launching an underwear company. Fran and Naomi recently raised a Series A and Fran shares their journey to this point and where she sees TomboyX going in the next few years. Who is Fran Dunaway? Fran likes to call herself the accidental entrepreneur. In 2013, she had a great life as partner in a media strategies firm with big budgets, lots of vacation time, regular exercise, and excellent sleep habits. She and her wife, Naomi Gonzalez, started a little side business because they wanted some cool button-down shirts like a Robert Graham for women. They picked the name TomboyX because they thought it was cute. When the name started resonating with women and girls around the world, they knew they had an instant brand. It turns out that the word 'tomboy' opens the door to a conversation about being whoever it is you want to be. Women were SO elated to have a brand that saw them for who they are at their core. So, when customers started begging for TomboyX to design the first boxer briefs for women, Fran and Naomi obliged. In September 2014, they pre-sold two styles of boxer briefs designed for women and sold out in two weeks. They have never looked back. TomboyX has since refocused solely into the underwear/loungewear market and is thriving on the fact that people of all shapes and sizes want to be part of a brand that stands for values they share. Their customers continually prove that there is a toughness required to express your individuality – the defining characteristics of a tomboy. Show Highlights Fran shares the story behind TomboyX and the evolution of the TomboyX brand Fran continues to talk about how difficult it has been to raise funds to fund the business and what it’s like to run out of inventory as an apparel brand. Terri and Fran about the shifting landscape for female founders and the economic opportunity in investing in these founders. Fran explains how she went from a job in corporate to being a founder and focusing on TomboyX 100% Fran talks about how she and Naomi have evolved as founders and leaders and the evolution of their team as the company as grown and matured Terri asks Fran about how she sees the company evolve over the next few years If Fran could wave a magic wand, she would change the lens with which we see each other; to be less judgmental of each other and to have greater clarity as to who we are as individuals. Fran’s favorite founder resources are Loose Threads (podcast), Leap Frog (the book) and founders stories in general. Terri’s Key Takeaway Money is power and to shift the power dynamic, we need to shift the economic dynamic. References in the Podcast TomboyX: https://tomboyx.com/ CPB Group: http://www.cpbgroup.com/ MergeLane: https://www.mergelane.com/ Katica Roy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katicaroy/ Rain Dove: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rain_Dove DapperQ Fashion Show: https://www.dapperq.com/ TomboyX ad with Rain Dove: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OKnbum7v1aw Loose Threads (podcast): https://loosethreads.com/podcast/ Leap Frog: The New Revolution of Women Entrepreneurs: http://leapfroghacks.com/ Contact Fran can be reached through the TomboyX website https://tomboyx.com/, on Twitter @fdunaway and via LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/frandunaway/ You can follow Terri on Twitter at @terrihansonmead or go to her website at www.terrihansonmead.com or on Medium: https://medium.com/@terrihansonmead. Feel free to email Terri at PilotingYourLife@gmail.com. To continue the conversation, go to Twitter at @PilotingLife and use hashtag #PilotingYourLife.
Fran Dunaway – TomboyX “Look for the Rainbow Unicorn Moments” Fran Dunaway, co-founder of TomboyX, strived to create an undergarment that was universally comfortable for both herself and for her friends. With humble Kickstarter roots, she listened closely to her customers and grew a business that promoted equality of comfort and freedom from labels. This week’s episode is filled with fun, energy, and an incredible story of inclusiveness, comfort, and business growth. This is one you don’t want to miss! Whether you’re a product manager in an established company or an aspiring business owner with an idea for a new product business, Making It Real will provide you with real tools and advice on how to be a successful product entrepreneur! Hosted by Bob Caporale and Tate Tegtmeier Original Music by Bob Caporale Note: No endorsement of any product or service featured on Making It Real is either expressed or implied by its hosts or producers.
Fran Dunaway – TomboyX “Look for the Rainbow Unicorn Moments” Fran Dunaway, co-founder of TomboyX, strived to create an undergarment that was universally comfortable for both herself and for her friends. With humble Kickstarter roots, she listened closely to her customers and grew a business that promoted equality of comfort and freedom from labels. This week’s episode is filled with fun, energy, and an incredible story of inclusiveness, comfort, and business growth. This is one you don’t want to miss! Whether you’re a product manager in an established company or an aspiring business owner with an idea for a new product business, Making It Real will provide you with real tools and advice on how to be a successful product entrepreneur! Hosted by Bob Caporale and Tate Tegtmeier Original Music by Bob Caporale Note: No endorsement of any product or service featured on Making It Real is either expressed or implied by its hosts or producers.
On Season 2 Episode 20 of the Success Bully Podcast, we welcome back the incredible Fran Dunaway, CEO of TomboyX. She shares her fundraising key learnings as well as a leadership lesson that will stick with me indefinitely. To foster creativity and diverse thought with our teams, we have to be comfortable with “Just Enough Friction to Make Things Great.” Thoughtfully handling conflict, creates brilliant ideas.
Episode 19 of Season 2 of the Success Bully Podcast features the spectacular Fran Dunaway, CEO & Founder of TomboyX. Fran shares with us the TomboyX origin story from a kickstarter to a disruptive underwear juggernaut. She reminds us to embrace those “Rainbow Unicorn Moments” in entrepreneurship and life when the right people and resources magically appear to guide you in achieving your big vision.
Fran Dunaway and Naomi Gonzalez of TomboyX are here! They tell us about their original fashion goals, and how underwear ended up revealing itself to them... what does that even mean....
The Guest: TomboyX Edited by George Drake, Jr. Music by Lucas Brahme — About Loose Threads — Subscribe to our weekly newsletter for the latest analysis and podcasts: http://eepurl.com/buLQY9 Twitter Full Transcript The Loose Threads Podcast explores the intersection of consumer, retail and commerce. Hosted by Richie Siegel, the founder of Loose Threads, each episode features an in-depth conversation with one guest about their founding story and how it fits into the current state of the industry. Guests come from all different backgrounds, spanning the consumer goods, fashion, retail and technology industries. The unifying thread is always the rapid change facing the industry and how entrepreneurs are responding. You can listen to the podcast on any player of your choice, in addition to on LooseThreads.com.
The Business Method Podcast: High-Performance & Entrepreneurship
“We recognized that this was a tremendous opportunity, and actually started feeling like a responsibility because we started hearing from women and girls around the world, who were so excited that there was finally a brand for them.” Fran Dunaway Many entrepreneurs dream of having a business they are passionate about, a business they know is making a difference in the world. Some entrepreneurs create that from their first business. Others take years of hard work to merge those two missions. Today on the show we have Fran Dunaway who started an underwear line that quickly turned into a business that was making a huge difference. Fran is the founder of TomboyX, she and her partner started making clothing as a fun side project in their garage. After hearing from their customers about how much they loved their underwear they changed their focus and became an underwear company. What is unique about TomboyX's underwear? Check out this episode to find out…. “At our core, we recognize...that people are pretty darn cool the way that they are. And we share that desire for people to be unapologetic about who they are every day! That is something we value very highly.” Fran Dunaway 01:53: Who is Fran Dunaway and What is TomboyX? 04:59: Being Drawn or Called to Create and Grow TomboyX 12:17: Is Your Brand a True Reflection of You? 14:32: Focusing on One Product to Build Brand 19:22: Building a 7-Figure Location-Independent Business and Enjoying It Honorable Mentions: Shopify Masters Podcast https://www.shopify.com/podcasts/shopify-masters Mergelane Accelerator http://mergelane.com Contact Info: info@tomboys.com https://tomboyx.com/ Subscribe to our podcast on iTunes https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/entrepreneur-house-live-in/id1069958541?mt=2
Fran Dunaway, co-founder and CEO of TomboyX, is an atypical leader. A humble and curious activist at heart, she's grown her women's apparel and accessories company at an amazing pace by being inclusive and focusing on previously underrepresented groups. As sales grow, new markets are discovering TomboyX and Fran finds ways to incorporate the needs of these demographics into her products. "This brand is for the people...the brand that helps people express who they are," she says in this Real Leaders podcast. Nowhere was this more obvious than in their initial Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign which raised $76K in 30 days. Clearly people saw something different and special and wanted to be part of it. Starting out as a clothing line and targeting the LGBTQ community via Facebook, TomboyX has decided to increase its emphasis on underwear, focusing on the huge success of its line of women’s boxer brief. The timing was perfect as a tide of acceptance for gay and transgender rights began to sweep mainstream culture and media. The company's development has mirrored these cultural changes by listening to customers. Fran says, "We're evolving in tandem...I don't feel like we're necessarily leading the charge, we're just paying attention." A two-time cancer survivor, Fran is no stranger to the tenacity required to build an early-stage company like TomboyX. "Nothing is more terrifying than starting your own business." She finds fulfillment in celebrating differences - different bodies, different careers, and different lifestyles. Find out how adaptability, inclusion and simple kindness have poised TomboyX to revolutionize the women's undergarment industry.
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