JoAnna Hartzmark on Embracing Your Non-linear Path, Why Being Set In Your Ways Is a Risk, and the True Life of a Start-up Founder

JoAnna Hartzmark has worked in Finance, Fashion, and Tech. Instead of judging her meandering path negatively, her embrace of the unknown has made her a Swiss Army knife. As the Founder and CEO of Revelle, an e-commerce brand sitting at the cutting edge of fashion and technology, she's redefining what it means to have clothes fit for women. Her passion is solving issues at the intersection of tech and humanity. After all, the definition of clothing fit is personal. Ever since she was a young girl, her family lovingly nicknamed her a "change maven" because of her innate ability to adapt and connect with others in new situations. It was no surprise that she pursued a degree in Decision Science so she could further understand the way consumers behave and pivot in an increasingly digital world.

JoAnna began her career in financial services before transitioning into luxury retail, where she supported teams at Gucci and Ralph Lauren as an e-commerce analyst. JoAnna realized that female-focused brands were not doing their part to solve female-focused problems as her career shifted through various industries. Then, Revelle was born out of her desire to address this glaring disconnect. Charged by her passion for change, Revelle is rejecting the norms of building a traditional "fashion" company and transforming the way women shop online.

In this episode, JoAnna shares that pivoting doesn't necessarily mean that you have failed or your time has been wasted. She explains why you should aim to fail at least once a day. We dive into her non-linear path and learn the fun fact that JoAnna has a plethora of CVs, each telling a different story about her experience. As a new founder, JoAnna shares what it's like to build something from scratch, including the stark reality of loneliness in the beginning.