Female Startup Club Fave hits: 3 lessons that turned this failing fashion entrepreneur into an 8-figure founder, with Mid-Day Squares co-founder Lezlie Karls (part1)
Today we are learning from Lezlie Karls, Co-Founder of Mid-Day Squares. What are Mid-Day Squares I hear you ask: They’re vegan protein bars that are also known as little pieces of heaven perfectly designed to stop your hunger or cravings in between meals. And they’re on a Mission To Take Over The World Of Healthy Snacks.
In this episode we’re talking about a solid 10/10 sampling program they launched with overcoming hurdles with manufacturing and operations, turning down an acquisition and some crazy drama they went through when Hershey’s came banging on their door with a cease and desist.
We cover so much in this incredible chat - she’s a real force to be reckoned with. Now a killing entrepreneur, Lezlie also bravely opens up about what it means to fail a business. How to fail, make the cut, and move on. We learn a lot from others’ successes, but there’s undoubtedly, even more, to learn about failures. They’re just a little bit trickier to talk about.
Lezlie had no trouble pinpointing the exact reason her beloved luxury fashion brand, Hector, failed. And in this conversation, she’s ready to pass on her lessons. Number one derives from becoming a consumer of your own product, as is now the case with Mid-Day Squares. Number two is all about having those around you being able to support your product. Clothing line Hector was within the 1% price point. We’re talking high-end fashion. This meant Lezlie’s community couldn’t afford to support her. When launching Mid-Day Squares it became easy for people to buy her product. Easy for people to support. This all helps create virality. Number three is all around not putting herself out there enough. She was always behind the scenes. What is more engaging than seeing a 23-year-old running around NYC in heels trying to get into stores? If that’s not inspiring, I don’t know what is. But she didn’t show that. She didn’t know how to. How to tell her story. How to put herself out there. How to market herself.
At one point you need to know how to shut something down. A good Founder knows how to throw in the towel. So, she did. After 3 years. Took some time off and realized what to do differently in the next venture. Learning about Mid-Day squares you see how all of these learnings have really come into play to her approach this time around, and just goes to show how valuable it is to learn from your mistakes. Let's get stuck in!
LINKS WE MENTION:
Mid-day Squares Instagram
Lezlie's Instagram
Lezlie's LinkedIn
Female Startup Club's Instagram
Doone's Instagram
Doone's TikTok
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