This episode of How I Built This interviews Michelle Wahler, co-founder of Beyond Yoga, about her journey from creating personalized t-shirts to building a $400 million activewear brand acquired by Levi's. The interview covers her early struggles, including the impact of her father's business failure and the challenges of bootstrapping a brand, contrasting the wholesale versus direct-to-consumer models. Wahler highlights the importance of finding a unique niche (size-inclusive activewear) and the pivotal role of a special fabric discovery. The podcast concludes with her reflection on the acquisition, her decision to step down as CEO, and her future plans. A key takeaway is Wahler's emphasis on reinvesting profits, building a strong team, and strategically choosing distribution channels to build brand recognition.
