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[00:00:00.880 --> 00:00:05.680] Hey Entrepreneurs, it's Steph here with a special invite just for you.
[00:00:05.680 --> 00:00:10.800] Do you want to experience what it's like to be part of our Entrepreneursa League community of founders?
[00:00:10.800 --> 00:00:12.400] Now is your chance.
[00:00:12.400 --> 00:00:21.360] You can join me this month at one of our upcoming Entrepreneursa League info sessions where I'm going to share with you all you're going to get access to when you join the community.
[00:00:21.360 --> 00:00:27.040] Plus, I'll be giving away some big bonuses that you will only be able to get access to when you attend live.
[00:00:27.040 --> 00:00:35.600] Head over to refer.entrepanista.com forward slash info session to join us at one of our virtual info sessions this month.
[00:00:35.600 --> 00:00:40.640] That's refer.entrepranista.com forward slash info session.
[00:00:40.640 --> 00:00:44.560] Or head over to the show notes right now and tap the link to join us.
[00:00:44.560 --> 00:00:49.280] I can't wait to meet you there and learn more about you and your business.
[00:00:49.920 --> 00:00:52.880] Leverage the resources on your campus.
[00:00:52.880 --> 00:00:56.880] Enroll in a pitch competition if there is one so you can get feedback.
[00:00:56.880 --> 00:01:05.920] If you are looking for an engineer or a developer to help bring your idea to life, go befriend someone in the engineering school.
[00:01:05.920 --> 00:01:11.360] Like there's nowhere after college that it's so easy to find people.
[00:01:15.520 --> 00:01:26.960] Amanda Zuckerman is the co-founder and chief brand officer of Dormify, a home decor brand and e-commerce store dedicated to fashion-minded college women and first apartment dwellers.
[00:01:26.960 --> 00:01:43.680] When Amanda and her mom were shopping for her freshman dorm room, they had trouble finding dorm room decor as stylish and sophisticated as Amanda desired, inspiring their vision for Dormify, which has since developed into the reputable commerce and content brand it is today.
[00:01:44.000 --> 00:01:55.920] Coming up, you'll hear how Amanda's unique experience starting a business catered to college students while in college gave her the focus group she needed to set herself up for success.
[00:01:55.920 --> 00:02:03.320] How developing a blog for her new business led Amanda to a network of brand ambassadors eager to share Dormify.
[00:02:03.320 --> 00:02:07.560] Amanda shares how the right PR placements led to a boom in sales.
[00:02:07.560 --> 00:02:12.360] And finally, Amanda shares her best advice for reaching college students.
[00:02:13.960 --> 00:02:17.400] This is the Entrepreneur Podcast presented by Socialfly.
[00:02:17.400 --> 00:02:28.120] It's the best business meeting you'll ever have with must-hear real-life looks at how leading women in business are getting it done and what it takes to build and grow a successful company.
[00:02:28.120 --> 00:02:34.120] It's beyond the Graham with no filters, no limits, and plenty of surprises.
[00:02:40.840 --> 00:02:48.600] Amanda, we are so excited to finally sit down with you and hear all about your incredible Entrepreneur journey.
[00:02:48.600 --> 00:03:04.040] Brittany and I were just talking about our dorm rooms before you hopped on the recording today and were sharing how we did not like the design of our dorm rooms, college dorm rooms back then, and you have solved that problem.
[00:03:04.040 --> 00:03:07.880] So we cannot wait to hear all about how you started your business.
[00:03:07.880 --> 00:03:09.160] Thanks for having me today.
[00:03:09.160 --> 00:03:16.360] It's so great to come on and share my story and talk about all of the trials and tribulations that come with starting a business.
[00:03:16.360 --> 00:03:16.920] Oh, yes.
[00:03:16.920 --> 00:03:22.920] And there are so many and what we like to say, learning lessons from all of our trials along the way.
[00:03:22.920 --> 00:03:32.680] So I would love if you could just take us back to, you know, even before you started your business, what was the inspiration behind Dormify?
[00:03:32.680 --> 00:03:36.440] And then when you had that idea, how did you get started?
[00:03:36.440 --> 00:03:37.160] Sure.
[00:03:37.160 --> 00:03:49.760] So like many businesses, Dormify was really created out of a problem that we saw when we were, we meaning my mom and I, when we were shopping for my freshman year dorm room.
[00:03:50.000 --> 00:04:16.400] So very quickly, after going from one store to the next, searching and searching for stylish Twin XL bedding, we realized that there was not anyone that was catering to a college student who was decorating a space, whether that meant one place to find everything that you needed for your college dorm room or your college apartment, or just cute and cool Twin XL bedding, which is the required bedding size for college.
[00:04:16.400 --> 00:04:22.800] And on top of that, me being the oldest child in my family, I was the first one going to college.
[00:04:22.800 --> 00:04:35.360] And I just was really looking for that big sister type of advice and tips and all of that that anyone who's transitioning into a new stage of their life would be looking for.
[00:04:35.360 --> 00:04:38.400] And I just couldn't find that content anywhere.
[00:04:38.400 --> 00:04:48.800] So really in the middle of Bed Bath and Beyond, my mom and I had this aha moment of we should design our own line of bedding for college students to outfit their dorm rooms with.
[00:04:49.120 --> 00:04:53.440] And I literally turned to her in the store and said, we should do that.
[00:04:53.440 --> 00:04:55.440] And she said, okay, let's do it.
[00:04:55.440 --> 00:04:58.880] And my mom's background is in advertising.
[00:04:58.880 --> 00:05:05.040] She started her own creative agency about 34, 35 years ago.
[00:05:05.040 --> 00:05:07.280] So even before I was born.
[00:05:07.280 --> 00:05:10.880] And I grew up in this entrepreneurial environment.
[00:05:10.880 --> 00:05:13.200] My parents ran the business together.
[00:05:13.200 --> 00:05:20.640] And we essentially took her background and experience of developing brands and building brands from scratch.
[00:05:20.640 --> 00:05:30.000] Me being a college student and being immersed in this focus group of college students for four years and really took the idea and ran with it.
[00:05:30.360 --> 00:05:33.320] So you started the business while you were in college.
[00:05:33.320 --> 00:05:37.800] Yeah, and it took a few different steps to get to where we are today.
[00:05:37.800 --> 00:05:41.640] So freshman year, you know, got acclimated to school.
[00:05:41.800 --> 00:05:44.520] I was a double major in graphic design and marketing.
[00:05:44.520 --> 00:05:47.000] And I always thought I was going to take over my mom's business.
[00:05:47.000 --> 00:05:49.320] So that was the path that I was forging.
[00:05:49.320 --> 00:05:58.760] And I was one of those kids that knew exactly what they wanted to major in and exactly what they were going to do next and was trying to build the steps to get there.
[00:05:58.760 --> 00:06:06.440] And then after my freshman year, we decided to actually make this idea come to life in some way.
[00:06:06.440 --> 00:06:15.320] So first, we actually built a blog and developed a network of brand ambassadors to contribute content to the blog.
[00:06:15.320 --> 00:06:22.360] And at the time in 2010, there was no one really talking about college life or dorm decor on the internet.
[00:06:22.360 --> 00:06:26.120] And this was like Song of Style was starting her blog.
[00:06:26.120 --> 00:06:30.520] And some of those early bloggers were just emerging.
[00:06:30.520 --> 00:06:34.200] So we were the first ones to really start talking about college.
[00:06:34.200 --> 00:06:44.200] And we had friends of mine writing for the blog and quickly growing that community into a network of students that I had never met before, just through friends of friends.
[00:06:44.200 --> 00:06:51.640] And that really served as our proof of concept to learn whether students cared what their dorm rooms looked like.
[00:06:51.640 --> 00:06:58.040] There was no Instagram and there was no Pinterest and there was like no proof to see that people even cared what their spaces were.
[00:06:58.040 --> 00:07:07.400] So that was the first step in order to really determine whether we should invest money in creating inventory in our own product line.
[00:07:07.400 --> 00:07:15.040] But from there, we then created a line of poster art where we could print orders made to order.
[00:07:15.040 --> 00:07:16.640] There was no inventory and investment.
[00:07:16.640 --> 00:07:18.480] And that was the first line of products that we sold.
[00:07:14.680 --> 00:07:21.120] It was actually a really cool assortment.
[00:07:21.280 --> 00:07:26.080] It was every letter of the alphabet was designed as its own standalone piece.
[00:07:26.080 --> 00:07:32.720] So I bought my initials APZ and I chose a color to print them in and a size to get them at.
[00:07:32.720 --> 00:07:35.040] And it was cool wall decor at the time.
[00:07:35.040 --> 00:07:37.760] So that was what the initial stages looked like.
[00:07:37.760 --> 00:07:44.400] And then my junior year is when I actually had Dormify Betting in my apartment on campus.
[00:07:44.400 --> 00:07:53.600] And how did you figure out how to add bedding and create your site and figure out that that was the next thing that you wanted to focus on?
[00:07:53.920 --> 00:08:01.680] Yeah, so betting was where we focused because that Twin XL required size was the unique differentiator for a college that I was looking for.
[00:08:01.680 --> 00:08:10.640] So it wasn't going to be feasible to go out and buy product from brands that were already producing things and then just curating an assortment.
[00:08:10.640 --> 00:08:12.560] We had to go create that bedding.
[00:08:12.560 --> 00:08:14.320] So that's where we started.
[00:08:14.320 --> 00:08:17.680] No manufacturing or textile experience.
[00:08:17.680 --> 00:08:30.080] And we really just went to the textile district in New York and went to some of the buildings that have multiple floors of different vendors and tried to get our foot in the door in some capacity.
[00:08:30.080 --> 00:08:37.120] We didn't have a website at the time and just basically sold the idea and sold our belief in the idea.
[00:08:37.120 --> 00:08:51.520] And I think that the vendor that ultimately said, you know, like you have nothing to show for yourselves, but you have a good idea and we believe in it, they believed in us as people and not necessarily, there was nothing, there was no proof to show them.
[00:08:51.520 --> 00:08:52.880] So they took a risk.
[00:08:52.880 --> 00:08:59.280] Even though we only worked with that vendor for one year, it was our way to get started and really learn that textile business.
[00:08:59.280 --> 00:09:05.880] So, two things that we did there were go to the New York gift show to try to meet vendors and just network.
[00:09:06.200 --> 00:09:12.840] And then we, I guess, took some of those contacts and went to the textile district and tried to make meetings and go to different showrooms.
[00:09:12.840 --> 00:09:16.040] But that's how we got started with the product line.
[00:09:16.040 --> 00:09:23.800] Amanda, when you were starting to meet with vendors and people in production, how did you know what to ask for?
[00:09:23.800 --> 00:09:26.440] Whether you were getting a good deal or not?
[00:09:26.440 --> 00:09:28.440] Did you meet with a lot of different vendors?
[00:09:29.000 --> 00:09:30.520] How did you navigate that?
[00:09:30.520 --> 00:09:31.720] We didn't have many options.
[00:09:31.720 --> 00:09:35.080] It was slim pickings because not everyone would give us the time of day.
[00:09:35.080 --> 00:09:42.120] And I think we had a lot of doors shut on us because we had nothing to show for ourselves, not even a business card.
[00:09:42.120 --> 00:09:50.520] But something that my mom always says, which I think is true, is that I think we're successful because of how naive we were.
[00:09:50.520 --> 00:10:00.360] So we didn't know any better, and we might have spent too much time like going back and forth or like sweating the details when we probably didn't have much leverage anyway.
[00:10:00.360 --> 00:10:03.800] And we kind of just went with it because we had to get something to market.
[00:10:03.800 --> 00:10:13.080] But one of the key things that was a challenge for the first run was minimums for fabric to get run and printed.
[00:10:13.080 --> 00:10:15.240] So what we had to do was get creative.
[00:10:15.240 --> 00:10:22.680] And whatever the category is, we still to this day deal with minimums sometimes just because of how overseas factories work.
[00:10:22.680 --> 00:10:27.160] But we, I think, selected like six different graphic prints that we put together.
[00:10:27.160 --> 00:10:35.800] And ideally, we just want them to be duvet covers and run 100% cotton and print these designs and you know go to market with that.
[00:10:35.800 --> 00:10:42.600] But we then would have to invest in a lot of duvet covers per style.
[00:10:42.600 --> 00:10:46.400] So we then cut up that fabric into different products.
[00:10:46.640 --> 00:10:58.000] We had coordinating window panels and shower curtains and bed skirts and made reversible duvets so that we could do a sheet set with a top of bed.
[00:10:58.000 --> 00:11:07.280] So it was a merchandising exercise that continued throughout the next few years for sure, but that was something that we just didn't have much wiggle room with.
[00:11:07.280 --> 00:11:09.280] And we've just learned along the way.
[00:11:09.280 --> 00:11:21.040] Like we've worked with so many different vendor partners and I've definitely spent a lot of time in this area of the business, but it's all been done by learning, which I think is probably to our benefit.
[00:11:21.040 --> 00:11:33.440] If I were to hire someone who came from, you know, Target or some other big corporation, they might have taken the merchandising in the way that they're used to or what they know.
[00:11:33.440 --> 00:11:36.560] And we took a different approach, which is what made us different.
[00:11:36.880 --> 00:11:39.520] What is it like working with your mom?
[00:11:40.800 --> 00:11:41.760] It's great.
[00:11:41.760 --> 00:11:49.280] It's like, I mean, I could turn the question right back at you guys and say, if you guys were working with your mothers, what would that feel like?
[00:11:49.280 --> 00:11:53.760] But, you know, it has its great things and then challenging things.
[00:11:53.760 --> 00:12:03.360] I think the great parts about it are you're never going to have a partner that's more reliable or someone you can trust more than a family member.
[00:12:03.360 --> 00:12:18.560] And of course, she's been such a great role model to me and just helping me level set situations that might be stressful or dramatic in my eyes, but maybe something that she's experienced many, many times in her career, that she can say, Don't sweat it.
[00:12:18.560 --> 00:12:20.080] This is not a big deal.
[00:12:20.080 --> 00:12:28.880] But I think the combined perspective and experience from myself and her is a really great compliment to each other.
[00:12:28.880 --> 00:12:39.960] So there's a lot of positive, but you know, as a kid or the daughter in this relationship, she is someone that is working all the time, and that's her nature.
[00:12:39.960 --> 00:12:46.120] So being able to have boundaries is very difficult, but that's for better or for worse.
[00:12:46.440 --> 00:12:54.360] And any advice you can share to entrepreneurs who are working with family members and how to make it the best experience possible?
[00:12:54.680 --> 00:13:08.120] I think if I were to go back in time, or if I were like starting another business with her, I would set boundaries for ourselves clearly up front and also establish those boundaries with the people on the team.
[00:13:08.120 --> 00:13:21.880] So just like a simple one, I might have gone back in time and said, in a work environment, I'm calling you Karen, and then in a home environment, I'm calling you mom, just to divide conversations more seamlessly.
[00:13:21.880 --> 00:13:28.680] And with my team, even like I would prefer if they just refer to her as her name in front of me instead of your mom.
[00:13:28.680 --> 00:13:30.760] It's just like I'm an adult now.
[00:13:30.760 --> 00:13:34.200] So I think setting those boundaries are important.
[00:13:34.520 --> 00:13:45.240] And the other piece of advice I would give is: I think like separation of church and state as much as possible is what I would advise because things could get messy.
[00:13:45.240 --> 00:13:50.840] I'm just speaking broadly, but things could get messy if you know there's any sort of financial implication.
[00:13:50.840 --> 00:13:58.680] But try to separate things as much as possible so that your family unit is your family unit and then your business is your business.
[00:13:58.680 --> 00:14:02.680] Are there any other family members involved in the business now?
[00:14:03.000 --> 00:14:06.120] My dad is involved in some capacity.
[00:14:06.120 --> 00:14:13.960] He's a CFO, so he's by nature just like integrated into our financials, but not in the everyday.
[00:14:13.960 --> 00:14:16.000] My siblings want nothing to do with the business.
[00:14:16.080 --> 00:14:24.240] They're on their own paths, but my brother has a lot of curiosities and he's kind of like a data junkie.
[00:14:24.240 --> 00:14:30.720] So always curious and wants to take part in conversation, but no, no other family members.
[00:14:31.040 --> 00:14:31.760] What advice?
[00:14:31.840 --> 00:14:33.120] I will say something that's funny.
[00:14:33.120 --> 00:14:35.920] My grandmother, we have a Shopify.
[00:14:35.920 --> 00:14:38.000] Our website is built on Shopify.
[00:14:38.000 --> 00:14:43.280] And I downloaded the Shopify app on her phone because she's, you know, just wants to see what's going on.
[00:14:43.280 --> 00:14:44.240] She's very with it.
[00:14:44.240 --> 00:14:48.320] And she checks our orders during the summertime when things are really exciting.
[00:14:48.320 --> 00:14:49.760] She's like, today was a good day.
[00:14:49.760 --> 00:14:53.440] And it's just funny to have her be a part of what's going on in real time.
[00:14:53.440 --> 00:14:55.840] And Shopify enables that.
[00:14:55.840 --> 00:14:57.040] Oh my gosh, I love that.
[00:14:57.280 --> 00:15:04.960] Shopify is one of our partners at Entrepreneurs and we have Shopify sites for other businesses and love that dinging sounds when you get an order.
[00:15:04.960 --> 00:15:06.960] It's like the slot machine is going off.
[00:15:07.200 --> 00:15:08.640] Yeah, it's fun.
[00:15:08.960 --> 00:15:13.040] Yeah, I just launched a new brand called Workrobe.
[00:15:13.040 --> 00:15:15.760] So I'm constantly looking at Shopify.
[00:15:15.760 --> 00:15:32.080] And I was joking with Stephanie that it's actually like an addiction to be checking the app, looking at the map, seeing where everyone is, seeing how long it takes them to buy something, wondering if they're going to buy something, that they're going to buy something, like if they're at a casino or something.
[00:15:32.080 --> 00:15:33.920] So buying on every single move.
[00:15:33.920 --> 00:15:34.560] Oh, yes.
[00:15:34.560 --> 00:15:34.960] Yes.
[00:15:34.960 --> 00:15:37.680] It's quite the addiction.
[00:15:37.680 --> 00:15:42.320] And as Stephanie was saying earlier, we both wish that we had this when we were in college.
[00:15:42.320 --> 00:15:49.200] I'm like cringing now looking at your website, thinking back to how my dorm room was decorated.
[00:15:49.520 --> 00:15:50.160] And you're right.
[00:15:50.160 --> 00:15:52.800] There was no easy option at the time.
[00:15:52.800 --> 00:15:56.960] So clearly, your business has really evolved.
[00:15:56.960 --> 00:16:03.480] How did you get to, I guess, what were the biggest challenges looking back to get you to where you are today?
[00:16:04.040 --> 00:16:15.320] I think in terms of marketing, we took a very scrappy grassroots approach because we were competing with big box retailers that were already huge players in the college market.
[00:16:15.320 --> 00:16:29.000] And I think that helped us develop a really strong relationship with our customers and really helped us excel from being kind of like a side hustle hobby to a more legitimate brand.
[00:16:29.000 --> 00:16:33.720] But I think some of the challenge has been in evolving quickly.
[00:16:33.720 --> 00:16:39.880] And as we've scaled and gotten bigger, how do we continue to be trendsetters and innovators?
[00:16:39.880 --> 00:16:47.160] And especially today, how do we move just as fast, if not faster, than how culture moves on the internet?
[00:16:47.160 --> 00:16:49.240] It's very hard to keep up.
[00:16:49.240 --> 00:17:02.200] And I think for the home decor industry in particular, we've actually found that we've been ahead of trends sometimes in a negative way because fashion trends move so much quicker than home.
[00:17:02.200 --> 00:17:10.200] So there's been seasons where we bring in a trend like in a print or a colorway and it might not perform as well.
[00:17:10.200 --> 00:17:13.720] And then the following year, we might have leftover inventory and it flies.
[00:17:13.720 --> 00:17:16.120] And we're like, how are we that far ahead?
[00:17:16.120 --> 00:17:19.160] But it's about adjusting to those trend cycles.
[00:17:19.160 --> 00:17:31.960] And then on the flip side, if I think about fast fashion just generally, there is a little bit of a challenge in moving quicker to hop onto trends, especially in a world of TikTok.
[00:17:31.960 --> 00:17:38.920] We want to be able to hop onto trends quickly and bring hot items onto our site as fast as possible.
[00:17:38.920 --> 00:17:43.640] But there's a lot higher costs and a lot lower margins producing product domestically.
[00:17:43.640 --> 00:17:55.520] So we're really like focused on building vendor relationships where we're able to act quickly and respond to those trends, but then also continue to amplify trends when we know that they're hitting.
[00:17:55.840 --> 00:18:02.880] At what point did you know that you needed to raise money to truly accelerate the growth of the company?
[00:18:02.880 --> 00:18:11.520] We actually raised a couple rounds of friends and family in the very early days of our business when I was still in college.
[00:18:11.520 --> 00:18:17.040] And that was really to fund inventory because we were investing in our own private label line of betting.
[00:18:17.040 --> 00:18:19.360] So that was very early on.
[00:18:19.360 --> 00:18:26.080] And then after that, we incubated the business within my mom's creative agency.
[00:18:26.080 --> 00:18:29.760] So we had a lot of resources that were shared between the two companies.
[00:18:29.760 --> 00:18:34.400] And it was almost like the early days, we were a sister company to the agency.
[00:18:34.400 --> 00:18:43.760] So building the website, developing the brand, and a lot of the creative pieces was all done within the agency, which is a huge, huge value.
[00:18:43.760 --> 00:18:52.960] And if I think about some of the top branding agencies today, like Red Antler, they're investing in a lot of the D2C brands that they're developing and launching.
[00:18:52.960 --> 00:18:54.240] And it all makes sense.
[00:18:54.240 --> 00:19:00.160] You spend so much time building something and you want to, you know, have some skin in the game for it.
[00:19:00.160 --> 00:19:04.160] But we did end up separating the business from the agency.
[00:19:04.160 --> 00:19:08.720] And at that point, it made sense to raise outside capital to fuel our growth.
[00:19:08.720 --> 00:19:10.560] And what do you raised, friends and family?
[00:19:10.560 --> 00:19:15.280] How did you figure out at that time how to structure the deal, what the company was worth?
[00:19:15.280 --> 00:19:23.600] So my mom really handled that part of it because I was literally like in sorority recruitment and trying to like have a college life.
[00:19:23.600 --> 00:19:34.680] But one of the elements that made us successful in that early round was approaching people on our network that were experiencing this in their life.
[00:19:35.000 --> 00:19:47.080] So someone who was about to send a child to college, has a child in college, they really could understand the purpose of the business and why it existed.
[00:19:47.080 --> 00:19:50.200] So that's why that approach made sense.
[00:19:50.200 --> 00:19:58.920] But we had a friend, a very close friend who was part of our early investor group who really coached us and guided us and got everything set up.
[00:19:58.920 --> 00:20:01.640] So it was all network based.
[00:20:01.640 --> 00:20:07.640] Up next, Amanda shares how to run a successful ambassador and referral program.
[00:20:13.960 --> 00:20:15.240] Hi, Entrepreneurs.
[00:20:15.240 --> 00:20:16.280] It's Steph here.
[00:20:16.280 --> 00:20:22.920] As a founder, I know firsthand that building a business can feel so lonely, but it doesn't have to.
[00:20:22.920 --> 00:20:27.560] And that's why we created our Entrepreneur Founders Weekend Wealth and Wellness Retreat.
[00:20:27.560 --> 00:20:29.720] And I can't wait to meet you in person there.
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[00:21:32.080 --> 00:21:37.760] Amanda, I want to hear more about your marketing strategy and how everything has evolved.
[00:21:37.760 --> 00:21:43.520] Because, as you shared, when you first launched, there really was barely any social media back then.
[00:21:43.520 --> 00:21:46.320] And now everything is all about social.
[00:21:46.320 --> 00:21:47.840] And you mentioned TikTok before.
[00:21:47.840 --> 00:21:52.480] So, can you tell us a little bit about how your marketing strategy has evolved over the years?
[00:21:52.480 --> 00:21:56.960] Yeah, it's actually pretty funny to reflect back on.
[00:21:56.960 --> 00:21:58.320] There's a lot of nostalgia.
[00:21:58.320 --> 00:22:06.640] Like, we started with building an email list, which is still relevant today, and acquiring as many email addresses as possible.
[00:22:06.640 --> 00:22:13.280] And me being on a college campus and having the student ambassadors across college campuses was a key part of that.
[00:22:13.280 --> 00:22:19.120] And I think that ambassador program, too, was a really core element of how we were going to spread the word.
[00:22:19.120 --> 00:22:21.200] It was authentic and real.
[00:22:21.200 --> 00:22:28.720] And there was a bunch of students who were really interested and enthusiastic about decor that wanted to share the brand.
[00:22:28.720 --> 00:22:31.920] So, those are the two like consistent threads, I would say.
[00:22:31.920 --> 00:22:42.240] But back then, back then, so sad, in like 2012, 2013, it was all about editorial and building relationships with magazine editors.
[00:22:42.240 --> 00:22:52.640] So, we were, of course, very focused on 17 and team vogues and Cosmo Girl and all of that in order to get Dormify in some of those back-to-school placements.
[00:22:52.640 --> 00:22:57.120] And if you remember, there was like desk side appointments that we would have to make.
[00:22:57.120 --> 00:23:00.520] And Eva Chen was an early fan of the brand.
[00:22:59.760 --> 00:23:04.600] And that was before when she was at Teen Vogue.
[00:23:04.920 --> 00:23:12.440] So it was all about building relationships with people in New York City that had connections to these magazines and things like that.
[00:23:12.760 --> 00:23:25.000] And one of our fun stories that I love to share, there's a few of them, is that we, I don't even know how this happened, but we got some of our throw pillows in the 17 office.
[00:23:25.000 --> 00:23:31.240] And in the lobby area, they had a couch where every single celebrity that came in to visit took pictures in front of.
[00:23:31.240 --> 00:23:35.320] And we had a pillow that said famous in like sequin print.
[00:23:35.320 --> 00:23:40.760] And they all, and some like eyelashes and some of our like iconic pillows that were all sitting on the couch.
[00:23:40.760 --> 00:23:43.480] And every single celebrity would come in and take pictures.
[00:23:43.480 --> 00:23:55.720] And Teen Vogue posted an early Instagram, like I have a picture of it, and it's just so old looking, but they post an Instagram of Dormify in the 17 office.
[00:23:55.720 --> 00:23:59.480] And those types of things were where we were focused.
[00:23:59.480 --> 00:24:04.680] And then in addition, we did a lot of scrappy things like I was mentioning.
[00:24:04.680 --> 00:24:14.760] So anything from doing a trunk show or a shopping party at people's homes, we would go identify hosts to invite like 30 friends over and do a shopping party.
[00:24:14.760 --> 00:24:19.800] And I would drive across the tri-state area and set up a store essentially in someone's living room.
[00:24:19.800 --> 00:24:21.640] And those were really successful.
[00:24:21.640 --> 00:24:28.680] And we also crashed senior spring break for high school students and went to the Bahamas and handed out tank tops.
[00:24:28.680 --> 00:24:30.200] And that was all really fun.
[00:24:30.200 --> 00:24:41.640] But as we grew, we, of course, like then head into the period of digital advertising on Facebook and on Instagram and took that up.
[00:24:41.640 --> 00:24:43.720] Of course, now we're coming out of that.
[00:24:43.720 --> 00:26:21.320] But I think the consistent thread across the last five years or so has always been about creating a really authentic organic following so we've been very focused on our instagram channel and our tick tock channel on the organic side and really making sure that that's such a you know destination for discovery and it's really representative of the brand so you know last year when we had to make a lot of cuts during the pandemic we built our tick tock channel and we know that that was a really important part of growing an audience even outside of the college student during a time when there was a lot of uncertainty about college so you know we went from trunk shows in people's homes to building pop-ups in key markets of ours so it's always been like a test and learn and build upon what we've seen work what advice do you have to reach college students now in today's market i know in the last year things shifted now it looks like we're going back to you know where the colleges are open people are people are there so what advice do you have on how to best reach college students right now good question if anyone has any thoughts my way um but in all seriousness so best advice for reaching college students today i think the biggest advice i would give is it's very hard to capture their attention and a prime example of this is we have a group of ambassadors still that i hear from them weeks after we launch a new product or a new category that is very exciting.
[00:26:21.320 --> 00:26:24.760] We do a lot of marketing about, and they're supposed to be promoting it and stuff like that.
[00:26:24.760 --> 00:26:27.640] And they're like, wow, I just noticed that we have care packages now.
[00:26:27.640 --> 00:26:29.240] And I'm like, really?
[00:26:30.520 --> 00:26:39.160] So I think getting clear messages in front of them in a consistent fashion is really what's important in terms of channel.
[00:26:39.160 --> 00:26:42.840] And I guess like simplifying that message, not trying to have too many messages.
[00:26:42.840 --> 00:26:54.680] But in terms of channel, micro-influencers, ambassadors, referral programs, like anything where they're hearing advice from their friends and their peers, I think works really well.
[00:26:54.680 --> 00:27:03.640] Interesting collaborations and partnerships is another one that I would suggest as well, whether that's a product collaboration or just a social giveaway.
[00:27:03.640 --> 00:27:04.920] They're all about giveaways.
[00:27:04.920 --> 00:27:07.480] So anytime we can run a giveaway, we do.
[00:27:07.480 --> 00:27:09.480] We see a lot of success with that.
[00:27:09.480 --> 00:27:13.080] And then I think lastly, I would say TikTok.
[00:27:13.240 --> 00:27:14.840] That's where they're living.
[00:27:14.840 --> 00:27:19.560] It's an addiction, the TikTok app for these kids these days, right?
[00:27:19.560 --> 00:27:20.200] Yeah.
[00:27:21.000 --> 00:27:27.080] Is your customer mostly, I guess, college women or are the guys shopping there too?
[00:27:27.400 --> 00:27:28.600] Mostly college women.
[00:27:28.600 --> 00:27:36.280] We are expanding our guys' assortment for this year, but typically the parent is shopping for the guy.
[00:27:36.280 --> 00:27:39.320] So it's still a lot of women that we're advertising to.
[00:27:39.320 --> 00:27:43.080] But our audience is really made up of both students and parents.
[00:27:43.080 --> 00:27:51.480] So we build our brand around messaging and look and feel for a college student, but we know that we're speaking to a parent as well.
[00:27:51.480 --> 00:27:53.960] We're just not directly speaking their language.
[00:27:53.960 --> 00:28:00.440] Can you share any advice about creating an ambassador program and also referral programs?
[00:28:00.440 --> 00:28:04.520] Any learning lessons from creating those two programs in your business?
[00:28:04.520 --> 00:28:12.600] I would say always evolving and learning and testing new things is important because it becomes stale very quickly.
[00:28:13.240 --> 00:28:16.960] We've had competing goals for our ambassador program.
[00:28:14.680 --> 00:28:27.120] So I think identifying a priority of goals so that you can clearly like determine what you're asking from ambassadors so that you actually get what you would like to get from them.
[00:28:27.120 --> 00:28:39.440] If there's too many goals between, you know, driving sales, content creation, a myriad of other things, they will not know where to start and be very paralyzed.
[00:28:39.440 --> 00:28:46.160] So I think like building upon something once you have something down is what I would say.
[00:28:46.160 --> 00:29:01.520] And then having a student run it who really can like rally the kids and or the teens or the students, I think is really important because they want to be, they want to get something out of it and they want professional development.
[00:29:01.520 --> 00:29:04.560] They want to learn, they want access, they want connections.
[00:29:04.560 --> 00:29:12.080] All these students want to do is get to the next step in their life and forge their path for their career.
[00:29:12.080 --> 00:29:13.440] That's such great advice.
[00:29:13.440 --> 00:29:16.480] And how about for your referral program?
[00:29:16.480 --> 00:29:22.640] Are there specific softwares that you're using and any lessons you can share for what's worked for you?
[00:29:22.640 --> 00:29:33.440] We are about to actually embark on an evaluation of our whole program, but we currently use Friend Buy to power our program and it's a really popular platform.
[00:29:33.440 --> 00:29:37.120] I think I would just generally say that don't try to recreate the wheel.
[00:29:37.120 --> 00:29:40.960] There's a lot of platforms out there that work and they were all built for a reason.
[00:29:40.960 --> 00:29:52.720] Talkable is another one that we're thinking about, but I think it's a really powerful message, and it just needs to be sort of handled correctly and with care.
[00:29:52.720 --> 00:29:54.400] How big is your team now?
[00:29:54.720 --> 00:29:58.400] We are just under 25 people full-time.
[00:29:58.400 --> 00:30:00.760] And what roles do you have on the team?
[00:30:00.760 --> 00:30:02.040] Who is your first hire?
[00:29:59.840 --> 00:30:04.920] What are some learning lessons from building a team?
[00:30:05.240 --> 00:30:13.320] Yeah, so when we first got started, we knew that we had to bring in people to help us because I was in college, my mom was running her agency.
[00:30:13.320 --> 00:30:21.880] So there were two girls who worked at the agency who we thought would be great people to help us bring this idea to life.
[00:30:21.880 --> 00:30:37.240] One was more of an account executive, like marketing type of person, and one was just someone who was great in driving new ideas and new business, and someone who had a lot of style.
[00:30:37.240 --> 00:30:40.280] So she could really handle the product side of things.
[00:30:40.280 --> 00:30:48.440] So she came on to really handle merchandising and product development, and she had done that ever since.
[00:30:48.440 --> 00:30:53.080] And then the other one was really in an operations and marketing capacity.
[00:30:53.080 --> 00:30:56.520] So those two roles were very different but complementary.
[00:30:56.520 --> 00:31:01.160] And then the third person that we brought on was a community manager to help build the blog.
[00:31:01.160 --> 00:31:03.560] And she had just recently graduated college.
[00:31:03.560 --> 00:31:05.640] She was a couple years older than me.
[00:31:05.640 --> 00:31:10.360] And she was in charge of growing the ambassador program and maintaining the blog.
[00:31:10.360 --> 00:31:13.000] So those were three key roles at the beginning.
[00:31:13.000 --> 00:31:20.040] And then we brought on some part-time customer experience help once we had product to sell.
[00:31:20.040 --> 00:31:25.960] And we've gone through, you know, a lot of part-time or freelance help along the way.
[00:31:25.960 --> 00:31:38.760] But today, the structure of our team is really split into marketing, site, and creative as one area, operations, supply chain as another, and then merchandising and product development.
[00:31:38.760 --> 00:31:41.480] And how has your role evolved over the years?
[00:31:41.480 --> 00:31:42.920] What is your day-to-day like now?
[00:31:43.000 --> 00:31:44.760] What are you responsible for?
[00:31:44.960 --> 00:31:48.320] My role has very much evolved.
[00:31:48.320 --> 00:32:08.960] So I've gone from, you know, when I was in college, I was writing blog posts and creating newsletters for our email list to helping with product development and putting all of my own thoughts and feedback into the designs and the merchandising strategy, executing photo shoots.
[00:32:08.960 --> 00:32:13.200] And I very much stayed in the creative side for many years.
[00:32:13.200 --> 00:32:21.840] I was the one like designing everything, the packaging, the direct mail, all of that I was doing because I knew how to work the programs, honestly.
[00:32:21.840 --> 00:32:23.120] And I was doing photography too.
[00:32:23.120 --> 00:32:25.840] I was shooting a lot of content.
[00:32:25.840 --> 00:32:31.200] And from there, we brought on people to help with social media.
[00:32:31.200 --> 00:32:35.920] Once that was really a thing, so that's something that I actually never ran myself.
[00:32:35.920 --> 00:32:37.920] I never ran our social channel.
[00:32:37.920 --> 00:32:45.040] As time has gone on, I've, you know, spread into many different parts of the business as I've learned more.
[00:32:45.040 --> 00:32:49.120] And, you know, we've made up, we've filled out different areas of the team.
[00:32:49.120 --> 00:32:58.880] So today I'm the CEO and I oversee everything, but I spend most of my time in the creative and the marketing side of the business.
[00:32:58.880 --> 00:33:02.240] And I have a chief merchant and a COO now.
[00:33:02.240 --> 00:33:09.600] So very similar to how we started the business, but they, you know, are my partners that help oversee each of those areas.
[00:33:09.920 --> 00:33:13.200] Have things changed since raising your latest round?
[00:33:13.200 --> 00:33:17.120] Have you been able to do more in your business that you wanted to do?
[00:33:17.120 --> 00:33:20.080] Yeah, I would say things have changed in a positive way.
[00:33:20.080 --> 00:33:23.120] We've hired a few new people.
[00:33:23.120 --> 00:33:32.520] We have unlocked new partnerships and relationships, and you know, have access to another network given our new investors.
[00:33:32.840 --> 00:33:38.600] So, we unfortunately were trying to raise money before COVID and then COVID happened.
[00:33:38.600 --> 00:33:42.200] So, we were a bit behind in terms of timeline.
[00:33:42.200 --> 00:33:47.080] So, we were waiting to do a lot of things until we actually raised the capital.
[00:33:47.080 --> 00:33:48.360] But, yes, for sure.
[00:33:48.360 --> 00:33:51.560] And any other learning lessons you can share about this raise?
[00:33:51.560 --> 00:34:01.880] Since I know you weren't involved in the first raise when you were in college, but now with this raise, any other learning lessons you can share for entrepreneuristas who are considering raising capital right now?
[00:34:01.880 --> 00:34:08.280] I mean, it sounds very repetitive and cliche, but your network really is so important.
[00:34:08.600 --> 00:34:24.760] I spent probably like 12 months of my life just talking to people to meet other people, to meet other people and meet other more people because it's really hard, especially when you don't necessarily fit the venture mold like Dormify doesn't.
[00:34:24.760 --> 00:34:32.280] We didn't have the retention metrics that would be acceptable to a traditional VC.
[00:34:32.600 --> 00:34:36.200] So, if you don't like pass that initial test, it's really hard.
[00:34:36.200 --> 00:34:37.640] It's like an uphill battle.
[00:34:37.640 --> 00:34:42.920] So, we had to look for a certain type of investor, and it was a lot more of a niche space.
[00:34:42.920 --> 00:34:49.400] So, it was a lot about meeting people, building relationships, getting introductions, just getting out there.
[00:34:49.720 --> 00:34:51.880] So, that would be one piece of advice.
[00:34:51.880 --> 00:35:06.600] And then, another like more tactical one, just in terms of your own sanity, is being super organized with your investor outreach list and how you're collecting contact info and how you're tracking conversations.
[00:35:06.600 --> 00:35:14.120] It's actually something where you could hire a virtual assistant to help with that and take a lot of the burden off your plate.
[00:35:14.120 --> 00:35:19.920] That's something I wish I did then that I didn't do is hire a virtual assistant to be my organizer.
[00:35:19.920 --> 00:35:26.160] And they can help make meeting invites and scheduling and like all that admin stuff that just takes up so much of your time.
[00:35:26.160 --> 00:35:30.000] So I would advise to do that if you can afford it.
[00:35:30.000 --> 00:35:31.920] It shouldn't be too expensive, honestly.
[00:35:31.920 --> 00:35:37.600] There's so many tools out there, even if you're using like AI bots and things like that.
[00:35:37.600 --> 00:35:42.880] But I would also just advise to have a few different materials.
[00:35:42.880 --> 00:35:52.000] So of course, you're going to have your pitch deck that's your full presentation, but a one-sheeter that you can easily pass along to make an introduction is really helpful.
[00:35:52.000 --> 00:35:55.200] And just having that at your fingertips at all times.
[00:35:55.200 --> 00:36:01.200] And then an even more concise version of that would be like your quick blurb that someone can pass along in an email.
[00:36:01.200 --> 00:36:08.080] So having those three formats to easily share information is something that I think is a must.
[00:36:08.400 --> 00:36:15.120] Next up, you'll hear why Amanda values quality over quantity and balancing work and life.
[00:36:19.280 --> 00:36:25.680] Founders are always asking us, what has been the secret to our success building multiple seven-figure businesses?
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[00:36:36.400 --> 00:36:42.240] We navigate the challenges and opportunities with the support of people we know, love, and trust.
[00:36:42.240 --> 00:36:46.080] The relationships you build in business will be the key to your success.
[00:36:46.080 --> 00:36:48.240] Trust me, it's how we've done it.
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[00:36:58.240 --> 00:37:20.680] Our members have access to everything we've used to grow our businesses over the past 10 plus years, from in-person events to virtual events, business education, funding resources, office hours with myself and other top founders in your industry, press opportunities, and access to our community platform where you can instantly get all of your business questions answered.
[00:37:20.680 --> 00:37:27.400] You can join us in the community over at refer.entrepranista.com forward slash join us.
[00:37:27.400 --> 00:37:33.160] That's refer.entrepradista.com forward slash join us to join the community.
[00:37:33.160 --> 00:37:36.520] Or head to the show notes right now and tap the link to join.
[00:37:36.520 --> 00:37:38.680] I cannot wait to meet you.
[00:37:39.320 --> 00:37:42.440] All right, Amanda, this is a fun little segment we like to do.
[00:37:42.440 --> 00:37:44.280] A few rapid fire questions.
[00:37:44.280 --> 00:37:47.000] So the first thing that comes to your mind, are you ready?
[00:37:47.000 --> 00:37:47.400] Sure.
[00:37:47.400 --> 00:37:48.440] I love this game.
[00:37:48.440 --> 00:37:49.000] All right.
[00:37:49.000 --> 00:37:51.240] Describe yourself in three words.
[00:37:51.240 --> 00:37:52.360] Oh, man.
[00:37:53.640 --> 00:37:57.240] One would be, I say yes to everything.
[00:37:57.240 --> 00:37:58.600] Multiple words.
[00:37:58.600 --> 00:38:02.360] I am creative and I'm trend obsessed.
[00:38:02.360 --> 00:38:05.320] If you could learn one new skill, what would it be?
[00:38:05.320 --> 00:38:07.000] Time management.
[00:38:07.000 --> 00:38:09.000] Where is your happy place?
[00:38:09.320 --> 00:38:10.520] Nantucket.
[00:38:10.520 --> 00:38:14.040] Favorite business tool you've used to help with productivity.
[00:38:15.000 --> 00:38:20.520] I need a new one, but I guess Asana, even though I should be using it better.
[00:38:20.840 --> 00:38:22.360] I have the same problem.
[00:38:22.680 --> 00:38:25.720] What is, this is the final, final rapid fire question.
[00:38:25.720 --> 00:38:29.000] What is the app on your phone that you cannot live without?
[00:38:29.960 --> 00:38:33.800] Unfortunately, Instagram, but I'm trying not to do that.
[00:38:33.800 --> 00:38:36.680] And the real answer would be Google Maps.
[00:38:36.680 --> 00:38:39.320] I actually, I thought you were going to say Shopify.
[00:38:39.960 --> 00:38:44.440] I should have and would have put it all together all together, but all three important.
[00:38:44.520 --> 00:38:47.360] I can live without it because it would stress me out.
[00:38:48.000 --> 00:38:51.360] What does a typical day outside of work look like for you?
[00:38:44.840 --> 00:38:52.160] And these are not now.
[00:38:52.240 --> 00:38:53.440] We're not in rapid fire.
[00:38:54.880 --> 00:38:55.520] Full sentences.
[00:38:55.520 --> 00:38:56.640] We can talk again.
[00:38:56.640 --> 00:38:57.200] Yeah.
[00:38:57.200 --> 00:38:59.600] A typical day outside of work.
[00:38:59.600 --> 00:39:00.400] Good question.
[00:39:01.360 --> 00:39:03.120] So much slower paced.
[00:39:03.120 --> 00:39:06.400] Like my work day is back to back to back.
[00:39:06.400 --> 00:39:11.280] Like I don't know what to do if I'm not like moving at lightning speed.
[00:39:11.280 --> 00:39:14.000] So my off days would be very slow paced.
[00:39:14.000 --> 00:39:15.120] I like to sleep in.
[00:39:15.120 --> 00:39:17.440] I like to do something active.
[00:39:17.440 --> 00:39:19.360] I like to run.
[00:39:19.360 --> 00:39:23.920] And I like to explore new restaurants and travel.
[00:39:24.240 --> 00:39:27.280] Do you think that work-life balance is a thing?
[00:39:27.280 --> 00:39:29.440] Like, do you believe in work-life balance?
[00:39:29.440 --> 00:39:31.040] I do, honestly.
[00:39:31.040 --> 00:39:41.600] So it's hard because like in terms of habit, like I was explaining before, I grew up in a household where there was no work-life balance, especially when your parents work together.
[00:39:41.600 --> 00:39:45.200] So it's something that I talk about with my therapist a lot, actually.
[00:39:45.520 --> 00:39:57.280] So trying to have better balance in the way that we break it down is between work, sleep, and just like self-love and playtime.
[00:39:57.280 --> 00:40:02.800] So I'm trying my best to really split that equally between eight hours each.
[00:40:02.800 --> 00:40:10.400] And for someone to say, I'm only going to work eight hours a day is really difficult, or I'm going to commit to sleeping eight hours a night.
[00:40:10.400 --> 00:40:18.320] But I'm trying to like work in those moments of alone time or doing things for myself.
[00:40:18.320 --> 00:40:22.400] And it's difficult, but I try to schedule it as if it's a meeting.
[00:40:22.400 --> 00:40:28.880] And then I will actually do it if it's consistent with like how I schedule everything else in my life.
[00:40:28.880 --> 00:40:33.160] I have a question for you before you jump in, Courtney, before I lose my train of thought.
[00:40:33.480 --> 00:40:39.080] So, you know, I'm an entrepreneur, entrepreneur, and I have a two and a half year old daughter.
[00:40:39.080 --> 00:40:45.160] And I am definitely like working all of the time, but I do spend obviously a lot of time with her at night on the weekends.
[00:40:45.160 --> 00:40:47.800] But during the day, I'm like, you know, on back-to-back Zooms.
[00:40:47.800 --> 00:40:49.080] She comes in my office.
[00:40:49.080 --> 00:40:49.880] She knows I'm working.
[00:40:49.880 --> 00:40:50.840] She's like, mommy's working.
[00:40:50.840 --> 00:40:52.040] She wants to get on the computer.
[00:40:52.040 --> 00:41:05.000] So as the child of an entrepreneur who grew up seeing this, is there anything that like you wish your mom did or didn't do, like looking back now that you could give me advice about?
[00:41:05.000 --> 00:41:07.800] So I don't do anything that I shouldn't do.
[00:41:07.800 --> 00:41:11.160] Yeah, it's like an important question.
[00:41:11.480 --> 00:41:17.400] So, I mean, if she was here on this call, this is what she would say.
[00:41:18.040 --> 00:41:27.800] She was like definitely not at every school function, but she committed and was like 100% present at the times that she was.
[00:41:27.800 --> 00:41:40.520] So she wasn't trying to be there all the time like every other mom was, but she would commit to being like the class mom who did the Halloween party and the Valentine's Day party and like all of those key events.
[00:41:40.520 --> 00:41:42.200] She was like running it.
[00:41:42.200 --> 00:41:44.680] So it was quality over quantity.
[00:41:44.680 --> 00:41:46.520] And I think that that really works.
[00:41:46.520 --> 00:41:49.960] So I felt like, and I'm talking like elementary school.
[00:41:49.960 --> 00:41:57.640] I felt like I was not always seeing her in the same way that other parents were doing, but she was doing the special things.
[00:41:57.640 --> 00:41:59.960] So quality over quantity.
[00:41:59.960 --> 00:42:06.120] And then we, I'm one of three kids, and their office was always really close to our house.
[00:42:06.120 --> 00:42:09.800] So we would go to the office after school, like hang out with their employees.
[00:42:09.800 --> 00:42:12.680] Like we were very integrated into their business.
[00:42:12.680 --> 00:42:17.360] So it didn't really feel like it was wrong, but that was just life.
[00:42:18.160 --> 00:42:27.680] And then, I don't know, I think that there is a lot of benefit to being the child of an entrepreneur for what you learn and like what you're exposed to.
[00:42:27.680 --> 00:42:29.200] It makes you have thicker skin.
[00:42:29.200 --> 00:42:35.600] It gives you an appreciation for someone who's running a business because you see what they're dealing with.
[00:42:35.600 --> 00:42:41.280] And, you know, I think about just like your average employee that's out there in the world.
[00:42:41.280 --> 00:42:44.800] There's a lot of, you know, selfishness that comes with that.
[00:42:44.800 --> 00:42:50.160] And you have no appreciation for what the owner or like your boss is dealing with.
[00:42:50.160 --> 00:42:52.320] So I think it's all great.
[00:42:52.320 --> 00:42:58.960] If I were to change anything, I mean, I don't know if I would change anything.
[00:42:58.960 --> 00:43:12.240] Like I, I might complain that, you know, like mom's not home for dinner or like I joke to my grandparents, like, I was raised by my babysitter, my housekeeper, but like, I don't know.
[00:43:12.240 --> 00:43:14.000] I think some of the benefits outweigh that.
[00:43:14.000 --> 00:43:23.520] And the only thing that I might have changed is maybe there was a way for earlier in the afternoon after school that they could have been more present.
[00:43:23.520 --> 00:43:25.760] But I don't know if that was realistic.
[00:43:26.080 --> 00:43:28.000] That was a really good question, though.
[00:43:28.000 --> 00:43:28.480] Yeah.
[00:43:28.880 --> 00:43:29.920] Very real.
[00:43:30.240 --> 00:43:34.560] What is something that our audience would be surprised to find out about you?
[00:43:34.880 --> 00:43:36.400] A lot of things.
[00:43:36.720 --> 00:43:41.120] First, that I don't make my bed any day of the week.
[00:43:41.120 --> 00:43:42.720] And I run a bed in coffee.
[00:43:42.800 --> 00:43:43.760] That's amazing.
[00:43:43.920 --> 00:43:46.880] We see a bed behind you and it looks pretty put together.
[00:43:46.880 --> 00:43:47.840] It's our guest room.
[00:43:47.840 --> 00:43:49.680] So no one sleeps with it.
[00:43:50.400 --> 00:43:55.760] But even if, like, my fiancé makes the bed, my side of the bed is never made.
[00:43:56.080 --> 00:44:02.360] Second would be that I was a competitive cheerleader for 10 years growing up.
[00:44:02.680 --> 00:44:09.800] So I was in a very intense athletic environment for middle school and high school and stopped before college.
[00:44:09.800 --> 00:44:13.880] But I was an intense athlete and went to the cheerleading world.
[00:44:14.600 --> 00:44:31.000] And last thing would be that I think before I thought that I was going to be in the creative realm and work at my mom's agency, I really wanted to be a meteorologist or a storm chaser on the Weather Channel.
[00:44:31.000 --> 00:44:32.360] And I still love weather.
[00:44:33.160 --> 00:44:37.720] It's like a weird obsession with following weather.
[00:44:37.720 --> 00:44:39.080] That's so interesting.
[00:44:39.080 --> 00:44:41.960] And I have to say, I can relate to the cheerleading I did.
[00:44:41.960 --> 00:44:44.360] I was a cheerleader all four years of college.
[00:44:44.360 --> 00:44:47.480] And while we compete, excuse me, not college, high school.
[00:44:47.480 --> 00:44:48.120] High school.
[00:44:48.120 --> 00:44:54.760] High school cheerleading, competitive high school cheerleading, but through our school, not through, you know, a competitive team.
[00:44:54.760 --> 00:45:02.040] So I know how hard you must have worked to cheer and to be on a competitive team for many years.
[00:45:02.040 --> 00:45:15.960] And I would have to guess that a lot of that discipline and also like the positivity and the teamwork that's involved in competitive cheerleading, I would think there's a lot of learning lessons there for how you've been able to run your business and your team.
[00:45:15.960 --> 00:45:16.680] For sure.
[00:45:16.680 --> 00:45:28.120] I was an all-star cheerleader and my gym was an hour away and I practiced two to three days a week for years driving back and forth, even before I had a license.
[00:45:28.120 --> 00:45:29.720] Like I couldn't even take myself.
[00:45:29.720 --> 00:45:34.680] And my mom was there some of the time, you know, maybe doing work, watching our practice.
[00:45:34.680 --> 00:45:36.440] So she was there.
[00:45:36.440 --> 00:45:42.840] But there was a lot of managing time that came with that, even though I said that that's something I'm not good at.
[00:45:42.840 --> 00:45:52.640] I think I was good at it back then between, you know, being on my high school team, a competitive team, whatever other extracurriculars I did.
[00:45:52.640 --> 00:45:56.320] And then I think the teamwork is a huge part of it.
[00:45:56.320 --> 00:46:02.880] Like I was in charge of making sure that I didn't throw a girl in the air and not catch her.
[00:46:02.880 --> 00:46:06.000] So there was a lot of trust that we put into each other.
[00:46:06.000 --> 00:46:10.640] And I think it was a very foundational part of who I am.
[00:46:10.960 --> 00:46:20.480] What advice can you share with college students who are really interested in starting their own business, but they're in college right now?
[00:46:20.480 --> 00:46:22.160] What would you share with them?
[00:46:22.160 --> 00:46:22.960] Hmm.
[00:46:22.960 --> 00:46:26.640] It can go in so many different ways depending on what the situation is.
[00:46:26.640 --> 00:46:38.400] But I have a lot of students that come to me and they're always curious whether to pursue an idea and like focus on that idea in college versus you know live their college life.
[00:46:38.400 --> 00:46:46.720] But I think there's a lot of resources available on college campuses today that can help you get started.
[00:46:46.720 --> 00:47:01.840] So it's a great place to pursue an idea or start a business, not only because of the people around you and your classmates with really different skill sets, but also the alumni networks, the entrepreneurship centers, the career centers.
[00:47:01.840 --> 00:47:03.920] There's just so many resources.
[00:47:03.920 --> 00:47:13.680] So my advice would be to leverage the resources on your campus, enroll in a pitch competition if there is one so you can get feedback.
[00:47:13.680 --> 00:47:22.720] If you are looking for an engineer or a developer to help bring your idea to life, go befriend someone in the engineering school.
[00:47:22.720 --> 00:47:28.240] Like, there's nowhere after college that it's so easy to find people.
[00:47:28.240 --> 00:47:30.680] So, leverage your resources.
[00:47:29.840 --> 00:47:31.800] Definitely great advice.
[00:47:31.960 --> 00:47:42.040] And one of the reasons why we started our Entrepreneur ambassador community for college students is that you were so, so gracious to give your time to speak to everyone over the summer.
[00:47:42.040 --> 00:47:45.400] But yeah, it's so important to have connection and community.
[00:47:45.400 --> 00:47:55.880] And definitely, college is the time to really form all of these relationships because they can lead to a lot of future opportunities for sure.
[00:47:55.880 --> 00:47:57.640] So, such great advice.
[00:47:57.640 --> 00:48:02.040] Is there anything you would have done differently knowing what you know now?
[00:48:02.680 --> 00:48:05.400] Yes, I don't know how realistic this was.
[00:48:05.720 --> 00:48:16.920] Had I known better, I think I would have tried to develop my personal brand sooner and like focus on my own platform.
[00:48:16.920 --> 00:48:23.000] And without sounding stupid, like try to become an influencer a bit earlier.
[00:48:23.000 --> 00:48:23.960] And I'm not.
[00:48:23.960 --> 00:48:41.880] Like, I don't even know if I have the right personality for it, but I think I could have sooner done more as like a young founder to have content around it and just like another angle connected to Formify that's not just about the physical product.
[00:48:41.880 --> 00:48:51.720] Because I do a lot of these conversations and I talk to students, and there's a there's this whole other side of like my role and the founder role.
[00:48:51.720 --> 00:48:56.840] So I think I would have focused on my personal brand in a, in a stronger way.
[00:48:56.840 --> 00:48:59.480] Well, it's never too late to start, as we always say.
[00:48:59.480 --> 00:49:02.000] And definitely advice that way.
[00:49:02.000 --> 00:49:02.400] Exactly.
[00:49:02.400 --> 00:49:03.960] Get on TikTok for sure.
[00:49:03.960 --> 00:49:10.840] Building your personal brand, no matter what business you're in, is super important because I mean, I talk about this all the time.
[00:49:10.840 --> 00:49:15.600] People want to do business with people that they love, that they trust, that they can relate to.
[00:49:14.600 --> 00:49:19.680] So, yes, never too late to start working on your personal brand.
[00:49:20.000 --> 00:49:25.040] Amanda, our final question for you: What does being an entrepreneur mean to you?
[00:49:25.360 --> 00:49:42.000] Being an entrepreneur means being confident and passionate and fearless and resourceful and going after what you want and not accepting no when you hear it all the time.
[00:49:42.000 --> 00:49:42.720] You bet.
[00:49:42.720 --> 00:49:44.960] And we definitely could not agree more.
[00:49:44.960 --> 00:49:50.000] It has been such an honor getting to share your journey and story with our community.
[00:49:50.000 --> 00:49:56.880] And we cannot wait to continue to follow all of the incredible things you're going to do personally and with Dormify.
[00:49:56.880 --> 00:50:00.000] And we'll definitely be sure we're all following you personally on Instagram, right?
[00:50:00.000 --> 00:50:02.240] And help share your personal brand too.
[00:50:02.480 --> 00:50:06.160] But in the meantime, where can everyone find you, follow you?
[00:50:06.160 --> 00:50:15.840] And of course, for entrepreneurs who are shopping for themselves or for their soon-to-be college students, where can everyone buy your products?
[00:50:15.840 --> 00:50:18.400] So everything's available on dormify.com.
[00:50:18.400 --> 00:50:39.760] And I have to say that if you're not in college or have no one in your life that's even close to being in college, there's a ton of great gifts on our website for a guest room in your home or even a baby's nursery or your teens bedroom from wall decor items to giftables, a throw blanket, you know, anything.
[00:50:39.760 --> 00:50:48.480] So check out the selection on our site and you can follow Dormify on Instagram, TikTok, and Pinterest at Dormify.
[00:50:48.480 --> 00:50:51.680] And you can follow me at Amanda Zuckerman.
[00:50:51.680 --> 00:50:54.000] Thank you, Amanda, for being here again.
[00:50:54.000 --> 00:50:55.040] I'm Stephanie.
[00:50:55.040 --> 00:50:56.240] And I'm Courtney.
[00:50:56.240 --> 00:50:59.320] And this is the best business meeting we've ever had.
[00:51:00.200 --> 00:51:01.560] Hi, Entrepranistas.
[00:50:59.120 --> 00:51:02.440] It's Steph here.
[00:51:02.600 --> 00:51:09.720] And I hope today's episode has left you feeling inspired and with some actionable tips that you can apply to your own business.
[00:51:09.720 --> 00:51:17.080] The way we've grown our community and resources is by sharing content like this for years and asking for help along the way.
[00:51:17.080 --> 00:51:22.600] So here's where we need your help so we can continue to make as much impact as possible together.
[00:51:22.600 --> 00:51:39.640] If you can leave us a five-star review and extra credit if you share this episode on Instagram, LinkedIn, or DM it to a founder friend who would benefit from hearing it, not only would it mean the world to us, but you sharing this episode is going to help someone who just may need to hear what we share today.
[00:51:39.640 --> 00:51:42.680] And you know I love nothing more than giveaways and prizes.
[00:51:42.680 --> 00:51:49.400] So every month I'll be giving away a one-on-one session with me to someone who has shared the episode and left a review.
[00:51:49.400 --> 00:51:57.160] So send me a personal DM over on Instagram at Steph Jill Carton once you've done it so you can be entered to win.
[00:51:57.160 --> 00:52:02.920] Wishing you a productive week ahead and stay tuned for another impactful episode next week.

Prompt 2: Key Takeaways

Now please extract the key takeaways from the transcript content I provided.

Extract the most important key takeaways from this part of the conversation. Use a single sentence statement (the key takeaway) rather than milquetoast descriptions like "the hosts discuss...". 

Limit the key takeaways to a maximum of 3. The key takeaways should be insightful and knowledge-additive. 

IMPORTANT: Return ONLY valid JSON, no explanations or markdown. Ensure:
- All strings are properly quoted and escaped
- No trailing commas
- All braces and brackets are balanced
Format: {"key_takeaways": ["takeaway 1", "takeaway 2"]}

Prompt 3: Segments

Now identify 2-4 distinct topical segments from this part of the conversation.

For each segment, identify:
- Descriptive title (3-6 words)  
- START timestamp when this topic begins (HH:MM:SS format)
- Double check that the timestamp is accurate - a timestamp will NEVER be greater than the total length of the audio
- Most important Key takeaway from that segment. Key takeaway must be specific and knowledge-additive.
- Brief summary of the discussion

IMPORTANT: The timestamp should mark when the topic/segment STARTS, not a range. Look for topic transitions and conversation shifts.

Return ONLY valid JSON. Ensure all strings are properly quoted, no trailing commas:
{
  "segments": [
    {
      "segment_title": "Topic Discussion", 
      "timestamp": "01:15:30",
      "key_takeaway": "main point from this segment",
      "segment_summary": "brief description of what was discussed"
    }
  ]
}

Timestamp format: HH:MM:SS (e.g., 00:05:30, 01:22:45) marking the START of each segment.

Prompt 4: Media Mentions

Now scan the transcript content I provided for ACTUAL mentions of specific media titles:

Find explicit mentions of:
- Books (with specific titles)
- Movies (with specific titles)  
- TV Shows (with specific titles)
- Music/Songs (with specific titles)

DO NOT include:
- Websites, URLs, or web services
- Other podcasts or podcast names

IMPORTANT: 
- Only include items explicitly mentioned by name. Do not invent titles.
- Valid categories are: "Book", "Movie", "TV Show", "Music"
- Include the exact phrase where each item was mentioned
- Find the nearest proximate timestamp where it appears in the conversation
- THE TIMESTAMP OF THE MEDIA MENTION IS IMPORTANT - DO NOT INVENT TIMESTAMPS AND DO NOT MISATTRIBUTE TIMESTAMPS
- Double check that the timestamp is accurate - a timestamp will NEVER be greater than the total length of the audio
- Timestamps are given as ranges, e.g. 01:13:42.520 --> 01:13:46.720. Use the EARLIER of the 2 timestamps in the range.

Return ONLY valid JSON. Ensure all strings are properly quoted and escaped, no trailing commas:
{
  "media_mentions": [
    {
      "title": "Exact Title as Mentioned",
      "category": "Book",
      "author_artist": "N/A",
      "context": "Brief context of why it was mentioned",
      "context_phrase": "The exact sentence or phrase where it was mentioned",
      "timestamp": "estimated time like 01:15:30"
    }
  ]
}

If no media is mentioned, return: {"media_mentions": []}

Full Transcript

[00:00:00.880 --> 00:00:05.680] Hey Entrepreneurs, it's Steph here with a special invite just for you.
[00:00:05.680 --> 00:00:10.800] Do you want to experience what it's like to be part of our Entrepreneursa League community of founders?
[00:00:10.800 --> 00:00:12.400] Now is your chance.
[00:00:12.400 --> 00:00:21.360] You can join me this month at one of our upcoming Entrepreneursa League info sessions where I'm going to share with you all you're going to get access to when you join the community.
[00:00:21.360 --> 00:00:27.040] Plus, I'll be giving away some big bonuses that you will only be able to get access to when you attend live.
[00:00:27.040 --> 00:00:35.600] Head over to refer.entrepanista.com forward slash info session to join us at one of our virtual info sessions this month.
[00:00:35.600 --> 00:00:40.640] That's refer.entrepranista.com forward slash info session.
[00:00:40.640 --> 00:00:44.560] Or head over to the show notes right now and tap the link to join us.
[00:00:44.560 --> 00:00:49.280] I can't wait to meet you there and learn more about you and your business.
[00:00:49.920 --> 00:00:52.880] Leverage the resources on your campus.
[00:00:52.880 --> 00:00:56.880] Enroll in a pitch competition if there is one so you can get feedback.
[00:00:56.880 --> 00:01:05.920] If you are looking for an engineer or a developer to help bring your idea to life, go befriend someone in the engineering school.
[00:01:05.920 --> 00:01:11.360] Like there's nowhere after college that it's so easy to find people.
[00:01:15.520 --> 00:01:26.960] Amanda Zuckerman is the co-founder and chief brand officer of Dormify, a home decor brand and e-commerce store dedicated to fashion-minded college women and first apartment dwellers.
[00:01:26.960 --> 00:01:43.680] When Amanda and her mom were shopping for her freshman dorm room, they had trouble finding dorm room decor as stylish and sophisticated as Amanda desired, inspiring their vision for Dormify, which has since developed into the reputable commerce and content brand it is today.
[00:01:44.000 --> 00:01:55.920] Coming up, you'll hear how Amanda's unique experience starting a business catered to college students while in college gave her the focus group she needed to set herself up for success.
[00:01:55.920 --> 00:02:03.320] How developing a blog for her new business led Amanda to a network of brand ambassadors eager to share Dormify.
[00:02:03.320 --> 00:02:07.560] Amanda shares how the right PR placements led to a boom in sales.
[00:02:07.560 --> 00:02:12.360] And finally, Amanda shares her best advice for reaching college students.
[00:02:13.960 --> 00:02:17.400] This is the Entrepreneur Podcast presented by Socialfly.
[00:02:17.400 --> 00:02:28.120] It's the best business meeting you'll ever have with must-hear real-life looks at how leading women in business are getting it done and what it takes to build and grow a successful company.
[00:02:28.120 --> 00:02:34.120] It's beyond the Graham with no filters, no limits, and plenty of surprises.
[00:02:40.840 --> 00:02:48.600] Amanda, we are so excited to finally sit down with you and hear all about your incredible Entrepreneur journey.
[00:02:48.600 --> 00:03:04.040] Brittany and I were just talking about our dorm rooms before you hopped on the recording today and were sharing how we did not like the design of our dorm rooms, college dorm rooms back then, and you have solved that problem.
[00:03:04.040 --> 00:03:07.880] So we cannot wait to hear all about how you started your business.
[00:03:07.880 --> 00:03:09.160] Thanks for having me today.
[00:03:09.160 --> 00:03:16.360] It's so great to come on and share my story and talk about all of the trials and tribulations that come with starting a business.
[00:03:16.360 --> 00:03:16.920] Oh, yes.
[00:03:16.920 --> 00:03:22.920] And there are so many and what we like to say, learning lessons from all of our trials along the way.
[00:03:22.920 --> 00:03:32.680] So I would love if you could just take us back to, you know, even before you started your business, what was the inspiration behind Dormify?
[00:03:32.680 --> 00:03:36.440] And then when you had that idea, how did you get started?
[00:03:36.440 --> 00:03:37.160] Sure.
[00:03:37.160 --> 00:03:49.760] So like many businesses, Dormify was really created out of a problem that we saw when we were, we meaning my mom and I, when we were shopping for my freshman year dorm room.
[00:03:50.000 --> 00:04:16.400] So very quickly, after going from one store to the next, searching and searching for stylish Twin XL bedding, we realized that there was not anyone that was catering to a college student who was decorating a space, whether that meant one place to find everything that you needed for your college dorm room or your college apartment, or just cute and cool Twin XL bedding, which is the required bedding size for college.
[00:04:16.400 --> 00:04:22.800] And on top of that, me being the oldest child in my family, I was the first one going to college.
[00:04:22.800 --> 00:04:35.360] And I just was really looking for that big sister type of advice and tips and all of that that anyone who's transitioning into a new stage of their life would be looking for.
[00:04:35.360 --> 00:04:38.400] And I just couldn't find that content anywhere.
[00:04:38.400 --> 00:04:48.800] So really in the middle of Bed Bath and Beyond, my mom and I had this aha moment of we should design our own line of bedding for college students to outfit their dorm rooms with.
[00:04:49.120 --> 00:04:53.440] And I literally turned to her in the store and said, we should do that.
[00:04:53.440 --> 00:04:55.440] And she said, okay, let's do it.
[00:04:55.440 --> 00:04:58.880] And my mom's background is in advertising.
[00:04:58.880 --> 00:05:05.040] She started her own creative agency about 34, 35 years ago.
[00:05:05.040 --> 00:05:07.280] So even before I was born.
[00:05:07.280 --> 00:05:10.880] And I grew up in this entrepreneurial environment.
[00:05:10.880 --> 00:05:13.200] My parents ran the business together.
[00:05:13.200 --> 00:05:20.640] And we essentially took her background and experience of developing brands and building brands from scratch.
[00:05:20.640 --> 00:05:30.000] Me being a college student and being immersed in this focus group of college students for four years and really took the idea and ran with it.
[00:05:30.360 --> 00:05:33.320] So you started the business while you were in college.
[00:05:33.320 --> 00:05:37.800] Yeah, and it took a few different steps to get to where we are today.
[00:05:37.800 --> 00:05:41.640] So freshman year, you know, got acclimated to school.
[00:05:41.800 --> 00:05:44.520] I was a double major in graphic design and marketing.
[00:05:44.520 --> 00:05:47.000] And I always thought I was going to take over my mom's business.
[00:05:47.000 --> 00:05:49.320] So that was the path that I was forging.
[00:05:49.320 --> 00:05:58.760] And I was one of those kids that knew exactly what they wanted to major in and exactly what they were going to do next and was trying to build the steps to get there.
[00:05:58.760 --> 00:06:06.440] And then after my freshman year, we decided to actually make this idea come to life in some way.
[00:06:06.440 --> 00:06:15.320] So first, we actually built a blog and developed a network of brand ambassadors to contribute content to the blog.
[00:06:15.320 --> 00:06:22.360] And at the time in 2010, there was no one really talking about college life or dorm decor on the internet.
[00:06:22.360 --> 00:06:26.120] And this was like Song of Style was starting her blog.
[00:06:26.120 --> 00:06:30.520] And some of those early bloggers were just emerging.
[00:06:30.520 --> 00:06:34.200] So we were the first ones to really start talking about college.
[00:06:34.200 --> 00:06:44.200] And we had friends of mine writing for the blog and quickly growing that community into a network of students that I had never met before, just through friends of friends.
[00:06:44.200 --> 00:06:51.640] And that really served as our proof of concept to learn whether students cared what their dorm rooms looked like.
[00:06:51.640 --> 00:06:58.040] There was no Instagram and there was no Pinterest and there was like no proof to see that people even cared what their spaces were.
[00:06:58.040 --> 00:07:07.400] So that was the first step in order to really determine whether we should invest money in creating inventory in our own product line.
[00:07:07.400 --> 00:07:15.040] But from there, we then created a line of poster art where we could print orders made to order.
[00:07:15.040 --> 00:07:16.640] There was no inventory and investment.
[00:07:16.640 --> 00:07:18.480] And that was the first line of products that we sold.
[00:07:14.680 --> 00:07:21.120] It was actually a really cool assortment.
[00:07:21.280 --> 00:07:26.080] It was every letter of the alphabet was designed as its own standalone piece.
[00:07:26.080 --> 00:07:32.720] So I bought my initials APZ and I chose a color to print them in and a size to get them at.
[00:07:32.720 --> 00:07:35.040] And it was cool wall decor at the time.
[00:07:35.040 --> 00:07:37.760] So that was what the initial stages looked like.
[00:07:37.760 --> 00:07:44.400] And then my junior year is when I actually had Dormify Betting in my apartment on campus.
[00:07:44.400 --> 00:07:53.600] And how did you figure out how to add bedding and create your site and figure out that that was the next thing that you wanted to focus on?
[00:07:53.920 --> 00:08:01.680] Yeah, so betting was where we focused because that Twin XL required size was the unique differentiator for a college that I was looking for.
[00:08:01.680 --> 00:08:10.640] So it wasn't going to be feasible to go out and buy product from brands that were already producing things and then just curating an assortment.
[00:08:10.640 --> 00:08:12.560] We had to go create that bedding.
[00:08:12.560 --> 00:08:14.320] So that's where we started.
[00:08:14.320 --> 00:08:17.680] No manufacturing or textile experience.
[00:08:17.680 --> 00:08:30.080] And we really just went to the textile district in New York and went to some of the buildings that have multiple floors of different vendors and tried to get our foot in the door in some capacity.
[00:08:30.080 --> 00:08:37.120] We didn't have a website at the time and just basically sold the idea and sold our belief in the idea.
[00:08:37.120 --> 00:08:51.520] And I think that the vendor that ultimately said, you know, like you have nothing to show for yourselves, but you have a good idea and we believe in it, they believed in us as people and not necessarily, there was nothing, there was no proof to show them.
[00:08:51.520 --> 00:08:52.880] So they took a risk.
[00:08:52.880 --> 00:08:59.280] Even though we only worked with that vendor for one year, it was our way to get started and really learn that textile business.
[00:08:59.280 --> 00:09:05.880] So, two things that we did there were go to the New York gift show to try to meet vendors and just network.
[00:09:06.200 --> 00:09:12.840] And then we, I guess, took some of those contacts and went to the textile district and tried to make meetings and go to different showrooms.
[00:09:12.840 --> 00:09:16.040] But that's how we got started with the product line.
[00:09:16.040 --> 00:09:23.800] Amanda, when you were starting to meet with vendors and people in production, how did you know what to ask for?
[00:09:23.800 --> 00:09:26.440] Whether you were getting a good deal or not?
[00:09:26.440 --> 00:09:28.440] Did you meet with a lot of different vendors?
[00:09:29.000 --> 00:09:30.520] How did you navigate that?
[00:09:30.520 --> 00:09:31.720] We didn't have many options.
[00:09:31.720 --> 00:09:35.080] It was slim pickings because not everyone would give us the time of day.
[00:09:35.080 --> 00:09:42.120] And I think we had a lot of doors shut on us because we had nothing to show for ourselves, not even a business card.
[00:09:42.120 --> 00:09:50.520] But something that my mom always says, which I think is true, is that I think we're successful because of how naive we were.
[00:09:50.520 --> 00:10:00.360] So we didn't know any better, and we might have spent too much time like going back and forth or like sweating the details when we probably didn't have much leverage anyway.
[00:10:00.360 --> 00:10:03.800] And we kind of just went with it because we had to get something to market.
[00:10:03.800 --> 00:10:13.080] But one of the key things that was a challenge for the first run was minimums for fabric to get run and printed.
[00:10:13.080 --> 00:10:15.240] So what we had to do was get creative.
[00:10:15.240 --> 00:10:22.680] And whatever the category is, we still to this day deal with minimums sometimes just because of how overseas factories work.
[00:10:22.680 --> 00:10:27.160] But we, I think, selected like six different graphic prints that we put together.
[00:10:27.160 --> 00:10:35.800] And ideally, we just want them to be duvet covers and run 100% cotton and print these designs and you know go to market with that.
[00:10:35.800 --> 00:10:42.600] But we then would have to invest in a lot of duvet covers per style.
[00:10:42.600 --> 00:10:46.400] So we then cut up that fabric into different products.
[00:10:46.640 --> 00:10:58.000] We had coordinating window panels and shower curtains and bed skirts and made reversible duvets so that we could do a sheet set with a top of bed.
[00:10:58.000 --> 00:11:07.280] So it was a merchandising exercise that continued throughout the next few years for sure, but that was something that we just didn't have much wiggle room with.
[00:11:07.280 --> 00:11:09.280] And we've just learned along the way.
[00:11:09.280 --> 00:11:21.040] Like we've worked with so many different vendor partners and I've definitely spent a lot of time in this area of the business, but it's all been done by learning, which I think is probably to our benefit.
[00:11:21.040 --> 00:11:33.440] If I were to hire someone who came from, you know, Target or some other big corporation, they might have taken the merchandising in the way that they're used to or what they know.
[00:11:33.440 --> 00:11:36.560] And we took a different approach, which is what made us different.
[00:11:36.880 --> 00:11:39.520] What is it like working with your mom?
[00:11:40.800 --> 00:11:41.760] It's great.
[00:11:41.760 --> 00:11:49.280] It's like, I mean, I could turn the question right back at you guys and say, if you guys were working with your mothers, what would that feel like?
[00:11:49.280 --> 00:11:53.760] But, you know, it has its great things and then challenging things.
[00:11:53.760 --> 00:12:03.360] I think the great parts about it are you're never going to have a partner that's more reliable or someone you can trust more than a family member.
[00:12:03.360 --> 00:12:18.560] And of course, she's been such a great role model to me and just helping me level set situations that might be stressful or dramatic in my eyes, but maybe something that she's experienced many, many times in her career, that she can say, Don't sweat it.
[00:12:18.560 --> 00:12:20.080] This is not a big deal.
[00:12:20.080 --> 00:12:28.880] But I think the combined perspective and experience from myself and her is a really great compliment to each other.
[00:12:28.880 --> 00:12:39.960] So there's a lot of positive, but you know, as a kid or the daughter in this relationship, she is someone that is working all the time, and that's her nature.
[00:12:39.960 --> 00:12:46.120] So being able to have boundaries is very difficult, but that's for better or for worse.
[00:12:46.440 --> 00:12:54.360] And any advice you can share to entrepreneurs who are working with family members and how to make it the best experience possible?
[00:12:54.680 --> 00:13:08.120] I think if I were to go back in time, or if I were like starting another business with her, I would set boundaries for ourselves clearly up front and also establish those boundaries with the people on the team.
[00:13:08.120 --> 00:13:21.880] So just like a simple one, I might have gone back in time and said, in a work environment, I'm calling you Karen, and then in a home environment, I'm calling you mom, just to divide conversations more seamlessly.
[00:13:21.880 --> 00:13:28.680] And with my team, even like I would prefer if they just refer to her as her name in front of me instead of your mom.
[00:13:28.680 --> 00:13:30.760] It's just like I'm an adult now.
[00:13:30.760 --> 00:13:34.200] So I think setting those boundaries are important.
[00:13:34.520 --> 00:13:45.240] And the other piece of advice I would give is: I think like separation of church and state as much as possible is what I would advise because things could get messy.
[00:13:45.240 --> 00:13:50.840] I'm just speaking broadly, but things could get messy if you know there's any sort of financial implication.
[00:13:50.840 --> 00:13:58.680] But try to separate things as much as possible so that your family unit is your family unit and then your business is your business.
[00:13:58.680 --> 00:14:02.680] Are there any other family members involved in the business now?
[00:14:03.000 --> 00:14:06.120] My dad is involved in some capacity.
[00:14:06.120 --> 00:14:13.960] He's a CFO, so he's by nature just like integrated into our financials, but not in the everyday.
[00:14:13.960 --> 00:14:16.000] My siblings want nothing to do with the business.
[00:14:16.080 --> 00:14:24.240] They're on their own paths, but my brother has a lot of curiosities and he's kind of like a data junkie.
[00:14:24.240 --> 00:14:30.720] So always curious and wants to take part in conversation, but no, no other family members.
[00:14:31.040 --> 00:14:31.760] What advice?
[00:14:31.840 --> 00:14:33.120] I will say something that's funny.
[00:14:33.120 --> 00:14:35.920] My grandmother, we have a Shopify.
[00:14:35.920 --> 00:14:38.000] Our website is built on Shopify.
[00:14:38.000 --> 00:14:43.280] And I downloaded the Shopify app on her phone because she's, you know, just wants to see what's going on.
[00:14:43.280 --> 00:14:44.240] She's very with it.
[00:14:44.240 --> 00:14:48.320] And she checks our orders during the summertime when things are really exciting.
[00:14:48.320 --> 00:14:49.760] She's like, today was a good day.
[00:14:49.760 --> 00:14:53.440] And it's just funny to have her be a part of what's going on in real time.
[00:14:53.440 --> 00:14:55.840] And Shopify enables that.
[00:14:55.840 --> 00:14:57.040] Oh my gosh, I love that.
[00:14:57.280 --> 00:15:04.960] Shopify is one of our partners at Entrepreneurs and we have Shopify sites for other businesses and love that dinging sounds when you get an order.
[00:15:04.960 --> 00:15:06.960] It's like the slot machine is going off.
[00:15:07.200 --> 00:15:08.640] Yeah, it's fun.
[00:15:08.960 --> 00:15:13.040] Yeah, I just launched a new brand called Workrobe.
[00:15:13.040 --> 00:15:15.760] So I'm constantly looking at Shopify.
[00:15:15.760 --> 00:15:32.080] And I was joking with Stephanie that it's actually like an addiction to be checking the app, looking at the map, seeing where everyone is, seeing how long it takes them to buy something, wondering if they're going to buy something, that they're going to buy something, like if they're at a casino or something.
[00:15:32.080 --> 00:15:33.920] So buying on every single move.
[00:15:33.920 --> 00:15:34.560] Oh, yes.
[00:15:34.560 --> 00:15:34.960] Yes.
[00:15:34.960 --> 00:15:37.680] It's quite the addiction.
[00:15:37.680 --> 00:15:42.320] And as Stephanie was saying earlier, we both wish that we had this when we were in college.
[00:15:42.320 --> 00:15:49.200] I'm like cringing now looking at your website, thinking back to how my dorm room was decorated.
[00:15:49.520 --> 00:15:50.160] And you're right.
[00:15:50.160 --> 00:15:52.800] There was no easy option at the time.
[00:15:52.800 --> 00:15:56.960] So clearly, your business has really evolved.
[00:15:56.960 --> 00:16:03.480] How did you get to, I guess, what were the biggest challenges looking back to get you to where you are today?
[00:16:04.040 --> 00:16:15.320] I think in terms of marketing, we took a very scrappy grassroots approach because we were competing with big box retailers that were already huge players in the college market.
[00:16:15.320 --> 00:16:29.000] And I think that helped us develop a really strong relationship with our customers and really helped us excel from being kind of like a side hustle hobby to a more legitimate brand.
[00:16:29.000 --> 00:16:33.720] But I think some of the challenge has been in evolving quickly.
[00:16:33.720 --> 00:16:39.880] And as we've scaled and gotten bigger, how do we continue to be trendsetters and innovators?
[00:16:39.880 --> 00:16:47.160] And especially today, how do we move just as fast, if not faster, than how culture moves on the internet?
[00:16:47.160 --> 00:16:49.240] It's very hard to keep up.
[00:16:49.240 --> 00:17:02.200] And I think for the home decor industry in particular, we've actually found that we've been ahead of trends sometimes in a negative way because fashion trends move so much quicker than home.
[00:17:02.200 --> 00:17:10.200] So there's been seasons where we bring in a trend like in a print or a colorway and it might not perform as well.
[00:17:10.200 --> 00:17:13.720] And then the following year, we might have leftover inventory and it flies.
[00:17:13.720 --> 00:17:16.120] And we're like, how are we that far ahead?
[00:17:16.120 --> 00:17:19.160] But it's about adjusting to those trend cycles.
[00:17:19.160 --> 00:17:31.960] And then on the flip side, if I think about fast fashion just generally, there is a little bit of a challenge in moving quicker to hop onto trends, especially in a world of TikTok.
[00:17:31.960 --> 00:17:38.920] We want to be able to hop onto trends quickly and bring hot items onto our site as fast as possible.
[00:17:38.920 --> 00:17:43.640] But there's a lot higher costs and a lot lower margins producing product domestically.
[00:17:43.640 --> 00:17:55.520] So we're really like focused on building vendor relationships where we're able to act quickly and respond to those trends, but then also continue to amplify trends when we know that they're hitting.
[00:17:55.840 --> 00:18:02.880] At what point did you know that you needed to raise money to truly accelerate the growth of the company?
[00:18:02.880 --> 00:18:11.520] We actually raised a couple rounds of friends and family in the very early days of our business when I was still in college.
[00:18:11.520 --> 00:18:17.040] And that was really to fund inventory because we were investing in our own private label line of betting.
[00:18:17.040 --> 00:18:19.360] So that was very early on.
[00:18:19.360 --> 00:18:26.080] And then after that, we incubated the business within my mom's creative agency.
[00:18:26.080 --> 00:18:29.760] So we had a lot of resources that were shared between the two companies.
[00:18:29.760 --> 00:18:34.400] And it was almost like the early days, we were a sister company to the agency.
[00:18:34.400 --> 00:18:43.760] So building the website, developing the brand, and a lot of the creative pieces was all done within the agency, which is a huge, huge value.
[00:18:43.760 --> 00:18:52.960] And if I think about some of the top branding agencies today, like Red Antler, they're investing in a lot of the D2C brands that they're developing and launching.
[00:18:52.960 --> 00:18:54.240] And it all makes sense.
[00:18:54.240 --> 00:19:00.160] You spend so much time building something and you want to, you know, have some skin in the game for it.
[00:19:00.160 --> 00:19:04.160] But we did end up separating the business from the agency.
[00:19:04.160 --> 00:19:08.720] And at that point, it made sense to raise outside capital to fuel our growth.
[00:19:08.720 --> 00:19:10.560] And what do you raised, friends and family?
[00:19:10.560 --> 00:19:15.280] How did you figure out at that time how to structure the deal, what the company was worth?
[00:19:15.280 --> 00:19:23.600] So my mom really handled that part of it because I was literally like in sorority recruitment and trying to like have a college life.
[00:19:23.600 --> 00:19:34.680] But one of the elements that made us successful in that early round was approaching people on our network that were experiencing this in their life.
[00:19:35.000 --> 00:19:47.080] So someone who was about to send a child to college, has a child in college, they really could understand the purpose of the business and why it existed.
[00:19:47.080 --> 00:19:50.200] So that's why that approach made sense.
[00:19:50.200 --> 00:19:58.920] But we had a friend, a very close friend who was part of our early investor group who really coached us and guided us and got everything set up.
[00:19:58.920 --> 00:20:01.640] So it was all network based.
[00:20:01.640 --> 00:20:07.640] Up next, Amanda shares how to run a successful ambassador and referral program.
[00:20:13.960 --> 00:20:15.240] Hi, Entrepreneurs.
[00:20:15.240 --> 00:20:16.280] It's Steph here.
[00:20:16.280 --> 00:20:22.920] As a founder, I know firsthand that building a business can feel so lonely, but it doesn't have to.
[00:20:22.920 --> 00:20:27.560] And that's why we created our Entrepreneur Founders Weekend Wealth and Wellness Retreat.
[00:20:27.560 --> 00:20:29.720] And I can't wait to meet you in person there.
[00:20:29.720 --> 00:20:43.880] So you're officially invited to join us from April 30th to May 3rd, 2026 at the stunning PGA National Resort in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida for three transformative days of connection, collaboration, and real business growth.
[00:20:43.880 --> 00:20:46.040] This isn't just another business conference.
[00:20:46.040 --> 00:20:54.440] It is a curated retreat designed to help you build authentic, lasting relationships with women who truly understand your journey.
[00:20:54.440 --> 00:21:01.240] From business panels and workshops to wellness activations and so much more, this is the room that you need to be in.
[00:21:01.240 --> 00:21:12.760] So, if you are ready to invest in yourself and your business and your vision and your next level of success, head over to entrepreneurs.com forward slash founders weekend to reserve your ticket today.
[00:21:12.760 --> 00:21:21.040] That's entrepreneur.com forward slash foundersweekend, or head over to the show notes right now and tap the invitation to reserve your ticket.
[00:21:14.840 --> 00:21:22.160] I'll see you there.
[00:21:32.080 --> 00:21:37.760] Amanda, I want to hear more about your marketing strategy and how everything has evolved.
[00:21:37.760 --> 00:21:43.520] Because, as you shared, when you first launched, there really was barely any social media back then.
[00:21:43.520 --> 00:21:46.320] And now everything is all about social.
[00:21:46.320 --> 00:21:47.840] And you mentioned TikTok before.
[00:21:47.840 --> 00:21:52.480] So, can you tell us a little bit about how your marketing strategy has evolved over the years?
[00:21:52.480 --> 00:21:56.960] Yeah, it's actually pretty funny to reflect back on.
[00:21:56.960 --> 00:21:58.320] There's a lot of nostalgia.
[00:21:58.320 --> 00:22:06.640] Like, we started with building an email list, which is still relevant today, and acquiring as many email addresses as possible.
[00:22:06.640 --> 00:22:13.280] And me being on a college campus and having the student ambassadors across college campuses was a key part of that.
[00:22:13.280 --> 00:22:19.120] And I think that ambassador program, too, was a really core element of how we were going to spread the word.
[00:22:19.120 --> 00:22:21.200] It was authentic and real.
[00:22:21.200 --> 00:22:28.720] And there was a bunch of students who were really interested and enthusiastic about decor that wanted to share the brand.
[00:22:28.720 --> 00:22:31.920] So, those are the two like consistent threads, I would say.
[00:22:31.920 --> 00:22:42.240] But back then, back then, so sad, in like 2012, 2013, it was all about editorial and building relationships with magazine editors.
[00:22:42.240 --> 00:22:52.640] So, we were, of course, very focused on 17 and team vogues and Cosmo Girl and all of that in order to get Dormify in some of those back-to-school placements.
[00:22:52.640 --> 00:22:57.120] And if you remember, there was like desk side appointments that we would have to make.
[00:22:57.120 --> 00:23:00.520] And Eva Chen was an early fan of the brand.
[00:22:59.760 --> 00:23:04.600] And that was before when she was at Teen Vogue.
[00:23:04.920 --> 00:23:12.440] So it was all about building relationships with people in New York City that had connections to these magazines and things like that.
[00:23:12.760 --> 00:23:25.000] And one of our fun stories that I love to share, there's a few of them, is that we, I don't even know how this happened, but we got some of our throw pillows in the 17 office.
[00:23:25.000 --> 00:23:31.240] And in the lobby area, they had a couch where every single celebrity that came in to visit took pictures in front of.
[00:23:31.240 --> 00:23:35.320] And we had a pillow that said famous in like sequin print.
[00:23:35.320 --> 00:23:40.760] And they all, and some like eyelashes and some of our like iconic pillows that were all sitting on the couch.
[00:23:40.760 --> 00:23:43.480] And every single celebrity would come in and take pictures.
[00:23:43.480 --> 00:23:55.720] And Teen Vogue posted an early Instagram, like I have a picture of it, and it's just so old looking, but they post an Instagram of Dormify in the 17 office.
[00:23:55.720 --> 00:23:59.480] And those types of things were where we were focused.
[00:23:59.480 --> 00:24:04.680] And then in addition, we did a lot of scrappy things like I was mentioning.
[00:24:04.680 --> 00:24:14.760] So anything from doing a trunk show or a shopping party at people's homes, we would go identify hosts to invite like 30 friends over and do a shopping party.
[00:24:14.760 --> 00:24:19.800] And I would drive across the tri-state area and set up a store essentially in someone's living room.
[00:24:19.800 --> 00:24:21.640] And those were really successful.
[00:24:21.640 --> 00:24:28.680] And we also crashed senior spring break for high school students and went to the Bahamas and handed out tank tops.
[00:24:28.680 --> 00:24:30.200] And that was all really fun.
[00:24:30.200 --> 00:24:41.640] But as we grew, we, of course, like then head into the period of digital advertising on Facebook and on Instagram and took that up.
[00:24:41.640 --> 00:24:43.720] Of course, now we're coming out of that.
[00:24:43.720 --> 00:26:21.320] But I think the consistent thread across the last five years or so has always been about creating a really authentic organic following so we've been very focused on our instagram channel and our tick tock channel on the organic side and really making sure that that's such a you know destination for discovery and it's really representative of the brand so you know last year when we had to make a lot of cuts during the pandemic we built our tick tock channel and we know that that was a really important part of growing an audience even outside of the college student during a time when there was a lot of uncertainty about college so you know we went from trunk shows in people's homes to building pop-ups in key markets of ours so it's always been like a test and learn and build upon what we've seen work what advice do you have to reach college students now in today's market i know in the last year things shifted now it looks like we're going back to you know where the colleges are open people are people are there so what advice do you have on how to best reach college students right now good question if anyone has any thoughts my way um but in all seriousness so best advice for reaching college students today i think the biggest advice i would give is it's very hard to capture their attention and a prime example of this is we have a group of ambassadors still that i hear from them weeks after we launch a new product or a new category that is very exciting.
[00:26:21.320 --> 00:26:24.760] We do a lot of marketing about, and they're supposed to be promoting it and stuff like that.
[00:26:24.760 --> 00:26:27.640] And they're like, wow, I just noticed that we have care packages now.
[00:26:27.640 --> 00:26:29.240] And I'm like, really?
[00:26:30.520 --> 00:26:39.160] So I think getting clear messages in front of them in a consistent fashion is really what's important in terms of channel.
[00:26:39.160 --> 00:26:42.840] And I guess like simplifying that message, not trying to have too many messages.
[00:26:42.840 --> 00:26:54.680] But in terms of channel, micro-influencers, ambassadors, referral programs, like anything where they're hearing advice from their friends and their peers, I think works really well.
[00:26:54.680 --> 00:27:03.640] Interesting collaborations and partnerships is another one that I would suggest as well, whether that's a product collaboration or just a social giveaway.
[00:27:03.640 --> 00:27:04.920] They're all about giveaways.
[00:27:04.920 --> 00:27:07.480] So anytime we can run a giveaway, we do.
[00:27:07.480 --> 00:27:09.480] We see a lot of success with that.
[00:27:09.480 --> 00:27:13.080] And then I think lastly, I would say TikTok.
[00:27:13.240 --> 00:27:14.840] That's where they're living.
[00:27:14.840 --> 00:27:19.560] It's an addiction, the TikTok app for these kids these days, right?
[00:27:19.560 --> 00:27:20.200] Yeah.
[00:27:21.000 --> 00:27:27.080] Is your customer mostly, I guess, college women or are the guys shopping there too?
[00:27:27.400 --> 00:27:28.600] Mostly college women.
[00:27:28.600 --> 00:27:36.280] We are expanding our guys' assortment for this year, but typically the parent is shopping for the guy.
[00:27:36.280 --> 00:27:39.320] So it's still a lot of women that we're advertising to.
[00:27:39.320 --> 00:27:43.080] But our audience is really made up of both students and parents.
[00:27:43.080 --> 00:27:51.480] So we build our brand around messaging and look and feel for a college student, but we know that we're speaking to a parent as well.
[00:27:51.480 --> 00:27:53.960] We're just not directly speaking their language.
[00:27:53.960 --> 00:28:00.440] Can you share any advice about creating an ambassador program and also referral programs?
[00:28:00.440 --> 00:28:04.520] Any learning lessons from creating those two programs in your business?
[00:28:04.520 --> 00:28:12.600] I would say always evolving and learning and testing new things is important because it becomes stale very quickly.
[00:28:13.240 --> 00:28:16.960] We've had competing goals for our ambassador program.
[00:28:14.680 --> 00:28:27.120] So I think identifying a priority of goals so that you can clearly like determine what you're asking from ambassadors so that you actually get what you would like to get from them.
[00:28:27.120 --> 00:28:39.440] If there's too many goals between, you know, driving sales, content creation, a myriad of other things, they will not know where to start and be very paralyzed.
[00:28:39.440 --> 00:28:46.160] So I think like building upon something once you have something down is what I would say.
[00:28:46.160 --> 00:29:01.520] And then having a student run it who really can like rally the kids and or the teens or the students, I think is really important because they want to be, they want to get something out of it and they want professional development.
[00:29:01.520 --> 00:29:04.560] They want to learn, they want access, they want connections.
[00:29:04.560 --> 00:29:12.080] All these students want to do is get to the next step in their life and forge their path for their career.
[00:29:12.080 --> 00:29:13.440] That's such great advice.
[00:29:13.440 --> 00:29:16.480] And how about for your referral program?
[00:29:16.480 --> 00:29:22.640] Are there specific softwares that you're using and any lessons you can share for what's worked for you?
[00:29:22.640 --> 00:29:33.440] We are about to actually embark on an evaluation of our whole program, but we currently use Friend Buy to power our program and it's a really popular platform.
[00:29:33.440 --> 00:29:37.120] I think I would just generally say that don't try to recreate the wheel.
[00:29:37.120 --> 00:29:40.960] There's a lot of platforms out there that work and they were all built for a reason.
[00:29:40.960 --> 00:29:52.720] Talkable is another one that we're thinking about, but I think it's a really powerful message, and it just needs to be sort of handled correctly and with care.
[00:29:52.720 --> 00:29:54.400] How big is your team now?
[00:29:54.720 --> 00:29:58.400] We are just under 25 people full-time.
[00:29:58.400 --> 00:30:00.760] And what roles do you have on the team?
[00:30:00.760 --> 00:30:02.040] Who is your first hire?
[00:29:59.840 --> 00:30:04.920] What are some learning lessons from building a team?
[00:30:05.240 --> 00:30:13.320] Yeah, so when we first got started, we knew that we had to bring in people to help us because I was in college, my mom was running her agency.
[00:30:13.320 --> 00:30:21.880] So there were two girls who worked at the agency who we thought would be great people to help us bring this idea to life.
[00:30:21.880 --> 00:30:37.240] One was more of an account executive, like marketing type of person, and one was just someone who was great in driving new ideas and new business, and someone who had a lot of style.
[00:30:37.240 --> 00:30:40.280] So she could really handle the product side of things.
[00:30:40.280 --> 00:30:48.440] So she came on to really handle merchandising and product development, and she had done that ever since.
[00:30:48.440 --> 00:30:53.080] And then the other one was really in an operations and marketing capacity.
[00:30:53.080 --> 00:30:56.520] So those two roles were very different but complementary.
[00:30:56.520 --> 00:31:01.160] And then the third person that we brought on was a community manager to help build the blog.
[00:31:01.160 --> 00:31:03.560] And she had just recently graduated college.
[00:31:03.560 --> 00:31:05.640] She was a couple years older than me.
[00:31:05.640 --> 00:31:10.360] And she was in charge of growing the ambassador program and maintaining the blog.
[00:31:10.360 --> 00:31:13.000] So those were three key roles at the beginning.
[00:31:13.000 --> 00:31:20.040] And then we brought on some part-time customer experience help once we had product to sell.
[00:31:20.040 --> 00:31:25.960] And we've gone through, you know, a lot of part-time or freelance help along the way.
[00:31:25.960 --> 00:31:38.760] But today, the structure of our team is really split into marketing, site, and creative as one area, operations, supply chain as another, and then merchandising and product development.
[00:31:38.760 --> 00:31:41.480] And how has your role evolved over the years?
[00:31:41.480 --> 00:31:42.920] What is your day-to-day like now?
[00:31:43.000 --> 00:31:44.760] What are you responsible for?
[00:31:44.960 --> 00:31:48.320] My role has very much evolved.
[00:31:48.320 --> 00:32:08.960] So I've gone from, you know, when I was in college, I was writing blog posts and creating newsletters for our email list to helping with product development and putting all of my own thoughts and feedback into the designs and the merchandising strategy, executing photo shoots.
[00:32:08.960 --> 00:32:13.200] And I very much stayed in the creative side for many years.
[00:32:13.200 --> 00:32:21.840] I was the one like designing everything, the packaging, the direct mail, all of that I was doing because I knew how to work the programs, honestly.
[00:32:21.840 --> 00:32:23.120] And I was doing photography too.
[00:32:23.120 --> 00:32:25.840] I was shooting a lot of content.
[00:32:25.840 --> 00:32:31.200] And from there, we brought on people to help with social media.
[00:32:31.200 --> 00:32:35.920] Once that was really a thing, so that's something that I actually never ran myself.
[00:32:35.920 --> 00:32:37.920] I never ran our social channel.
[00:32:37.920 --> 00:32:45.040] As time has gone on, I've, you know, spread into many different parts of the business as I've learned more.
[00:32:45.040 --> 00:32:49.120] And, you know, we've made up, we've filled out different areas of the team.
[00:32:49.120 --> 00:32:58.880] So today I'm the CEO and I oversee everything, but I spend most of my time in the creative and the marketing side of the business.
[00:32:58.880 --> 00:33:02.240] And I have a chief merchant and a COO now.
[00:33:02.240 --> 00:33:09.600] So very similar to how we started the business, but they, you know, are my partners that help oversee each of those areas.
[00:33:09.920 --> 00:33:13.200] Have things changed since raising your latest round?
[00:33:13.200 --> 00:33:17.120] Have you been able to do more in your business that you wanted to do?
[00:33:17.120 --> 00:33:20.080] Yeah, I would say things have changed in a positive way.
[00:33:20.080 --> 00:33:23.120] We've hired a few new people.
[00:33:23.120 --> 00:33:32.520] We have unlocked new partnerships and relationships, and you know, have access to another network given our new investors.
[00:33:32.840 --> 00:33:38.600] So, we unfortunately were trying to raise money before COVID and then COVID happened.
[00:33:38.600 --> 00:33:42.200] So, we were a bit behind in terms of timeline.
[00:33:42.200 --> 00:33:47.080] So, we were waiting to do a lot of things until we actually raised the capital.
[00:33:47.080 --> 00:33:48.360] But, yes, for sure.
[00:33:48.360 --> 00:33:51.560] And any other learning lessons you can share about this raise?
[00:33:51.560 --> 00:34:01.880] Since I know you weren't involved in the first raise when you were in college, but now with this raise, any other learning lessons you can share for entrepreneuristas who are considering raising capital right now?
[00:34:01.880 --> 00:34:08.280] I mean, it sounds very repetitive and cliche, but your network really is so important.
[00:34:08.600 --> 00:34:24.760] I spent probably like 12 months of my life just talking to people to meet other people, to meet other people and meet other more people because it's really hard, especially when you don't necessarily fit the venture mold like Dormify doesn't.
[00:34:24.760 --> 00:34:32.280] We didn't have the retention metrics that would be acceptable to a traditional VC.
[00:34:32.600 --> 00:34:36.200] So, if you don't like pass that initial test, it's really hard.
[00:34:36.200 --> 00:34:37.640] It's like an uphill battle.
[00:34:37.640 --> 00:34:42.920] So, we had to look for a certain type of investor, and it was a lot more of a niche space.
[00:34:42.920 --> 00:34:49.400] So, it was a lot about meeting people, building relationships, getting introductions, just getting out there.
[00:34:49.720 --> 00:34:51.880] So, that would be one piece of advice.
[00:34:51.880 --> 00:35:06.600] And then, another like more tactical one, just in terms of your own sanity, is being super organized with your investor outreach list and how you're collecting contact info and how you're tracking conversations.
[00:35:06.600 --> 00:35:14.120] It's actually something where you could hire a virtual assistant to help with that and take a lot of the burden off your plate.
[00:35:14.120 --> 00:35:19.920] That's something I wish I did then that I didn't do is hire a virtual assistant to be my organizer.
[00:35:19.920 --> 00:35:26.160] And they can help make meeting invites and scheduling and like all that admin stuff that just takes up so much of your time.
[00:35:26.160 --> 00:35:30.000] So I would advise to do that if you can afford it.
[00:35:30.000 --> 00:35:31.920] It shouldn't be too expensive, honestly.
[00:35:31.920 --> 00:35:37.600] There's so many tools out there, even if you're using like AI bots and things like that.
[00:35:37.600 --> 00:35:42.880] But I would also just advise to have a few different materials.
[00:35:42.880 --> 00:35:52.000] So of course, you're going to have your pitch deck that's your full presentation, but a one-sheeter that you can easily pass along to make an introduction is really helpful.
[00:35:52.000 --> 00:35:55.200] And just having that at your fingertips at all times.
[00:35:55.200 --> 00:36:01.200] And then an even more concise version of that would be like your quick blurb that someone can pass along in an email.
[00:36:01.200 --> 00:36:08.080] So having those three formats to easily share information is something that I think is a must.
[00:36:08.400 --> 00:36:15.120] Next up, you'll hear why Amanda values quality over quantity and balancing work and life.
[00:36:19.280 --> 00:36:25.680] Founders are always asking us, what has been the secret to our success building multiple seven-figure businesses?
[00:36:25.680 --> 00:36:27.120] Do you want to know how?
[00:36:27.120 --> 00:36:28.800] It's our community.
[00:36:28.800 --> 00:36:36.400] We created the Entrepreneursa League for founders like you because the most successful entrepreneurs do not navigate business alone.
[00:36:36.400 --> 00:36:42.240] We navigate the challenges and opportunities with the support of people we know, love, and trust.
[00:36:42.240 --> 00:36:46.080] The relationships you build in business will be the key to your success.
[00:36:46.080 --> 00:36:48.240] Trust me, it's how we've done it.
[00:36:48.240 --> 00:36:53.840] And I'm giving you access to everything we've used to grow and scale our businesses over the past decade.
[00:36:53.840 --> 00:36:58.240] Plus, you're going to meet your new best friends in business right inside the community.
[00:36:58.240 --> 00:37:20.680] Our members have access to everything we've used to grow our businesses over the past 10 plus years, from in-person events to virtual events, business education, funding resources, office hours with myself and other top founders in your industry, press opportunities, and access to our community platform where you can instantly get all of your business questions answered.
[00:37:20.680 --> 00:37:27.400] You can join us in the community over at refer.entrepranista.com forward slash join us.
[00:37:27.400 --> 00:37:33.160] That's refer.entrepradista.com forward slash join us to join the community.
[00:37:33.160 --> 00:37:36.520] Or head to the show notes right now and tap the link to join.
[00:37:36.520 --> 00:37:38.680] I cannot wait to meet you.
[00:37:39.320 --> 00:37:42.440] All right, Amanda, this is a fun little segment we like to do.
[00:37:42.440 --> 00:37:44.280] A few rapid fire questions.
[00:37:44.280 --> 00:37:47.000] So the first thing that comes to your mind, are you ready?
[00:37:47.000 --> 00:37:47.400] Sure.
[00:37:47.400 --> 00:37:48.440] I love this game.
[00:37:48.440 --> 00:37:49.000] All right.
[00:37:49.000 --> 00:37:51.240] Describe yourself in three words.
[00:37:51.240 --> 00:37:52.360] Oh, man.
[00:37:53.640 --> 00:37:57.240] One would be, I say yes to everything.
[00:37:57.240 --> 00:37:58.600] Multiple words.
[00:37:58.600 --> 00:38:02.360] I am creative and I'm trend obsessed.
[00:38:02.360 --> 00:38:05.320] If you could learn one new skill, what would it be?
[00:38:05.320 --> 00:38:07.000] Time management.
[00:38:07.000 --> 00:38:09.000] Where is your happy place?
[00:38:09.320 --> 00:38:10.520] Nantucket.
[00:38:10.520 --> 00:38:14.040] Favorite business tool you've used to help with productivity.
[00:38:15.000 --> 00:38:20.520] I need a new one, but I guess Asana, even though I should be using it better.
[00:38:20.840 --> 00:38:22.360] I have the same problem.
[00:38:22.680 --> 00:38:25.720] What is, this is the final, final rapid fire question.
[00:38:25.720 --> 00:38:29.000] What is the app on your phone that you cannot live without?
[00:38:29.960 --> 00:38:33.800] Unfortunately, Instagram, but I'm trying not to do that.
[00:38:33.800 --> 00:38:36.680] And the real answer would be Google Maps.
[00:38:36.680 --> 00:38:39.320] I actually, I thought you were going to say Shopify.
[00:38:39.960 --> 00:38:44.440] I should have and would have put it all together all together, but all three important.
[00:38:44.520 --> 00:38:47.360] I can live without it because it would stress me out.
[00:38:48.000 --> 00:38:51.360] What does a typical day outside of work look like for you?
[00:38:44.840 --> 00:38:52.160] And these are not now.
[00:38:52.240 --> 00:38:53.440] We're not in rapid fire.
[00:38:54.880 --> 00:38:55.520] Full sentences.
[00:38:55.520 --> 00:38:56.640] We can talk again.
[00:38:56.640 --> 00:38:57.200] Yeah.
[00:38:57.200 --> 00:38:59.600] A typical day outside of work.
[00:38:59.600 --> 00:39:00.400] Good question.
[00:39:01.360 --> 00:39:03.120] So much slower paced.
[00:39:03.120 --> 00:39:06.400] Like my work day is back to back to back.
[00:39:06.400 --> 00:39:11.280] Like I don't know what to do if I'm not like moving at lightning speed.
[00:39:11.280 --> 00:39:14.000] So my off days would be very slow paced.
[00:39:14.000 --> 00:39:15.120] I like to sleep in.
[00:39:15.120 --> 00:39:17.440] I like to do something active.
[00:39:17.440 --> 00:39:19.360] I like to run.
[00:39:19.360 --> 00:39:23.920] And I like to explore new restaurants and travel.
[00:39:24.240 --> 00:39:27.280] Do you think that work-life balance is a thing?
[00:39:27.280 --> 00:39:29.440] Like, do you believe in work-life balance?
[00:39:29.440 --> 00:39:31.040] I do, honestly.
[00:39:31.040 --> 00:39:41.600] So it's hard because like in terms of habit, like I was explaining before, I grew up in a household where there was no work-life balance, especially when your parents work together.
[00:39:41.600 --> 00:39:45.200] So it's something that I talk about with my therapist a lot, actually.
[00:39:45.520 --> 00:39:57.280] So trying to have better balance in the way that we break it down is between work, sleep, and just like self-love and playtime.
[00:39:57.280 --> 00:40:02.800] So I'm trying my best to really split that equally between eight hours each.
[00:40:02.800 --> 00:40:10.400] And for someone to say, I'm only going to work eight hours a day is really difficult, or I'm going to commit to sleeping eight hours a night.
[00:40:10.400 --> 00:40:18.320] But I'm trying to like work in those moments of alone time or doing things for myself.
[00:40:18.320 --> 00:40:22.400] And it's difficult, but I try to schedule it as if it's a meeting.
[00:40:22.400 --> 00:40:28.880] And then I will actually do it if it's consistent with like how I schedule everything else in my life.
[00:40:28.880 --> 00:40:33.160] I have a question for you before you jump in, Courtney, before I lose my train of thought.
[00:40:33.480 --> 00:40:39.080] So, you know, I'm an entrepreneur, entrepreneur, and I have a two and a half year old daughter.
[00:40:39.080 --> 00:40:45.160] And I am definitely like working all of the time, but I do spend obviously a lot of time with her at night on the weekends.
[00:40:45.160 --> 00:40:47.800] But during the day, I'm like, you know, on back-to-back Zooms.
[00:40:47.800 --> 00:40:49.080] She comes in my office.
[00:40:49.080 --> 00:40:49.880] She knows I'm working.
[00:40:49.880 --> 00:40:50.840] She's like, mommy's working.
[00:40:50.840 --> 00:40:52.040] She wants to get on the computer.
[00:40:52.040 --> 00:41:05.000] So as the child of an entrepreneur who grew up seeing this, is there anything that like you wish your mom did or didn't do, like looking back now that you could give me advice about?
[00:41:05.000 --> 00:41:07.800] So I don't do anything that I shouldn't do.
[00:41:07.800 --> 00:41:11.160] Yeah, it's like an important question.
[00:41:11.480 --> 00:41:17.400] So, I mean, if she was here on this call, this is what she would say.
[00:41:18.040 --> 00:41:27.800] She was like definitely not at every school function, but she committed and was like 100% present at the times that she was.
[00:41:27.800 --> 00:41:40.520] So she wasn't trying to be there all the time like every other mom was, but she would commit to being like the class mom who did the Halloween party and the Valentine's Day party and like all of those key events.
[00:41:40.520 --> 00:41:42.200] She was like running it.
[00:41:42.200 --> 00:41:44.680] So it was quality over quantity.
[00:41:44.680 --> 00:41:46.520] And I think that that really works.
[00:41:46.520 --> 00:41:49.960] So I felt like, and I'm talking like elementary school.
[00:41:49.960 --> 00:41:57.640] I felt like I was not always seeing her in the same way that other parents were doing, but she was doing the special things.
[00:41:57.640 --> 00:41:59.960] So quality over quantity.
[00:41:59.960 --> 00:42:06.120] And then we, I'm one of three kids, and their office was always really close to our house.
[00:42:06.120 --> 00:42:09.800] So we would go to the office after school, like hang out with their employees.
[00:42:09.800 --> 00:42:12.680] Like we were very integrated into their business.
[00:42:12.680 --> 00:42:17.360] So it didn't really feel like it was wrong, but that was just life.
[00:42:18.160 --> 00:42:27.680] And then, I don't know, I think that there is a lot of benefit to being the child of an entrepreneur for what you learn and like what you're exposed to.
[00:42:27.680 --> 00:42:29.200] It makes you have thicker skin.
[00:42:29.200 --> 00:42:35.600] It gives you an appreciation for someone who's running a business because you see what they're dealing with.
[00:42:35.600 --> 00:42:41.280] And, you know, I think about just like your average employee that's out there in the world.
[00:42:41.280 --> 00:42:44.800] There's a lot of, you know, selfishness that comes with that.
[00:42:44.800 --> 00:42:50.160] And you have no appreciation for what the owner or like your boss is dealing with.
[00:42:50.160 --> 00:42:52.320] So I think it's all great.
[00:42:52.320 --> 00:42:58.960] If I were to change anything, I mean, I don't know if I would change anything.
[00:42:58.960 --> 00:43:12.240] Like I, I might complain that, you know, like mom's not home for dinner or like I joke to my grandparents, like, I was raised by my babysitter, my housekeeper, but like, I don't know.
[00:43:12.240 --> 00:43:14.000] I think some of the benefits outweigh that.
[00:43:14.000 --> 00:43:23.520] And the only thing that I might have changed is maybe there was a way for earlier in the afternoon after school that they could have been more present.
[00:43:23.520 --> 00:43:25.760] But I don't know if that was realistic.
[00:43:26.080 --> 00:43:28.000] That was a really good question, though.
[00:43:28.000 --> 00:43:28.480] Yeah.
[00:43:28.880 --> 00:43:29.920] Very real.
[00:43:30.240 --> 00:43:34.560] What is something that our audience would be surprised to find out about you?
[00:43:34.880 --> 00:43:36.400] A lot of things.
[00:43:36.720 --> 00:43:41.120] First, that I don't make my bed any day of the week.
[00:43:41.120 --> 00:43:42.720] And I run a bed in coffee.
[00:43:42.800 --> 00:43:43.760] That's amazing.
[00:43:43.920 --> 00:43:46.880] We see a bed behind you and it looks pretty put together.
[00:43:46.880 --> 00:43:47.840] It's our guest room.
[00:43:47.840 --> 00:43:49.680] So no one sleeps with it.
[00:43:50.400 --> 00:43:55.760] But even if, like, my fiancé makes the bed, my side of the bed is never made.
[00:43:56.080 --> 00:44:02.360] Second would be that I was a competitive cheerleader for 10 years growing up.
[00:44:02.680 --> 00:44:09.800] So I was in a very intense athletic environment for middle school and high school and stopped before college.
[00:44:09.800 --> 00:44:13.880] But I was an intense athlete and went to the cheerleading world.
[00:44:14.600 --> 00:44:31.000] And last thing would be that I think before I thought that I was going to be in the creative realm and work at my mom's agency, I really wanted to be a meteorologist or a storm chaser on the Weather Channel.
[00:44:31.000 --> 00:44:32.360] And I still love weather.
[00:44:33.160 --> 00:44:37.720] It's like a weird obsession with following weather.
[00:44:37.720 --> 00:44:39.080] That's so interesting.
[00:44:39.080 --> 00:44:41.960] And I have to say, I can relate to the cheerleading I did.
[00:44:41.960 --> 00:44:44.360] I was a cheerleader all four years of college.
[00:44:44.360 --> 00:44:47.480] And while we compete, excuse me, not college, high school.
[00:44:47.480 --> 00:44:48.120] High school.
[00:44:48.120 --> 00:44:54.760] High school cheerleading, competitive high school cheerleading, but through our school, not through, you know, a competitive team.
[00:44:54.760 --> 00:45:02.040] So I know how hard you must have worked to cheer and to be on a competitive team for many years.
[00:45:02.040 --> 00:45:15.960] And I would have to guess that a lot of that discipline and also like the positivity and the teamwork that's involved in competitive cheerleading, I would think there's a lot of learning lessons there for how you've been able to run your business and your team.
[00:45:15.960 --> 00:45:16.680] For sure.
[00:45:16.680 --> 00:45:28.120] I was an all-star cheerleader and my gym was an hour away and I practiced two to three days a week for years driving back and forth, even before I had a license.
[00:45:28.120 --> 00:45:29.720] Like I couldn't even take myself.
[00:45:29.720 --> 00:45:34.680] And my mom was there some of the time, you know, maybe doing work, watching our practice.
[00:45:34.680 --> 00:45:36.440] So she was there.
[00:45:36.440 --> 00:45:42.840] But there was a lot of managing time that came with that, even though I said that that's something I'm not good at.
[00:45:42.840 --> 00:45:52.640] I think I was good at it back then between, you know, being on my high school team, a competitive team, whatever other extracurriculars I did.
[00:45:52.640 --> 00:45:56.320] And then I think the teamwork is a huge part of it.
[00:45:56.320 --> 00:46:02.880] Like I was in charge of making sure that I didn't throw a girl in the air and not catch her.
[00:46:02.880 --> 00:46:06.000] So there was a lot of trust that we put into each other.
[00:46:06.000 --> 00:46:10.640] And I think it was a very foundational part of who I am.
[00:46:10.960 --> 00:46:20.480] What advice can you share with college students who are really interested in starting their own business, but they're in college right now?
[00:46:20.480 --> 00:46:22.160] What would you share with them?
[00:46:22.160 --> 00:46:22.960] Hmm.
[00:46:22.960 --> 00:46:26.640] It can go in so many different ways depending on what the situation is.
[00:46:26.640 --> 00:46:38.400] But I have a lot of students that come to me and they're always curious whether to pursue an idea and like focus on that idea in college versus you know live their college life.
[00:46:38.400 --> 00:46:46.720] But I think there's a lot of resources available on college campuses today that can help you get started.
[00:46:46.720 --> 00:47:01.840] So it's a great place to pursue an idea or start a business, not only because of the people around you and your classmates with really different skill sets, but also the alumni networks, the entrepreneurship centers, the career centers.
[00:47:01.840 --> 00:47:03.920] There's just so many resources.
[00:47:03.920 --> 00:47:13.680] So my advice would be to leverage the resources on your campus, enroll in a pitch competition if there is one so you can get feedback.
[00:47:13.680 --> 00:47:22.720] If you are looking for an engineer or a developer to help bring your idea to life, go befriend someone in the engineering school.
[00:47:22.720 --> 00:47:28.240] Like, there's nowhere after college that it's so easy to find people.
[00:47:28.240 --> 00:47:30.680] So, leverage your resources.
[00:47:29.840 --> 00:47:31.800] Definitely great advice.
[00:47:31.960 --> 00:47:42.040] And one of the reasons why we started our Entrepreneur ambassador community for college students is that you were so, so gracious to give your time to speak to everyone over the summer.
[00:47:42.040 --> 00:47:45.400] But yeah, it's so important to have connection and community.
[00:47:45.400 --> 00:47:55.880] And definitely, college is the time to really form all of these relationships because they can lead to a lot of future opportunities for sure.
[00:47:55.880 --> 00:47:57.640] So, such great advice.
[00:47:57.640 --> 00:48:02.040] Is there anything you would have done differently knowing what you know now?
[00:48:02.680 --> 00:48:05.400] Yes, I don't know how realistic this was.
[00:48:05.720 --> 00:48:16.920] Had I known better, I think I would have tried to develop my personal brand sooner and like focus on my own platform.
[00:48:16.920 --> 00:48:23.000] And without sounding stupid, like try to become an influencer a bit earlier.
[00:48:23.000 --> 00:48:23.960] And I'm not.
[00:48:23.960 --> 00:48:41.880] Like, I don't even know if I have the right personality for it, but I think I could have sooner done more as like a young founder to have content around it and just like another angle connected to Formify that's not just about the physical product.
[00:48:41.880 --> 00:48:51.720] Because I do a lot of these conversations and I talk to students, and there's a there's this whole other side of like my role and the founder role.
[00:48:51.720 --> 00:48:56.840] So I think I would have focused on my personal brand in a, in a stronger way.
[00:48:56.840 --> 00:48:59.480] Well, it's never too late to start, as we always say.
[00:48:59.480 --> 00:49:02.000] And definitely advice that way.
[00:49:02.000 --> 00:49:02.400] Exactly.
[00:49:02.400 --> 00:49:03.960] Get on TikTok for sure.
[00:49:03.960 --> 00:49:10.840] Building your personal brand, no matter what business you're in, is super important because I mean, I talk about this all the time.
[00:49:10.840 --> 00:49:15.600] People want to do business with people that they love, that they trust, that they can relate to.
[00:49:14.600 --> 00:49:19.680] So, yes, never too late to start working on your personal brand.
[00:49:20.000 --> 00:49:25.040] Amanda, our final question for you: What does being an entrepreneur mean to you?
[00:49:25.360 --> 00:49:42.000] Being an entrepreneur means being confident and passionate and fearless and resourceful and going after what you want and not accepting no when you hear it all the time.
[00:49:42.000 --> 00:49:42.720] You bet.
[00:49:42.720 --> 00:49:44.960] And we definitely could not agree more.
[00:49:44.960 --> 00:49:50.000] It has been such an honor getting to share your journey and story with our community.
[00:49:50.000 --> 00:49:56.880] And we cannot wait to continue to follow all of the incredible things you're going to do personally and with Dormify.
[00:49:56.880 --> 00:50:00.000] And we'll definitely be sure we're all following you personally on Instagram, right?
[00:50:00.000 --> 00:50:02.240] And help share your personal brand too.
[00:50:02.480 --> 00:50:06.160] But in the meantime, where can everyone find you, follow you?
[00:50:06.160 --> 00:50:15.840] And of course, for entrepreneurs who are shopping for themselves or for their soon-to-be college students, where can everyone buy your products?
[00:50:15.840 --> 00:50:18.400] So everything's available on dormify.com.
[00:50:18.400 --> 00:50:39.760] And I have to say that if you're not in college or have no one in your life that's even close to being in college, there's a ton of great gifts on our website for a guest room in your home or even a baby's nursery or your teens bedroom from wall decor items to giftables, a throw blanket, you know, anything.
[00:50:39.760 --> 00:50:48.480] So check out the selection on our site and you can follow Dormify on Instagram, TikTok, and Pinterest at Dormify.
[00:50:48.480 --> 00:50:51.680] And you can follow me at Amanda Zuckerman.
[00:50:51.680 --> 00:50:54.000] Thank you, Amanda, for being here again.
[00:50:54.000 --> 00:50:55.040] I'm Stephanie.
[00:50:55.040 --> 00:50:56.240] And I'm Courtney.
[00:50:56.240 --> 00:50:59.320] And this is the best business meeting we've ever had.
[00:51:00.200 --> 00:51:01.560] Hi, Entrepranistas.
[00:50:59.120 --> 00:51:02.440] It's Steph here.
[00:51:02.600 --> 00:51:09.720] And I hope today's episode has left you feeling inspired and with some actionable tips that you can apply to your own business.
[00:51:09.720 --> 00:51:17.080] The way we've grown our community and resources is by sharing content like this for years and asking for help along the way.
[00:51:17.080 --> 00:51:22.600] So here's where we need your help so we can continue to make as much impact as possible together.
[00:51:22.600 --> 00:51:39.640] If you can leave us a five-star review and extra credit if you share this episode on Instagram, LinkedIn, or DM it to a founder friend who would benefit from hearing it, not only would it mean the world to us, but you sharing this episode is going to help someone who just may need to hear what we share today.
[00:51:39.640 --> 00:51:42.680] And you know I love nothing more than giveaways and prizes.
[00:51:42.680 --> 00:51:49.400] So every month I'll be giving away a one-on-one session with me to someone who has shared the episode and left a review.
[00:51:49.400 --> 00:51:57.160] So send me a personal DM over on Instagram at Steph Jill Carton once you've done it so you can be entered to win.
[00:51:57.160 --> 00:52:02.920] Wishing you a productive week ahead and stay tuned for another impactful episode next week.