Latest / Imagine If with Doone Roisin | Health, Wealth & Wisdom for Women (formerly Female Startup Club Podcast) / Top advice for Entrepreneurs building fashion swimwear brands in 2021 with MIKOH Founder, Oleema Miller

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Top advice for Entrepreneurs building fashion swimwear brands in 2021 with MIKOH Founder, Oleema Miller · Imagine If with Doone Roisin | Health, Wealth & Wisdom for Women (formerly Female Startup Club Podcast)

• 0:00
  This is Aleema Miller for Female Startup Club. Hey everyone, it's Dune here, your host and hype girl. Today we're learning from a swimwear entrepreneur about how she's built her brand and what she attributes her success to.
• 0:23
  Miko is the brainchild of Olima and Kalani Miller, the Californian born and bred sister duo. The sisters were raised as a family of creatives and surfers, inspiring their authentic love for the ocean. Founded in 2009, Miko was conceptualized from the simple idea of the lack of fashion forward, modern swimwear in the industry, and the passion for all things surrounding travel, surf, and beach culture.
• 0:51
  If you love this episode and you get something out of it, please consider sharing it with someone in your life who would benefit from tuning in or shouting loud about it on social media. I love it when you do that. Happy listening. This is Aleema for Female Startup Club.
• 1:08
  Olima, hi. Welcome to the Female Startup Club podcast. Thanks for having me. I'm so excited to be here and I'm so jealous of you being in Hawaii by the beach, living the life that I dream of living right now. How's your day going so far?
• 1:26
  Well, it's early here. It's 7 a.m. So got up. Luckily, I kind of always get up early. I somewhat believe in the rise with the sun kind of attitude. So, so far, so good. And it's going to be a beautiful day.
• 1:41
  I love that attitude when you're someone that lives on the beach, but I hate that attitude when you're someone that lives in London because in London, nothing's open in the mornings. Like it's not a city that is awake at that time. Like things just start to pick up at like 9am and it's so against like my natural kind of sync mentality.
• 2:00
  When I live in Australia. Oh God, in Australia. Yeah. Everything is happening at like 5am. Yeah. Wake up, get a coffee, go swim. I know. That's what I like. Hawaii is a bit sleepy. I'm from California. So, you know, California is on the, oh, 5.30, 6am. Coffee shops are open. You know, the Pilates studios are open, this and that, but Hawaii definitely is a little sleepier. So we're lucky if our local coffee shop is open at seven. Sometimes they just
• 2:28
  open at nine because they feel like it. So. Oh my gosh. I love that for them though. That's great. I know. They're just living, living the good life, living the good life. How do you like to introduce yourself and kind of give your elevator pitch of what you do?
• 2:45
  So, I mean, it's definitely kind of evolved over the years, but we, so my sister and I, Kalani, we started Nico back, our first collection was in 2010, but started working on it when I was still a junior in high school. So now officially, I'd say that I am the co-founder and creative director and designer, and,
• 3:07
  So that's kind of always been my take or really why we started or how we started Miko was I'm definitely more of I started out as more of the creative side. But it's definitely I feel like these days you have, especially as a woman, you have to be well-rounded.
• 3:26
  And one thing that I didn't realize that I was doing was actually taking on also the business end as well. Because I feel like really, actually, the business and design actually go so hand in hand. And it's so much more mathematical and calculated. And it's not just dreaming up things that you want and that are going to be perfect. It's also looking at it from a very business angle as well.
• 3:51
  Totally. Looking at the data of what's worked in the past, what's going to be industry data, that kind of thing. Exactly. To go back to when you started the brand in circa 2009, which is, oh my God, such a long time ago, by the way. I can't believe it. Wow.
• 4:09
  What was getting you interested in starting a brand in the first place and why swimwear? So I come from a family of six, well, four kids, my mom and dad. And we grew up in a little beach town in Southern Orange County in California called San Clemente. And we literally grew up across the street from the beach. And our dad's like full, he was a full surf hippie growing up. He grew up in LA with ditch school and go surf Malibu and Zuma.
• 4:36
  And he definitely passed on that same. That was such a big part of who he was growing up and still who he is now. And so surf and beach culture was just something that that just was a part of our everyday life. And so we grew up surfing and at the beach and we actually surf for Roxy for about 10 years. So from the age of. Oh, wow. That's so cool.
• 5:00
  I know. So we really, truly grew up in the surf industry. And so I feel like one of the biggest takeaways from that is I didn't realize how much I was soaking up the environment that we grew up in. So we grew up, you know, from the age of, I was nine, I was only nine years old.
• 5:18
  And we literally grew up going to trade shows and photo shoots and going into the office and going to shareholders meetings. And I didn't know it at the time, but like I said, I was just soaking it all in. So I definitely in high school, I was a bit of I loved I loved learning, but I hated school.
• 5:40
  like with a deep passion, like a very deep passion. And I just knew I had some teachers that I loved. I had some that were absolutely horrible. And that in high school was when I started traveling a lot for Roxy and for surfing. And so I missed quite a bit of school. And I think at that point, once I kind of saw the world and saw that there's so much more to work.
• 6:06
  our bubble in Orange County or even that of California or even that of the United States. I just knew I wanted something so big for myself. And I've definitely been a very independent child since I was little. And I knew from a very young age that I wanted to be my own boss.
• 6:23
  And I feel like that's really where it stemmed from was that I knew that I wanted to build something for myself and for my current family and also future family instead of building something for somebody else. I knew I had the drive and the passion and the commitment to...
• 6:41
  make something beautiful. And obviously growing up literally in a swimsuit on the beach, surfing and with everyone around me also in that industry, it was just such a natural progression to go from working in it to then starting our own. Wow, that's amazing.
• 6:59
  What a what a cool, you know, upbringing to be able to be experiencing those things at such a young age and get this kind of visibility across, I don't know, something that so many people in the world would never have gotten to experience at such a young age and to have that kind of perspective of, oh, I see what's out there and I want more for myself from that.
• 7:21
  Thinking about, you know, when you guys decided to launch this business together, what were the early steps to actually bringing it to life in terms of finding the manufacturer, investing money into it, getting it ready for a launch? What was that first beginning time like?
• 7:37
  It was full of a lot of questions, a lot of phone calls, a lot of figuring it out. Funnily enough, like I said, I was still in high school at the time. And my sister was at UC, University of California, Santa Barbara, UCSB. She was studying business communications. And I remember when I had that light bulb moment go off of, oh, this is what I want to do. I want to start a swimwear line. And I remember the phone call calling my sister and going, hey, I have this good idea. Do you want to start it?
• 8:06
  company and she was like okay and that was it and we we've just gone into everything so to be honest very blindly we grew up in a extremely supportive household still to this day my mom and dad they're our number one fans yeah
• 8:26
  And honestly, we went into it with the mentality, especially me. It was ignorance was bliss. I think because I didn't have formal training, I hadn't gone to school for design or hadn't gone to school for business. I didn't have any of the fear. I didn't have someone saying, this is the percentage of the people that actually fail. Yeah.
• 8:52
  I just knew I wanted to, as my mom says, I had that carrot dangling. I knew where I wanted to go. I wasn't actually positive how to get there, but I knew I was headed in that direction. And honestly, what got us there was just asking so many questions. I have this, my always bit of advice to people when they're starting a company is, I'm going
• 9:16
  to always be humble because when you walk into a room, there's always someone that's going to be smarter, more accomplished, more successful, and have so much more information on what you're doing than you. And I went into it with, you know, a piece of humble pie and I asked so many questions.
• 9:39
  So I called all of our friends, anyone that I knew about lookbooks and where to print your line sheets and would ask all my friends about showrooms. And so it was really just asking kind of the network of people that I knew since I was little. They were like family or family friends or people that I just knew from other people. So I think it was being...
• 10:01
  Being brave enough and confident enough that I knew I had a good idea, but to also be able to be confident enough to put myself out there and also face rejection. You know, not everybody wants to help you, but I was surprised how many people do want to see you succeed.
• 10:17
  So it was truly a cold calling people going, hey, I'm going to start this thing. Do you have a number for a printing place or where to make hang tags? So it was really just reaching out to our network. And our manufacturer actually is in Bali. And we've been with her since day one. And her husband is a professional surfer. So it was truly like everyone that we work with is either in the surf industry or
• 10:45
  Works to some degree in it. And I feel like the surf industry and beach culture is actually people think it's this huge thing. It's actually really small and everyone knows everyone. So that was definitely how it came about was just really leaning on people that I respected and helped a lot.
• 11:03
  tapping your network and leveraging the people around you to, to get those second, third, fourth connections. Oh yeah. Yeah. When did you feel like, you know, it started to gain traction? When did you feel that there was kind of a moment where you were like, Oh yeah, we're onto something now. Like it's starting. I can feel that swell. Yeah. It was definitely when our, it was back when the swim issue for sports illustrated, that was like the Holy grail of the swim world. And,
• 11:33
  It's definitely changed over the years, I will say. But in the beginning, if you had a swimsuit in Sports Illustrated, that was like a huge benchmark for a business. And we actually had sent suits in.
• 11:48
  And, you know, again, blindly, we didn't have a showroom at the time. We didn't even have a finished website. We didn't have anything. And I was just like, yep, we're just going to send samples in because one of my and Kalani's best friends had a, she had a, or she was a publicist and she was like, oh yeah, we just got called. One of our lines just got called in for Sports Illustrated. I'll give you the address if you want to send stuff. And I was like, okay, okay.
• 12:13
  And we literally sent suits in and we got an email, you know, they to ask for credit two months and months before the issue came out. And they're like, it's not guaranteed. We're just, you know, calling in credits for suits. And they asked for our information. And I remember because our brother actually has been with us since day one, too. He does all of our web design and all of our graphic design as well. And I remember calling Jason and going.
• 12:39
  I think we have to get the website up. There's a chance we're going to be in Sports Illustrated. And him and I were just like, oh, my God, and pulled it together. And the issue came out. And her name is Julie Henderson. She's an American model. And she was wearing our Skylar one piece. So I have that exact sample actually framed at my house in California. So that was definitely our first big moment. And from there, that's when I knew it was kind of all systems go at that point because, you know,
• 13:07
  Again, that was like the holy grail of the swim world. So from there on, it just, the ball just kept rolling. That's amazing. Wow. So exciting.
• 13:18
  I think like it's interesting, those early signals that it, because obviously it's a hard journey, right? There's lots of ups, there's loads of downs, there's loads of rejections, like you said, but there are things that happen early on in the piece that give you a signal that you're onto something special. And then that kind of like makes all the bad stuff worth it. Oh, totally. When you think about...
• 13:39
  Because obviously, you know, there's like more than 10 years now in this journey that we're talking about, and it's hard to cover everything in 30 minutes or 45 minutes. But what would you say since then are those kind of key pivotal moments in your story of growth?
• 13:54
  I mean, I'd say one of the biggest things was, and still to this day, is being able to be flexible. And like my acupuncturist says in Chinese medicine, she says, when you're able to sway like the willow tree, that's when you're at your most calm. And.
• 14:14
  It's funny in like my personal life, in my personal life, I'm like a really stick branch. But when it comes to business, I've just learned to just go with the flow. And so there've been a
• 14:30
  It were those moments of, you know, trying to find showrooms or things not working out or production delays. I can't think there are there aren't exact moments in time. It was more just the constant. It's not exact moments. It's like a constant thing every single year. I feel like it's kind of like those growing pains. Right. It's.
• 14:52
  Just like a kid growing up, you have those moments of what am I doing? How am I going to keep going? And the key word here, and especially, obviously, hello, the pandemic, that has been definitely the biggest hit. And we've been fortunate enough. I feel like we are very go with the flow kind of people, Kalani and I and our team, that
• 15:17
  Even when we've had hard times, I just have so much conviction in what we're doing that there's always a way. We have had so Jamie, who's worked with us since day one, too. She's my ride or die. I love her. I live for Jamie.
• 15:35
  Every year, we're so behind on samples. Every single year, we're so behind. And every year, it always works out. It's so funny. I just firmly believe that when you have confidence and conviction behind what you're doing, things just have a way of working themselves out. And this last year or two years, really, since obviously all this stuff has been going on in the world, this has been by far in my entire career and adult life that it's been
• 16:05
  the most challenging, not just, and I'm sure everyone that you're going to speak to is going to, actually not everyone. There's definitely certain categories that blew up during the pandemic, right? But we have definitely had our fair share of ups and downs, but I think, you know, at the
• 16:23
  I look at Miko like it's like my baby. And there was absolutely 0% chance that I was going to let anything come in the way of letting my child flourish and grow. And even though it's been 13 years, I still know there's so much more.
• 16:39
  that I want to do and I want to accomplish and I want to see Miko do. So despite there being the hardest thing going on in the world that, you know, no one could have ever prepared for, I just sucked it up and just kept going. And definitely there were times where our team had very low, you know, not morale, but just very low, like,
• 17:04
  Let's just throw in the towel. Low energy, yeah. Yeah, this is, I mean, Jesus, like the amount of changes here in the States, it was every day you just didn't know what was going to come at you next.
• 17:14
  And I feel like, again, that darting and weaving and despite all this stuff coming at us, like every single day, we just didn't know what was going to happen. But I just knew that we had something so special. And our team, our core team that had been with us for over a decade, there was just no way we were going to let something happen.
• 17:34
  happened to deter us. And in all honesty, during the pandemic, we actually grew because we just decided we had to evolve with the times. And I feel like that was kind of, sorry, that's what I was starting to get out with the willow tree analogy. Was it the biggest lesson that I've learned or one of the biggest lessons I've learned with Miko, especially again, from having a business over a decade is that you have to evolve.
• 17:59
  You have to evolve, but at the same time, the most important thing is to stay true to why you started the company in the first place and to not lose your sense of authenticity and the first purpose and reason why you started the company.
• 18:14
  I feel like the brands that are trying too hard to evolve, too hard to be on trend or to go with the times, that's when you lose your sense of self. So I feel like if you know who you are, you know what you are set out to do, you know who your customer is, and you know who they are, what they want, how they want to feel, and you are willing to stay true to that.
• 18:37
  That is where success lies. But obviously in the sense of evolving and going with the flow, it's when the outside world throws things at you that you have no control over. Instead of trying to stand there like a brick wall that's eventually going to get knocked over, be like water.
• 18:55
  And find find the little ways in the tunnels and the ways that you can swerve through the hard times, because we're this year has shown everyone that you don't know what life is going to throw. You don't know what to expect. But if you're able to stay true to who you are while still being able to evolve, that's where again, that's where success is, I feel like.
• 19:20
  Wow, that's such a beautiful analogy. I love that and so agree. So agree. It's a good segue into talking about marketing. And you said that, you know, during the pandemic, you were able to grow. Can you kind of talk a little bit about how you were able to grow and what you're doing that's working for you in your industry at the moment?
• 19:43
  Yeah. So we obviously, when we first started Miko, we started out as a swimwear line, a swimwear company. And predominantly we did that. We got into cover up. So 2010, it was just swim because I didn't even know how to produce clothing at the time.
• 20:00
  And in the following year, we came up with our first range of cover-ups, very, very beachy cover-ups, caftans, little rompers and that kind of thing. And over the course of the last decade plus, we have now segued into ready-to-wear. So I'd say the last three years has kind of been a push into that category.
• 20:24
  But this last year in particular and this new collection that's going to come out, actually, when's it come out? November 6th, I believe, is our 2020. Exciting. God, what year is it? 2022 line is coming out. Oh, my God. So cute. You're going to love it. And it's all our ready-to-wear category has really blown up. And so definitely during the pandemic pandemic.
• 20:49
  whatever you want to call it, that's when we just had to look at, especially me, because I'm very fortunate that my relationship with everyone that's in the company, just truly, they just have their trust in me. And obviously that's a very,
• 21:06
  heavy burden at times to know that everyone relies on me, but the freedom that it allows me is like, I'm beyond grateful for that, that I'm able to kind of see, see my vision and execute it and have my team around me help me do so. And so when that all happened, I just knew I was like, okay, what are we doing? People aren't wearing swimsuits at home. They're just not me.
• 21:30
  Maybe they are in a few places that people are able to, you know, go to the pool or lay out on their rooftops or go to the beach. So we basically just had to completely do a quick and go, all right, we're just going to market all of our clothing, all of our loungewear, all of our hoodies and our sweats and our track suits and all of our really comfortable pieces. We're going to photograph those.
• 21:56
  We're going to highlight people being at home. We're going to highlight the reasons why our pieces are comfortable. So it was really just, you know, changing our marketing and changing our strategy and showing, you know, this is how you can wear it. And this is why it's comfortable and it's machine washable. And you can wear it and feel a little bit more pulled together than your, you know, daggy sweatpants from 10 years ago. And I think that, but also from a much deeper perspective.
• 22:26
  a deeper perspective. It wasn't just about the clothing. I think we also definitely took the time to highlight who Kalani and I were and to show that we, this is our story. We're the founders, we're the core, you know, these are our core values. This is who we are. This is who Miko is. This is our team. And I feel like it was such a time to really connect with our audience and
• 22:51
  from not just a product standpoint, but also as an authenticity, like this is who we are. We're a small business. We, you know, yes, we've done this for, you know, a number of years, but we're still a small family. And I think,
• 23:06
  taking that time where there was a lot of noise, obviously, in the world, but also finding those quiet moments to have, like, a genuine connection with our consumer and to look at them as not just people buying our products, but almost like a family of women, a little tribe of women that, you know, it was...
• 23:27
  It was like a network of people coming together for a common thing to see, to see and to feel like there was a bright light amongst a lot of darkness and to feel like there was a community of people that had a common interest or, you know, aspirational, whatever it may be. We did, you know, we didn't put a sourdough recipe up or anything like that. I didn't even bake a thing of sourdough. Yeah.
• 23:52
  But I think just being like, this is our home. This is how, this is what our day to day is. I feel like that's where, you know, the magic happens and being a real person and not just trying to shove product down people's throats, but instead being like, this is why I love it. And we'd love for you, you know, we'd love for you to also have this be a part of your life. But if not,
• 24:17
  we're happy to have you be a part of our community. So I feel like it was such a special time to, yeah, soften the lights, quiet the noise, and just be people. We're just people. It doesn't matter at any time of day or at any point in life how successful you are. At the end of the day, we're all...
• 24:34
  just women and everyone's just trying to succeed and keep their heads up and be resilient. So if at any point Kalani, myself, our team, our brand, the women involved could inspire or kind of, again, be a bright light in someone's darkness, that's all we really set out to do. Wow. Gosh, I love that. It's true. It was like, oh God, I look back on those last, these last couple of months, this last year or two and
• 25:03
  It was horrible in so many ways, but I think in a lot of ways, it was also beautiful because it forced us to all evolve and also re-evaluate like what's important. And totally. It's not just about perspective. Yeah. Total change of perspective. And it's not just consumerism. And I think we just get so caught up in the go, go, go. And what's it called? I can't think of the term.
• 25:30
  But like the, you know, the mentality that you have to work 24 seven to succeed. That's not it. The hustle and the grind. Yeah, it's just not it. It's like, I'm fortunate and blessed that, you know, we were able to come out of all of that. You know, I feel like so much better. Because like they say, our generation hasn't had a lot of...
• 25:56
  crap. We've been very fortunate. All of us in our generation have had it pretty good. So I feel like the saying, it's not about getting knocked down. It's like how you get up. It's how you just keep going. And I learned that it's okay to be gentle with yourself. And I'm still working on it. Trust me, because I am my own worst critic and I am super hard on myself. But
• 26:19
  I think I've learned that it's okay to have horrible days. It's okay to cry. Trust me, I'm a crier. I cry a lot. But it's just about resiliency and, like I said, the carrot. It's about knowing where you want to go and having those bad days but just picking yourself back up and keep going.
• 26:39
  And for you with that carrot, like what is your vision? Because obviously you've been in the business for 13 years. We didn't talk too much about the financial side of things, but did you bootstrap or have you funded the business? And what's kind of like the goal? Like, are you working towards maybe selling one day or are you like, hey, this is a lifestyle business that we're going to have for the next 20 years. We're going to keep doing this. What's your kind of like direction with that carrot?
• 27:05
  Do you know what's funny is it keeps it honestly keeps changing. I when we first started, I was like, there's absolutely no way I would ever sell like this is my life. And then, you know, midway through when I was I was kind of burnt out.
• 27:21
  I was like, you know, this would be good. Like, let's just give it another three, five, three to five years, like really give it a good go and hopefully sell. And then honestly, now that I'm into my thirties, I'm like, you know what? I live such a good life. Like I love...
• 27:38
  I love what I do. I'm so passionate about it. And even though it's been 13 years, it honestly feels like it's the first year. And there's so many more things that I want to accomplish that yes, obviously from potentially a financial standpoint, selling would be this great thing and being able to, you know, have a more quiet life for whatever it may be. But honestly, I love what I do. I can't imagine that.
• 28:03
  not having complete, you know, being completely immersed in the business. I know there's obviously a million options to selling and staying on and this and that, but I've kind of learned from, again, growing up in the industry and watching a lot of my friends sell their companies to then,
• 28:20
  a few years later, buy it back. Oh my God. No. Yeah. A few, a few of my friends have done that. And, or I've seen the other side of it of selling and being miserable because they've had to stay on and hit certain numbers for, you know, the people that bought the business. I just, I don't know at this point in time, to be honest, I don't know if I'd sell because I love, I love, I love
• 28:43
  Like I said, there's so many more things that I want to accomplish. And I feel like I do. Sometimes Jamie and a few of the girls in the office would say that I don't have a healthy balance of life and work because I live and breathe what I do. But honestly, I feel like because this is really the only career that I know, it's just part of my everyday life. Like I was just on a...
• 29:06
  quote, vacation. And I was working the whole time. But it's so I feel like because I don't look at it as work, I look at it as just a part of my everyday life. It's not like I have to sit. I'm fortunate. I don't have to sit on a computer all day and analyze numbers. It's just being available to our team. And I like it. I mean, I love what I do. So, yeah, I don't see I don't see a point where I want to sell. I just I do see growing the business, continuing to evolve and
• 29:36
  grow our ready to wear category and obviously just become more sustainable. That's definitely something that we have definitely made a big push for this last year with launching our first eco line and moving forward. Predominantly, all of the swim will be all from recycled fabrics. Like, I feel like there's just so many more things that I want to accomplish. That's awesome.
• 29:58
  Yeah. That I'm like, what? I'm not going to sell. I still want to do all this stuff. I'm like, in my head, like we were talking about, I'm 32. I literally feel like I'm still like 20. Yeah. Which my body doesn't tell me every time I do something, I'm like, oh, my back hurts.
• 30:13
  I know. What is this time where we've come into our lives and I'm always like aching somewhere and I'm like, what the heck? I don't know. I don't know. It's, it's literally wild though. Like my body definitely feels like it's getting older, but my mind, I'm like, what? I'm not an adult yet. I don't know. I honestly, Kalani and I laugh sometimes because I don't.
• 30:34
  The amount of things in our business that we have just, you know, the whole mentality of fake it till you make it. I'm like, I literally think to myself sometimes I'm like, am I allowed to actually own a business? Because it feels so weird because like, honestly, I still don't know what I'm doing every day. I just know.
• 30:54
  Who I want to be, what kind of person I want to be, what kind of brand I want to create, what kind of women I want to reach. And I feel like when you stick to that, you don't really need to know what you're doing. You just need to know who you are and what kind of person you want to be. And it just works out. It just does.
• 31:14
  sticking to the North Star, well, having a North Star for one, and then making your decisions based on whether that's either towards it or not towards it. Totally agree. Exactly. Exactly. What do you think is your kind of key piece of advice for entrepreneurs who are either entering the kind of swim industry or who are in the, in the space already?
• 31:37
  Now that it's like 2021, there's obviously a lot of brands in the space. It's a saturated market, as with any industry. But what's your kind of advice for those entrepreneurs? I would definitely say to find your niche and who you are. What sets you apart? Why would people want to buy from you? Why would people not even from, again, a consumer standpoint, but why do you think people?
• 32:05
  women and men would want to connect with you? Like what sets you apart from everybody? Because like you said, it is an extremely saturated market. We're fortunate enough when we started out, it wasn't that, you know, the surf industry was big. There were those big swim brands like the Speedos and, you know, all the surf companies and whatnot, but there wasn't this boutique, this like boutique-y like
• 32:29
  more fashion-based swimwear. And over the years, I mean, this category has blown up. There are so many brands that I don't even know every single one of them, and there's new ones every day. But I feel like, yeah, if you're able to do something, but from a genuine and authentic standpoint and being true to yourself, I feel like...
• 32:49
  then you will be successful. If you're trying to make something that you're not just because you want to be different, that doesn't work. You know, so I feel like if you're able to come up with something that will set you apart and you have a very clear vision and a clear path of how you want to get there, you will be successful. I love that. So true. It's really important to figure out your niche, why you're different, why people should care about you and your brand. Totally.
• 33:17
  At the end of every episode, I ask a series of six quick questions, some of which we might have covered, some of which we might not have, but I ask them all the same. So question number one is, what's your why? Why are you doing what you're doing? I am definitely still so passionate about Miko because it's just, it's literally a part of who I am. I feel like
• 33:42
  just like the women that have grown up with Miko, so have I. And I feel like that's definitely, you know, what keeps me coming back every single day to do what we're doing is it's, it's almost like you're growing up in a community of women that you get to, especially from, from 19 to 32, the kind of changes that we've all gone through. I think the why is definitely because it's,
• 34:10
  Miko's like my mother's sister. I look at it as like not even just a baby, but a sister. And it's kind of a part of our family. So it's, I think the amount of care and love and passion I have for it is what keeps me coming back. I love that. Question number two is, what do you think has been the number one marketing moment that made the business pop?
• 34:38
  It was probably definitely the Sports Illustrated moment. That was huge for us and such a big, you know, moment and jumpstart and also a kind of kick in the butt. Because from that moment on, there was no turning back. Like once you have something in print with your website, oh, it was just all, you know, all guns blazing and moving forward. Because at that point, that was like our first big like, OK, we're here. It's happening. Let's do everything we can to, you know, keep going.
• 35:09
  Totally. Question number three is where do you hang out to get smarter? What are you reading or listening to that other founders would benefit from knowing about? I definitely, to be honest, there's not necessarily just a single group of people. I feel like you have so much to learn from everyone around you. And I think that level of
• 35:33
  Being able, like I said, being able to be humble and walk into any room. And there's something to learn from everyone. Like right now I'm doing construction on my house. And yeah, I'm actually working on our office. You have something to even learn from all the contractors. There's just always so much to learn. And I feel like if you look at your business as this full, big business,
• 35:57
  picture. It's not just the business. Let's say you get hired to be a marketing person or you're hired as a creative. It's not just singular. It's not just that one identity. I think if you look at life that you have so much to learn from your surroundings, no matter where you are, that's been my mentality. So definitely that, but podcast wise, do you know who I love? And I know I'll probably get flack for it because it's a very, she's very, um, what's the word?
• 36:27
  What's the word? Some people like her, some people hate her. Polarizing? Maybe. Yeah, that could work. I'm a Gwyneth Paltrow fan, like, till I die. Yeah.
• 36:36
  And I know people have so many things to say about her, but you know what? Do you know what I love about her? She's unapologetic. She is who she is. And I love listening to her podcast specifically because yes, a lot of the things that she says are completely unattainable and far-fetched and kind of out there, but she's, she's like, yep, this is what I like. This is who I am. And yeah.
• 37:03
  I think that anyone, again, that is so, so sure of who they are. I think that you don't have to care about what every person says about you and you don't have to totally. Yeah. And I think from the crowd, have a voice totally. And if people don't like it, that's totally fine. And you know, there's people I'm sure that don't like Nico that maybe don't like me for some reason, but I don't know. I mean, I do my best to be kind and
• 37:29
  decent and compassionate. And I think when you lead with good values in yourself about being kind, compassionate, caring, you know, and you carry that same mentality into your business, you know,
• 37:44
  then not everyone has to like you. Not everyone has to be your number one fan. They can go, you know, buy someone else's products. They can go be someone else's number one fan, but that's okay. It's good. Totally. So Gwyneth Paltrow, Goop Podcast. That is a good one. I love it. I'm going to link it in the show notes for anyone who hasn't listened to it already.
• 38:05
  Well, she just has very interesting people. And I think that's why I like it. She looks at, you know, business and female founders, but she also has a lot of doctors on from more of a functional health or Chinese medicine. She has, you know, just extremely successful, wise people. I listened to this super interesting podcast about soil biodiversity, about a guy that and his wife bought a farm. But it's just interesting. Yeah.
• 38:30
  in some weird way, learning about soil biodiversity, I can take a little tidbits of that and practice them in MECO. Yeah, I love that. That's so cool. Oh my God. I want to learn about that. It's very interesting. Question number four is how do you win the day? What are your AM or PM rituals and habits that keep you feeling happy and motivated and successful?
• 38:52
  So I definitely believe in writing things down. So I'm a huge, like, I love a planner. Love a good Japanese pen, too. My pen collection from Japan. I feel like it's those little weird things. Like, I obviously, being a creative person, I love having beautiful things around me with a side of OCD. So I really like things particular. But I think definitely for me,
• 39:19
  especially being in Hawaii, I think taking the morning to not just sit on my phone, not just, you know, endlessly scroll through Instagram or something, but starting the day off with waking up with intention for what kind of day I want to have. I actually just listened to this podcast. I can't remember which one it was, but they were saying that when you each day choose to lean into joy, like this is how I want, I want to have my day be joyous.
• 39:48
  And you kind of practice that mantra to yourself. I believe that in each day, setting a mantra is so helpful. And trust me, I am not all Zen. Some days I wake up and I choose violence. I choose not joy. Yes.
• 40:04
  Some days, literally, I'm just like, oh, my God, someone's going to die today. I don't know who, but I am angry and I'm in a bad mood. And I think, again, just honoring how you're feeling in that moment is so important. But I think being able to, I'm so, again, fortunate that I'm right by the beach. So if I can, in a day...
• 40:27
  Be in the ocean at least once. Be outside for most of it. And I love being productive. So if I can have a really great work day with the girls in my office, I can check things off my to-do list. Nothing brings me more joy than crossing something out.
• 40:43
  To me, that's a productive day and that's a good day. And obviously, again, if you could end the day with someone that you love with, you know, with your family, I have a lot of animals with them. I think that that's, you know, that's a good day. Simple is sometimes better.
• 40:59
  The simple pleasures. I'm so with you. Snuggling my dog is literally the highlight of my morning. Literally cuddling with Panda, my little Pomeranian staring at me right now. When she, she jumps up on the bed first thing in the morning and she's not a very cuddly dog, but in the morning, that's the only time for maybe five minutes. It's she's actually yelling at me to go outside. Okay. Here you go, Panda. Live the life girl.
• 41:26
  Yeah, those are the simple pleasures are definitely what makes my morning. I'm with you. Question number five is if you were given $1,000 of no strings attached grant money, where would you spend that in the business? And it's kind of one of those questions to highlight, like what's the most important spend of a dollar for you? I would say it would actually probably go toward producing samples.
• 41:52
  Because I feel like marketing nowadays doesn't cost anything. Selling something in a way doesn't cost anything. I think if you have your wits about you and you have your clear direction of how you want to sell the product, that doesn't cost anything. But an actual physical product, because we're not selling, obviously, is a good thing.
• 42:15
  something that doesn't cost money, it costs money. So being able to produce an actual tangible thing that you could sell, that's, you know, that's the most important. Cause I feel like I've always said you can give any amount of the money in the world to anybody, but if they don't know what to do with it, it doesn't matter. You could give someone $10 million. And if they don't know how to
• 42:45
  Question number six, last question is how do you deal with failure? What's your mindset and approach when things don't go to plan? So I, again, I believe in like, again, mantras and sayings, but especially this last, you know, couple of years and months is that you are exactly where you're meant to be. So I've always, but forever since I was little, I've always, I've always, I've always, I've
• 43:11
  obviously known failure a thousand percent. I mean, every day there's something that doesn't go my way, but I think it's how you look at it in the perspective that you look at it from. I just look at a lot of the things that have gone on that maybe didn't exactly go my way. I just look at them as little bumps in the road and to learn from them. I think people that aren't able to look at
• 43:33
  you know, look at problems, even like a bad relationship or whatever it may be. I think if you're able to look at that and take responsibility for why did that happen? Why did it happen? How did that happen? And where can I be better? That's where I look at, you know, I look at them instead of failures. I look at them as learning lessons and, you know,
• 43:54
  hopefully learn to not do them again. Absolutely. Alima, this was so fun. Thank you so much for taking the time to be on the show today and share your story and your insights and everything that's going on in your world. I'm
• 44:11
  So cheerleading for you from the sidelines. I can't wait to see the new collection in November 4th. Did you say? I think the 6th, but you know, who knows? It could be the 6th. It could be the 16th. Not sure, but it's sometime in November. Yes. Our resort 2022 collection is coming out. So very exciting things. I will keep my eyes peeled. Thank you so much. Thank you for having me. I will hopefully talk to you soon.
• 44:41
  Hey, it's June here. Thanks for listening to this amazing episode of the Female Startup Club podcast. If you're a fan of the show and want even more of the good stuff, I'd recommend checking out femalestartupclub.com where you can subscribe to our free newsletter. We send it out weekly covering female founder business news, insights and learnings in D2C, and interesting business resources.
• 45:05
  And if you're a founder building an e-commerce brand, you can join our private network of entrepreneurs called Hype Club at femalestartupclub.com forward slash Hype Club. We have guests from the show joining us for intimate Ask Me Anythings, expert workshops, and a group of totally amazing, like-minded women building the future of D2C brands.
• 45:28
  As always, please do subscribe, rate and review the show and post your favorite episodes to Instagram stories. I am beyond grateful when you do that. Thank you.
• 45:44
  Hey, it's June here. Thanks for listening to this amazing episode of the Female Startup Club podcast. If you're a fan of the show and want even more of the good stuff, I'd recommend checking out femalestartupclub.com where you can subscribe to our free newsletter. We send it out weekly covering female founder business news, insights and learnings in D2C, and interesting business resources.
• 46:09
  And if you're a founder building an e-commerce brand, you can join our private network of entrepreneurs called Hype Club at femalestartupclub.com forward slash Hype Club. We have guests from the show joining us for intimate Ask Me Anythings, expert workshops, and a group of totally amazing, like-minded women building the future of D2C brands.
• 46:31
  As always, please do subscribe, rate and review the show and post your favorite episodes to Instagram stories. I am beyond grateful when you do that.