Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in clothing but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Marnie Rabinovitch Consky, CEO of Thigh Society, located in Toronto, ON, Canada.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Thigh Society is a pioneer in the category of long-leg underwear for women, making non-shapewear, anti-chafing performance bottoms in an inclusive size range (6XL-XS). Our customers are women and women-identifying people of all ages who are looking for a base layer solution to sweat and modesty coverage. Our breathable, lightweight, and seam-free shorties are well suited for chafe-prevention, butt sweat, sleeping, fitness, maternity and post-partum, medical conditions, and general comfort.
Tell us about yourself
As a teenager, I struggled with my body image because of diet culture and society's unrealistic beauty standards that I eventually realized were harmful. Little did I know that I'd be able to turn a negative experience into a positive one when I started my company decades later. After earning a Business degree from McGill University, I carved out a leadership path in the corporate world, growing among the ranks of major institutions: a Fortune Global 500 consulting firm, the provincial government, and the leading MBA school in Canada.
I had an idea for a women's undergarment that didn't exist and addressed a problem that was taboo to talk about in 2008: thigh chafing. This can be misattributed to weight when it's actually a totally normal skin condition that can affect people of any size. So I embarked on an unexpected journey of entrepreneurship, creating Thigh Society. Since day 1, our mission has been to help women feel comfortable and confident in their skin by offering high-performance, size-inclusive undergarment solutions to sweating, chafing, and modesty that offers freedom of movement instead of restriction and distraction. Knowing that we're solving legitimate problems for our customers is what keeps me going.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
My biggest accomplishment as a business owner is bootstrapping Thigh Society to a $10 million+ brand with a fully remote global team of freelancers who are passionate about our mission-driven brand. Tied into that is pioneering a new underwear category for women that prioritizes comfort over compression.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
Never having all the answers and always being challenged is tough and tiring because, at different stages of your business, you may be the only one who can find the answers. I've found it important to lean on people and build a network of other entrepreneurs and founders who've been where I am. Being a business owner requires resilience and staying curious and relentless to keep seeking the answers to business problems and challenges.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
If anyone is looking to start, run and grow a business today:
- Make sure you validate the need for the business, product, or service you are starting. Are you offering a solution to a (big enough) pain point? Just because you think you need it - doesn't mean other people are willing to buy it.
- You don't need to reinvent the wheel when starting a new business - set your sights on something that already exists in the market and find a way to make it better.
- Set aside a certain amount of money that you're willing to part with as an initial investment and play within the bounds of that before borrowing and raising money from investors. You can sample an idea first on a very small scale with a limited investment before taking any big risks.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.thighsociety.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thighsociety
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thighsociety/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/thighsociety
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/thighsociety/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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