Ep 250 | Monica Royer
How This Accidental Entrepreneur Solved Her Own Problem & Built a Multi-Million Dollar Baby Brand Along the Way
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Monica Royer is the founder and CEO of Monica + Andy, an organic baby clothing and essentials brand.
Monica had no intention of becoming an entrepreneur, but after the birth of her daughter, she struggled to find a brand that offered safe, organic clothing and an easy shopping experience for parents. Monica wanted complete confidence that what touched her baby’s skin was the safest fabric available. Inspired by her brother Andy Dunn's success with Bonobos, she saw the potential of direct-to-consumer business models to disrupt and decided to launch her business in 2014. Fast forward to today, Monica has raised millions of VC funding for her company which is now considered one of the country's most celebrated organic children's clothing brands. The company also recently announced a partnership with Walmart and launched M+A by Monica + Andy, which is in 1100+ stores throughout the country.
In this week’s episode, Monica talks about her windy journey leaving her career in pharmaceuticals and starting the business, and how despite having an idea, it took her a few years to bring everything to life. She discusses why managing her psychology was the hardest but most important part of running her business and shares the biggest learnings & takeaways she gained from having a front-row seat to her brother's menswear brand, Bonobos. Monica also delves into why self-awareness is one of the most critical skills you must have as a founder, the importance of resting & resetting for long-term success, her journey in pivoting her business during COVID and so much more.
Show Notes:
Managing your psychology in entrepreneurship. [02:38]
The importance of rest and reset. [05:37]
Monica’s childhood and upbringing. [09:11]
Expectations of Monica’s parents as an immigrant family. [13:19]
Being in the pharmaceutical industry for more than 10 years and Monica’s key takeaways. [15:51]
How entrepreneurship found Monica. [20:09]
The first iteration of the brand. [21:12]
Launching the first physical store and online store. [24:11]
Monica’s way of keeping in touch with her customers. [25:37]
Creating the initial awareness for Monica + Andy. [26:21]
Monica’s parent’s reaction to her taking the entrepreneurial leap. [28:11]
Why building self-awareness is a critical skill. [31:12]
The real responsibility in business. [33:37]
Biggest distinction between a female and male founder. [37:27]
How Monica’s parents fostered her self-confidence through their parenting approach. [38:03]
Having that “mom guilt” and how Monica handles it. [40:31]
Challenges and opportunities Monica + Andy faced during the COVID-19 Pandemic. [44:39]
Getting a partnership with Walmart. [47:07]
Future plans for Monica + Andy. [52:14]
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Follow Yasmin:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
Follow Monica:
Website: https://monicaandandy.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/monicaandandy/
