Primary: Christina Carbonell and Galyn Bernard

How I Built This · 15 Jan 2024 · 1h 12m

What this episode covers

Christina Carbonell and Galyn Bernard, co-founders of the children's clothing brand Primary, explain how they built a $50 million profitable company by rejecting industry norms like logos, gendered sections, and seasonal trends. They discuss raising $2.5 million in seed funding, overcoming a critical inventory shortage due to underestimated manufacturing lead times, and pivoting their marketing to resonate with parents who value simplicity. The founders detail their operational decisions, including eliminating boys/girls categories, implementing a 4-day work week, and navigating supply chain complexities with factories in Vietnam and India.

Other shows on the same ground, closest first.

  • Product Startup · 49m

    044: Turning customizable jackets into a multi-million dollar business, Elyse Daniels of Exodus Wear

    Elyse Daniels, founder of Exodus Wear, explains how she turned a niche idea for fully customizable senior jackets into a multi-million dollar business by rejecting online customization tools in favor of hand-drawn student designs. She details her bootstrapped journey from a $6,000 investment to scaling production, emphasizing the critical importance of maintaining a diverse network of manufacturers in China to mitigate risk and negotiate better terms. Daniels also shares her sales strategy, which relies on aggressive cold calling and a premium pricing model that avoids discounting to preserve brand value and customer loyalty.

  • The Startup CPG Podcast · 56m

    #186 - Bootstrap Heroes: Bumpin Blends, Lentiful and Drink Wholesome

    Lisa Mastela of Bumpin Blends, Ben Bacon of Lentiful, and Jack & Tessa Schrupp of Drink Wholesome discuss bootstrapping their CPG brands without external venture capital. They detail scrappy operational tactics, such as Lisa's use of Amazon employee shipping rates and dry ice relationships, Ben's hiring of student designers and university food labs, and the Schrupps' reliance on practitioner relationships and word-of-mouth marketing. The founders share how they achieved significant revenue growth while maintaining control and profitability through lean teams and strategic cost management.

  • The Startup CPG Podcast · 30m

    Founder Feature: Tabi and Meena Hoshmand of Tursh

    Tabi and Meena Hoshmand, co-founders of Tursh, discuss bootstrapping their Afghan-inspired green chutney brand from their respective homes in New York and Los Angeles. They detail the product's development based on their mother's recipe, the strategic decision to hire an external designer to translate their cultural vision into commercial packaging, and their cautious, slow-and-steady approach to scaling into boutique retail. The sisters also reflect on the emotional journey of reconnecting with their heritage and the operational realities of running a two-person, side-hustle CPG business.

  • Product Startup · 49m

    006: Customizable swimwear with Kelsey Duffy of Versakini

    Kelsey Duffy, CEO of Versakini, explains how she pivoted from the failed Mix Bikini to launch her own interchangeable swimwear brand after appearing on Shark Tank. She details the challenges of manufacturing, including early errors with overseas factories and the importance of building personal relationships with reliable partners in Colombia. Duffy also discusses her strategy of collaborating with Project Runway alumna Amanda Perna to design collections while maintaining a lean team and focusing on direct-to-consumer sales to control brand identity.

  • The Startup CPG Podcast · 43m

    Looking on the Starryside with co-founders Liz Seelye & Erin Fasano

    Starryside co-founders Liz Seelye and Aaron Pisano discuss launching Star Water, an organic, immunity-boosting beverage for kids in 8-ounce aluminum cans. They detail their journey from prototyping flavors with a former Ben & Jerry’s expert to navigating the 2022 can shortage and finding a co-packer willing to handle small, flat-beverage runs. The founders explain how they leveraged the Startup CPG community and Expo West’s Alley Rally to validate their product, secure feedback, and build relationships with retailers and media.

The summary, chapters and topics are generated from the episode’s audio by this directory, not written by How I Built This. The episode itself belongs to its publisher.