Gwen Whiting co-founded The Laundress, the luxury laundry brand that transformed washing clothes into a lifestyle statement. What started as a passion project funded by credit cards became a cult favorite—and eventually caught the attention of Unilever, which acquired the company for a reported $100 million. But the dream deal didn’t go as planned.
In this episode, Sammi sits down with Gwen to unpack what happens after the acquisition headlines fade. They discuss the culture clash between indie entrepreneurship and corporate ownership, the painful unraveling of the brand following a massive product recall, and the gender dynamics that often shape who wins and who loses in big business. Gwen opens up about what it was like to watch her life’s work become a public crisis—and how she found the strength to start again.
Today, she’s building her next act: The Fill, a home wellness company that blends her love of design, sustainability, and self-care. It’s a conversation about reinvention, resilience, and the real cost of success—and one that every founder, dreamer, or brand-builder needs to hear.
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Here’s what Sammi covers with Gwen:
00:00 Gwen Whiting’s Social Currency
00:45 The Birth of a Premium Laundry Brand
02:42 Early Challenges of Scaling The Laundress
04:29 Innovating in a Stale Market
15:24 Scaling and Funding the Business
20:44 The Unilever Acquisition
28:27 Gender Bias in Acquisitions
29:04 Corporate Culture Clash
32:52 Product Recall and Acquisition Nightmares
42:22 Rebuilding and Innovating with The Fill
51:08 Kris Jenner’s Cleaning Line and Advice for Founders
55:24 How to Show Social Currency Some Love
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