61 Picking the Right Swatch with Nicole Gibbons, CEO and founder of Clare

Designed to bring the expert to you, Clare simplifies the paint shopping process. The direct-to-consumer brand opts for a focused color selection, user-friendly sample swatches, and an intuitive color picking guide. By bringing together her personal and professional experiences, founder Nicole Gibbons is hoping to build a brand that’s primed for the long haul.

On this episode, Nicole explains why she choose to launch with a solution for the entire paint shopping process (6:28). She talks about predicting the lifetime value of their customer (9:56) and shaping a brand that sells to the DIY and professional markets (11:17). She shares the through line in her career (12:57) and how she built an audience at the height of the recession (17:39). She talks about exploring the licensing model, and choosing, ultimately, to operate on her terms (27:30), no matter the challenges (42:01).

Links and images from this post are on the Lumi Blog.