Founder Spotlight: Lauren Quinn (Bromelia Swimwear)
Meet Lauren Quinn:
Locally California Made + Ethically Sourced, Bromelia Swimwear is created by women who get women. With an emphasis on a dignified supply chain, local manufacturing, fair wage and sustainability, it's more than just a conscious purchase.
Startup Stage:
Growth Stage
Location:
Santa Monica, California, USA
When did you launch the business?
2018
What led you to where you are today?
I made the decision 10 years ago, to turn off the noise around me and focus on the end of my own tunnel. I turned work into pleasure and chose the entrepreneurial journey as both my personal and carrier goal. Originally when overanalyzing behavior, doubt, or concern crept in, it was a conscious effort to not indulge in them. Now it is such a strong habit, it feels natural to focus on a positive outcome and move on to the next!
What do you wish you knew before embarking on your entrepreneurial journey?
There are a few things I wish I knew ahead of time because I take deep pleasure in the process of weeding out the processes, people, and concepts that don’t align with the business. But to narrow it down to 1 thing, it would be that there are few “forever” parts of your business. I spent years striving to partner to find vendors, platforms, and processes that would define us for the brand’s lifespan. But the beauty of a brand is that it is always evolving and that there is no singular checklist that when you check off a task it never has to be done again. What works for your business one year, is obsolete the next as your needs pivot with the growth of your business.
What is the most difficult decision you've had to make regarding your business so far?
Easy one! Injecting certainty in the process without tangible sight of the desired outcome. There are daily decisions we make as a team that are based on both data and faith. Building a business is an educated guess coupled with a leap of faith. You take your market research, couple it with annual goals and the daily news, then you sprinkle it with hope that you will be able to get to that next level. There is not 1 difficult decision, because every day is full of them. And that is the beauty of building a brand; it’s what you tap into as an entrepreneur that helps you make strong decisions daily that can greatly affect the direction of your brand’s growth.
What can you help the VEGPRENEUR community with?
As many things as I can! My brand’s objective is locally producing swimwear following an ethical supply chain. So #1 is access to incredible swimwear. But a close #2, if I can take any of the grunt work out of business building with a contact or sharing what worked for us in the manufacturing/retail process, it’d be a pleasure!
How can the VEGPRENEUR community help you?
Reposting and sharing our content on social media! As a small brand, sharing the name and ethos of the company is paramount. Brand trust is generated by referrals and to see a recommendation from your friend or colleague speaks louder than any digital ad ever would.
Fun fact about you:
I have lived in 5 countries across 4 continents.
Anything else you would like to share?
A brand with legs to stand on knows who they are and doesn’t apologize for it. Identify your truth, accept it, shout it, and know that is what will attract an engaged community with whom your business will resonate.
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