Ken interviews Co-Founders of Negative, Marissa Vosper and Lauren Schwab.

Lauren Schwab co-founded Negative in 2014 alongside Marissa Vosper with no experience in the fashion and manufacturing industry. With a passionate belief that women deserved to love the garments closest to their skin, Lauren taught herself every stage of developing, fitting and producing beautiful and functional intimate apparel. Prior to Negative, Lauren started her career in finance, working at two globally recognized investment management firms. Lauren was selected as one of WWD's 40 Under 40 list of industry notables who are changing the face of retail, fashion and the beauty industry. She graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with degrees in Art History and Diplomatic History. When she isn't working on Negative, she loves spending time with her husband and 3 little kids.

Marissa Vosper was born and raised in Boulder, CO. She attended the University of Pennsylvania, earning degrees in Political Science and Spanish Language. After establishing her early career in branding, she co-founded Negative in 2014 alongside Lauren Schwab. Within the company, Marissa is focused on all aspects of brand strategy, communications, marketing, web and customer experience. Prior to Negative, she worked at two large branding agencies for a variety of clients, including Fortune 500 corporations, fashion labels, luxury brands and start-up businesses. She was honored as part of the Forbes 30 Under 30 List of Entrepreneurs for Art & Style. Marissa currently resides in New York City with her husband and 3 sons.

Key takeaways from this episode include:

1.    Inspiration Behind Negative Underwear: Marissa and Lauren were inspired to start Negative Underwear after recognizing a gap in the market for high-quality, minimalist lingerie. Dissatisfied with the options available, they embarked on a four-year journey from concept to launch, conducting market research and product development while maintaining full-time jobs.

2.    Differentiation in the Market: Negative Underwear aimed to distinguish itself by offering a product that combined high-quality raw materials sourced from European heritage mills with an accessible price point through a direct-to-consumer model. The founders identified a lack of options between luxurious, but expensive, brands and mass-market, poorly made options, positioning Negative Underwear in a unique space.

3.    Strategic Naming and Branding: The name "Negative" was chosen to reflect the brand's commitment to minimalism and a direct, provocative appeal. The founders wanted to stand out from other lingerie brands that often had French or girly names. The name embodied their vision of creating a straightforward, American brand that challenged existing norms in the lingerie market.

4.    Self-Funding and Growth Philosophy: Negative Underwear has achieved substantial growth without external funding. Marissa and Lauren emphasize the importance of sustainable and thoughtful growth, drawing parallels to iconic brands that built their success over time. They prioritize making a superior product and focus on creating brand allegiance through a methodical and customer-centric approach.

5.    Future Growth Opportunities: While the brand has primarily focused on direct-to-consumer sales, the founders acknowledge the potential for growth in various channels, including wholesale, retail, and even exploring platforms like Amazon. Despite having experimented with pop-ups and partnerships in the past, their lean approach allows themto adapt quickly to new opportunities, leaving the door open for potential expansion.

6.    Lean Team and Profitability: Negative has maintained a lean team with around 15 full-time employees, emphasizing a disciplined and profitable approach. This focus on profitability over top-line growth sets them apart from the trend of driving top-line without regard to the bottom line that was prevalent in the past.

7.    Resourceful Use of Freelance Talent: Negative became proficient in working with freelance talent due to resource constraints in the early years. This flexibility in utilizing fractional roles and determining when a role merits full-time hiring has contributed to their success in doing more with less.

8.    Product-Centric Marketing: The co-founders believe in the product being the best form of marketing. They emphasize creating an exceptional product that outperforms existing options, leading to word-of-mouth growth and strong customer retention. Initially focusing on press coverage, they adapted their marketing strategies as customer behavior shifted to online platforms, particularly social media.

9.    Strategic Growth Initiatives: Negative initially engaged in old-fashioned methods like trunk shows, leveraging personal networks to get hands-on interaction with potential customers. They stress the value of building a customer base before heavily investing in paid advertising. Collaborations with like-minded brands, influencers, or celebrities are considered when they can tell a unique story to a potential audience.

10. Challenges and Lessons Learned: Challenges include finding new profitable channels for customer acquisition, maintaining the brand's core specialness while expanding, and dealing with price competition in the market. Key lessons learned include the difficulty of manufacturing in the intimates sector, the importance of realistic growth expectations when working with partners, and the value of adapting to new challenges while staying true to the brand's identity.