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Melanie Travis didn’t go to fashion school. She didn’t work at a legacy brand. She didn’t have a co-founder, a warehouse, or a team.
What she did have was a miserable experience swimsuit shopping for a company retreat and a hunch that other women felt the same.
In this episode of Unfinished Business, Melanie joins Alex and Lee to share how she turned a universal frustration into Andie Swim, a nationally recognized brand that’s sold millions of swimsuits and recently expanded into new categories through strategic acquisition.
We talk about:
– The origin story: from BarkBox employee to Kickstarter campaign to CEO
– How she taught herself the fashion supply chain using an Airbnb “fashion tour”
– Why she believes the classic DTC playbook no longer works
– The truth about raising $30M and still struggling to reach profitability
– Her approach to omnichannel growth, from Nordstrom to private label deals
– What she looks for in brand acquisitions (and how she bought her first)
– How she’s building a multi-brand portfolio while juggling two young kids
Melanie keeps it brutally honest about fundraising, scaling, hiring, and growth. This episode is a masterclass for consumer founders and a reality check for anyone chasing the DTC dream.
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