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277 | The Real Goal: Building Something That Works | with Emma McIlroy

Honest Ecommerce
Honest Ecommerce
Episode • May 13, 2024 • 28m

Emma McIlroy is the founder and CEO of Wildfang, a multi million dollar fashion brand on a mission to rewrite the future of gender. 

Wildfang embraces your masc, your femme and everything-in-between. Wildfang has raised over $1k for charities that focus on racial justice, as well as queer, immigrant, and women’s rights. 

Pre-Wildfang, Emma spent over a decade honing her marketing skills at brands like Barclays and Nike. 

More recently, Emma has been named one of Inc.’s Female Founders 100, Oregon Entrepreneur of the Year, a Henry Crown Fellow and her "Yeah Maybe" TED talk has racked up over 100k views.

In This Conversation We Discuss:

  • [00:43] Intro
  • [01:23] Challenging norms & gendered clothing options
  • [03:02] Expanding from brick-and-mortar to Ecommerce
  • [04:12] Launching physical & online store side by side
  • [05:05] Strategizing & focusing efforts before going live
  • [06:51] Gaining momentum & navigating press attention
  • [07:39] Doing personalized outreach strategies
  • [08:55] Reaching varied audience segments
  • [10:06] Putting in the effort to sell the vision
  • [11:09] Building a website with no experience
  • [12:37] Dealing with early days mishaps
  • [13:43] Electric Eye: Your true Shopify expert
  • [14:40] Challenges of selling others' products
  • [15:53] Deciding to build own products
  • [16:47] Endorsements and retail limitations
  • [17:29] Moving from third-party to vertical business
  • [18:04] Ensuring ethical production practices
  • [18:39] Rediscovering the power of public relations
  • [19:31] Intimidating expectations in the industry
  • [21:05] Rejecting 'Advice Tornado' 
  • [21:58] Reflecting on industry shifts over a decade
  • [23:09] Focusing on longevity & resonance in business
  • [23:47] Staying true to your brand's strengths
  • [25:06] Block out the noise & focus on what matters
  • [26:41] Connecting on social: join WILDFANG's community
  • [27:17] WILDFANG ventures into wholesale

Resources:

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