KJB Meets World: WCW #6: LeBarf Meets World

This week's Woman Crush Wednesday, Alison of LeBarf!

I know that you draw inspiration from Parisian chic and that you are a sister duo, I love the products that you sell and I see that you’re getting into selling bating suits. Can you tell me more about LeBarf?

So LeBarf is like the anti-chic. We grew up idolizing the effortless style and vibe of “Parisian Chic” and after years of trying to emulate it, with little success, we decided eff this - and that is when we uttered the fateful words “LeBarf”. It really is a brand for babes that find humor in fashion, style and life in general.

How did you come up with this idea? How did you get started?

My sister (Tookie) and I were both having what fondly refer to as a “Quarter Life Crisis”. We were both looking for a creative outlet to our day jobs. We knew nothing about bikinis. We just knew we loved to buy them and were always looking for simple, streamlined bikinis that we could never find anywhere. I waited until I received my bonus and Tookie had been good about saving every month - so we are completely self funded at the moment.

▪ How long have you been working on this?

We have been at this officially since Dec 2015 but have been discussing finding a way to start something together for years.

LeBarf is the product of your sister and yourself, how does that work when you’re in Illinois and she’s in Colorado?

We are very lucky that almost everything we need for our business is on a digital platform. So we can easily discuss samples, fabric and ideas. For meetings in Chicago she can’t make, we try to Skype but luckily we trust each other decisions (for the most part) so we can get away with making some decisions without the other person present. We have our occasional sibling scuffle and passive aggressive exchanges and then we get over them.

Is there anyone else involved in LeBarf?

In a official capacity, no. We have amazing friends that have helped with graphic design, photography and product development but we are trying to continue being lean, mean bikini making machines - so right now anything we make is going back into the business.

Any advice for others wanting to start their own business?

Go for it. We weren’t ready - no one ever is but we had an idea and wanted to run with it. I highly suggest reading the book “Just Start”. This is a great read about deciding how much money you are willing / able to lose right now. If you can start your business or idea for that amount, start it right now and figure the rest out as you go.

How do you spread the word about LeBarf?

We are fans of the ‘gram. We find a lot of new brands and people through it, so we have been focusing on that. We have partnered with a few successful bloggers and local brands to cross promote each other, which we have seen great results from.

How important is social media to LeBarf?

Social media is cornerstone of our marketing and promotional efforts. We have a non-existent marketing budget so we rely heavily on free platforms. We think it is a great way to show your “vibe” and get your brand out there before you actually have your products.

{Follow LeBarf on Instagram.}

Who is the ideal LeBarf customer?

The ideal customer is someone who finds humor in fashion & design. You can’t wear a shirt with LeBarf written in bold font and not be able to laugh at yourself.

They are also someone who values a smaller, unique brand. We are not trying to be a mass produced blah brand. All of our bikinis are designed and manufactured in the United States from Italian sourced fabric that is made from 100% recycled plastics.

These are not qualities you are going to find in a mass produced $20 bikini from China.

What’s the average day in the life of LeBarf?

The average day at LeBarf consists of both of us waking up around 6am. Tookie works out in the morning, I try to but I usually spend my mornings getting carpal tunnel from scrolling through the ‘gram.

We try to touch base early before we both head to our day jobs. We text and email throughout the day to keep each other up to date on next steps in our product development and funny picture ideas. It usually means sending dog pics back and forth - we love Loki the Wolfdog.

I try to attend as many events after work as I can in Chicago about marketing, SEO optimization, blogging, coding, pretty much anything that I know nothing about. Its amazing the things you can learn for little to no money!

Personal:

Is this your sole job? If not, what else do you do? Did it prepare you for this endeavor?

This is not my day job. I work full time at Chicago based start-up Luxury Garage Sale, in data analytics. You gotta pay the bills! Working for a start-up has been a huge help for LeBarf. Luxury Garage Sale is a really lean (meaning they don’t waste money on coffee bars and interior decorations) and successful start-up. They are focused on growing a great business and it has been amazing to be a part of it and see what really matters to create a solid business. It was also founded by two women, so #Girlboss all the way!

What did you go to school for? Did it prepare you for this business?

I went to school for International Business & French (See! I’ve been dying to be chic my whole life!). I had some really great international business classes but my time working in investment banking where I spent two years knee deep in financial statements, has done the most to prepare me for this. As great as it is to be creative, you have to find a way to make your business profitable or it will be short lived.

Are you a member of an organization? Trade or otherwise?

I am a member of The Junior League of Chicago. Which is an amazing organization of women who promote volunteerism within the local community. I have met some amazing and motivated women that have been big supporters of our company. I follow a lot of U.S. based manufacturing companies, most notably - Makers Row, that sends out daily newsletters on the best way to start, grow and operate your business - while using U.S. manufactures. It is a great resource.

What would you say your personal brand is?

My personal brand is similar to LeBarf, the Anti-Chic. I love a classic look with a bit of an edge, but I often have to step back and laugh at myself when I take it too seriously - which Tookie will say I do all the time. I will purposely pair a designer bag with Old Navy shoes just so I don’t get too into myself.

What is your greatest professional achievement?

Oh man. I don’t know. I would hope my greatest professional achievement hasn’t happened yet but up until this point - I would say actually doing something totally out of the blue like starting a bikini company. We really had no idea what we were doing and have learned along the way.

How do you mark success?

By getting better. When I look at where we were as a company 6months ago vs. today - I see constant improvement, which to me is a mark of success.

Why do you do what you do?

It is nice to have something that is yours, that you control. We both spend all day working for someone else. It is nice to take time out to do something creative & fun.

What can others learn from you?

Hopefully they learn that you don’t need to be an expert to start something, whether it be a new job, a new company, whatever. Just start and see where you go.

What advice can you give to young women about failure?

If you’re not failing, you are not doing enough. That sounds like a cheesy cocktail napkin, but its true. The more I fail the more I seem to succeed.

Do you have a mentor/mentee?

I have so many! Its amazing how much people in you life know, that you don’t even realize. I keep in contact with professors from college, former bosses and some great co-workers. I have found the mentors have been the people I least expect.

What makes up your wardrobe?

I would love to say only trendy stylish things but I feel like I wear the same 5 things every day. Those five things all happen to be neutrals. I throw in some unexpected shoes, but for the most part its so boring, I’m boring.