Laura McGuire, founder of Hipstik® Legwear, believes that women should not be squeezed and uncomfortable in tights and sheers.
She talked with many women to find out what they want in legwear – the resounding answer: comfort without sacrificing style!
Six years ago she created a legwear design that does not squeeze, dig, roll or sag. Hipstik is woman-owned and made my women in the USA in NC.
Follow Hipstik Legwear on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.
Transcript
Intro: [00:00:04] Broadcasting live from the Business RadioX Studios in Atlanta, Georgia, it’s time for GWBC Radio’s Open for Business. Now, here’s your host.
Lee Kantor: [00:00:18] Lee Kantor here. Another episode of GWBC Radio, and we are Open for Business. And today, we have as a guest Laura McGuire, and she is with Hipstik Legwear. Welcome, Laura.
Laura McGuire: [00:00:30] Hello. It is a pleasure to be with you today.
Lee Kantor: [00:00:34] Well, I’m excited to learn all about Hipstik. Tell us what you’re up to, who you’re serving, and what are you doing for folks?
Laura McGuire: [00:00:41] Yes. So, we have an ecommerce website, and in 2020, it has never been more important to be online with your products. So, we have absolutely been open for business this entire year, serving customers by shipping their legwear right to their front door.
Lee Kantor: [00:01:00] Now, did you start as a brick and mortar or was this always kind of an online operation?
Laura McGuire: [00:01:06] We started online, and in talking with women who owned businesses who were brick and mortar first before 2020, they have definitely experienced the most change in their businesses this year moving online. But they all tell me that they are excited now to be online, that they’re so glad that that was the push that led them to get online. But we have always been online, so we were ready for this year and the challenges that we have faced.
Lee Kantor: [00:01:39] Now, tell us about kind of the back story, how did Hipstik start?
Laura McGuire: [00:01:43] Yeah. So, I am a professional woman, love to wear professional clothings, dress up, be stylish and fashionable. And I worked at Dillard’s in, around, 2003 or so and I was given the hosiery department to help service the customers there. They — work with. They would have rather been in shoes or handbag. So, I said I’ll take one for the team. I’ll be in hosiery.
Laura McGuire: [00:02:14] And while I was in that section, I had a very difficult time helping customers find a fit that they liked. It was always an awkward conversation because hosiery is sized by weight, which is just a very awkward way to size a product. And they would come to me like, “I’ve got to go to an event. I’ve got to have legwear for the event. But I really don’t want to purchase this.” And after years of being in that department and then trying to find comfortable legwear myself, I said there really is an outage in this category. There hasn’t been a whole bunch of innovation besides shapewear, which is the opposite of comfort in a lot of ways. And so, I said, you know what, after all these years, there has got to be a way to make a comfortable hosiery product. So, out of a pain point, that’s where Hipstik was born.
Lee Kantor: [00:03:14] So, now, had you done any kind of sewing or any knowledge about being a seamstress or you were just kind of making this up as you went along?
Laura McGuire: [00:03:26] Yeah, that’s the funny part, is that, entrepreneurs come into whatever comes to be from different levels and skill set. And where I came in was with the knowledge of how to launch products. I have a background in launching products at grocery, so I knew what it takes to build a brand, find an audience, and launch a product. I do not have a background in fashion. I don’t have a background in manufacturing. That’s the stuff that I learned along the way. And it’s interesting to talk with other female business owners of where their skill set started and then who they brought in to help them grow their business with the skill sets that they need.
Laura McGuire: [00:04:15] So, this was a situation where you saw there was a problem and there was, like, a space in the marketplace for something new and different and better. So, the actual product part kind of came secondarily. You saw the problem and you’re like, “Okay. I’m going to fit product in here that I think that’ll kind of fill this gap.”
Laura McGuire: [00:04:36] Yeah. I think a lot of entrepreneurs, they want to scratch their own itch and that’s what leads to a business. I don’t think a lot of entrepreneurs, unless you come from a family-owned business, I don’t think you wake up one day and say, “Hey, I want to start a business today.” I think, you really develop through life experiences, you are in these situations where you say things can be better and this product could be changed or this service, if you’re a service based business. There’s something that I could do differently to set myself apart and to really service my customer. And I think that’s where the passion comes from. And so, yeah, that’s how it began for me.
Lee Kantor: [00:05:24] So, now, when you had this idea and saw this problem to be solved, what were kind of those steps to test this theory that there really was a place in the marketplace for your product?
Laura McGuire: [00:05:35] Yes. So, I purchased – gosh – hundreds of different styles and brands from some of the top brands, and I bought pairs from Australia companies. And I just started trying on all kinds of different designs. And started leading myself to be able to have a conversation with other women so that it wasn’t just my opinions of what needed to change, but also where were their gaps that we could fill. So, we did a panel with women of all shapes and all sizes to ask them what were they looking for. And the resounding answer, I think it came back 40 percent when we did this survey years ago, that comfort was the word they were missing out on. So, that’s the one key attribute that I latched on to. I said, “Comfort, it’s a big deal. We got to figure out how to create a design that leads with comfort.”
Laura McGuire: [00:06:40] And so, we did consumer testing. They tried on the product. They gave me feedback. And that’s how we actually developed a new way to size hosiery. So, I had mentioned the weight shape chart or the weight chart is predominant in hosiery. And I discovered that it was quite flawed because people carry their weight in different places. And legwear is all about the legs, so, really it’s all about shape, and body shape, and your hips. And so, that’s where we developed a shape based sizing, so their shape paired with height versus that awkward conversation of the weight. And I have, today, less than one percent return rate, which I’m so proud of. Typically, apparel is around 40 percent. And I think that sizing and getting that right has really changed the fit for women and made it so super comfortable. And we’ve delivered on that thing that we really needed to fill the gap on, which was comfort.
Lee Kantor: [00:07:45] Now, being exclusively online, how did you kind of get people over the hump to feel comfortable trying something, maybe, that they hadn’t ever been sized in this manner and feel confident that they’re going to get what they want?
Laura McGuire: [00:07:59] Yeah, that’s a great question. And it really goes to educating the consumer. And in this world, video is so important. And sharing videos, sharing stories, sharing customer testimonials, and how women of all different shapes, how they understand the sizing chart and work through that sizing chart through real customer reviews and videos. So, we have such an opportunity online to tell so much more of a story than just if you walk through a store, you’ve just got that shelf presence. But online, we can really say so much more and there’s so much content to be developed there. So, that’s what we’ve really tapped into, is, asking our own customers to talk about their experience with Hipstik and talk about their size so that someone can visually see her on the screen and relate to her.
Lee Kantor: [00:09:03] Now, how did you kind of create that kind of a community where your customer wants to share?
Laura McGuire: [00:09:12] Yeah. So, really, if you put out authentic conversations, it really fuels just more conversation. So, I think in this category, it had just been made the same way and done the same way for so long that no one was having conversations about how to make it different, or how to innovate, or how to change it. And I find it’s so fun to hear our customers say to me, “Wow. That was my idea back in the ’90s when I had to wear these every day for work.” When I hear that, it makes me know that there was something that she knew was wrong and that I’m the one to help bring this to the market. So, that’s very special. And I think it’s being authentic and opening up these conversations about the reality of what’s going on, for whatever product you have, being honest and saying, “Hey, here’s something that we can change rather than just highlighting the best parts.” I think the community was built out of really highlighting here’s something that can be changed, and we are changing it, and we want you to be part of it.
Lee Kantor: [00:10:31] Now, any advice for the folks out there that are maybe launching their own thing and they’d like to build a community? Are there some kind of fundamental foundational steps that you have to do to get those first members to get an active, engaged community? Because I know a community is easier to deal with when it’s large and it’s kind of self-sufficient. But to create that escape velocity, to get it up and running is not like flipping a switch.
Laura McGuire: [00:11:02] That’s so true. And so, we used Kickstarter or crowdfunding to help really kick us off. And that group of people who were very excited about this change in this product, they really helped propel us forward. That group was just 100 women, who then told their friends, and their friends told their friends. So, using a marketing tool such as crowdfunding, or going to an event, or joining a group of women, anywhere where you can get to a place where it can snowball, that will really help you to build that community.
Laura McGuire: [00:11:47] Because you’re right, the voices of 100 women is so much louder than just the voices of myself alone or one or two people. So, even though we did not get funded in our Kickstarter campaign, I did not see it as a failure. I saw it as a total win that we had that group of women now that could try the product, give us feedback, and tell others, and share.
Lee Kantor: [00:12:16] Now, when you created this company and you started building the community around it, that’s an achievement by itself. So, kudos to you for doing that. How important was it for you to kind of create this kind of manufacturing opportunity in the United States?
Laura McGuire: [00:12:37] Yeah. So, I’m in North Carolina, and it was very important to me to be very close to my manufacturer. I wanted to have the ability to just hop in my car and go talk to them about a new product development, or talk to them about inventory, or how it was going. And so, it was 100 percent I was not going to launch the company unless I found a manufacturer in the United States, and even better in North Carolina. And I arrived at a manufacturer who’s only 90 minutes from my home base, which is perfect, we’re in the same state. And we can have those conversations. I thought that was so important. And I wanted to be, not only a woman-owned business to highlight that female founders and be part of that community, but I also wanted to be part of the group of companies that are manufacturing here right in the United States.
Lee Kantor: [00:13:38] Now, in your business, you have been kind of – immersing? – immersing yourself within that kind of female founder women business community. Why did you choose to kind of become a member of GWBC and really kind of get involved with other female founders? Why was that important to you?
Laura McGuire: [00:14:00] So, a woman that I used to work with, when she found out I was launching Hipstik, she said, “One of the first things you need to do is apply for GWBC.” And I put it on my to-do list and I investigated it. And it was a very rigorous application process, which going through it, it’s a lot to do. But the value of that is that, all GWBC members are authentically women-owned companies. They are very special companies. They have been vetted by that group of women in that home office. And it is a very special membership to be a part of.
Laura McGuire: [00:14:52] And just having the opportunity to meet with other women who are going through similar stages right in your home community is so special. And I would encourage any female-owned business to check in to GWBC, see what it’s all about, and ask questions of current members about the opportunities available to get involved. There are so many different ways to get involved from going on the website and learning, to actually attending events, back when you could attend events. And I’m sure they’ll be forthcoming in the coming years when we can get back to doing events. But all of that leads to amazing opportunities.
Lee Kantor: [00:15:41] Now, the support from the group is a value by itself. But has being a member of the group ever opened the doors for business for you? Were you able to kind of leverage some of the connections or entrees that they’re able to give to benefit your firm?
Laura McGuire: [00:15:58] Yes. I have an amazing story, and it’s one of the most special things that has happened since founding the Hipstik brand. So, I signed up to be an ambassador or a host at one of the events, which meant that I helped out, I served, I opened the door. There were about five of us who did that. And anyone can sign up to be part of that and you get a free ticket to the event, which was great. It got my feet wet to start events. So, while I was being a host – this was during a luncheon – everyone had sat down at the table and there was an empty spot that I saw across the room. All of the other hosts had sat down, so I said, “Okay. I guess that’s my seat. That’s where I’m going to go sit,” so I went over.
Laura McGuire: [00:16:57] And while the speaker was talking, she said, “Look to the person on your right and say hello and tell them where you’re from.” I happen to have sat down next to a representative from Macy’s department store. It was a serendipitous moment. I got to share with her my story. Macy’s was actually a retailer that I really wanted to get an opportunity with. And just by sitting next to her, that open spot, Hipstik, a couple of months later, we were on shelves at Macy’s. Which was a huge opportunity for the business and something that I never would have gotten that opportunity to meet that lady and speak with her had that not happened. So, that was so neat. And those are the kind of things that just happen together with other women and you put yourself into opportunities like GWBC.
Lee Kantor: [00:17:56] And that’s a great example for young people out there that are listening, that joining an organization is important. And everybody knows that. But you have to get involved. You raised your hand and said, “I want to volunteer. I want to serve as well. I’m not just here to take. I’m here to give.” And then, serendipity worked out for you and it went your way. I mean, you can’t control that part, but you can control the leadership skills you demonstrated by showing up and working that event. So, kudos to you, you earned that. And it may seem like an accident, but you did a lot of work to make that accident happen.
Laura McGuire: [00:18:39] Thank you. Yeah. I have to pinch myself that that actually happened, but it actually did.
Lee Kantor: [00:18:45] So, now, what do you need more of? How can we help you?
Laura McGuire: [00:18:49] Well, I would love for listeners to visit my website and see if the Hipstik design is right for you and something that your wardrobe has been missing for all these years. I am at hipstik.com, that’s H-I-P-S-T-I-K.com. And if you contact me through the website or use any form of contact through the website, that’s going to be me on the other side. I’m very hands on. I answer the emails. Or if you text me, that’s me. So, I can help with sizing, any questions. Also, wholesale opportunities. So, if you’re interested in that, if you’re a boutique owner, or if you’re a shop owner, I would love to speak with you that way. And then, we’re on all the social media channels. So, I look forward to visiting hipstik.com and reaching out to me. I’d love to meet you.
Lee Kantor: [00:19:40] All right. Well, Laura, thank you so much for sharing your story today. You’re doing important work and we appreciate you.
Laura McGuire: [00:19:46] Thank you for having me on. It was really fun.
Lee Kantor: [00:19:49] All right. This is Lee Kantor. We’ll see you all next time on GWBC Open for Business.
About GWBC
The Greater Women’s Business Council (GWBC®) is at the forefront of redefining women business enterprises (WBEs). An increasing focus on supplier diversity means major corporations are viewing our WBEs as innovative, flexible and competitive solutions. The number of women-owned businesses is rising to reflect an increasingly diverse consumer base of women making a majority of buying decision for herself, her family and her business. 
GWBC® has partnered with dozens of major companies who are committed to providing a sustainable foundation through our guiding principles to bring education, training and the standardization of national certification to women businesses in Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina.
