BROADCASTS.com

b'The Nitty Gritty\\n\\n* How Bridget\\u2019s struggle finding tops that fit her body type encouraged her to make her own \\u2014 and how that pursuit turned into T\\xeara Kaia\\u2019s first top, TOURA\\n* The six words the T\\xeara Kaia (formerly Aret Basewear) team uses to influence their branding, whether that\\u2019s photo styling or product developing\\n* Their journey for finding a local athletic wear manufacturer that could make high-quality garments at an affordable price point \\u2014 and what led Bridget to switch manufacturers\\n* What their ambassador program looks like and why Instagram is their main marketing channel\\n* How they ensure that customers find the right fit every time by using a sizing guide and a free exchange program \\u2014 and how that value drives product design and informs customer service\\n\\nOn today\\u2019s episode of What Works, Bridget Kilgallon, co-founder of T\\xeara Kaia (formerly Aret Basewear), a collection of minimal basewear for the outdoorswoman, openly shares her journey bringing a physical product to market. From hand-sewing and testing the first top to partnering with a local manufacturer to marketing the brand, Bridget walks us through her thoughtful approach to product design, branding, and customer satisfaction.\\nWe release new episodes of What Works every week. Subscribe on iTunes so you never miss an episode.\\nFinding a local manufacturer\\n\\u201cFinding a reliable manufacturer that can create our tops at the quality that we want at a price that works in the marketplace: that was the biggest hurdle we faced as a business. It still continues to be to this day.\\u201d \\u2014 Bridget Kilgallon\\nOnce Bridget nailed down the handmade prototype and tested it for four months with willing participants, she needed to find a manufacturer. As you can imagine, finding one that meets your needs isn\\u2019t always easy but Bridget knew what she needed: a local manufacturer that specialized in athletic wear. And she did\\u2026 but they only worked in standard format, meaning they only produced athletic wear with one-size-fits-all type of sizing like S, M, and L.\\n\\u201cIt took a lot of convincing for us to be like: no, we\\u2019re doing it differently,\\u201d she says. \\u201cOur sewing process is different and our fitting process is different.\\u201d So, the search continued. They ended up working with multiple different manufacturers in and around San Diego, California, but continuously faced issues with quality control and price point.\\nAs of today, they\\u2019re in the process of switching to a new manufacturer that can do everything in one place. Plus, this new partner has a design studio on site to help get their designs ready for production.\\nMatching your values with your branding\\n\\u201cWe\\u2019re not just making athleisure: we\\u2019re making something that\\u2019s functional and technical. A lot of clothing companies for women right now are focused on making something that\\u2019s stylish and pretty. We\\u2019re not on board that. We think womenswear should be just as functional as menswear.\\u201d \\u2014 Bridget Kilgallon\\nFrom the get-go, Bridget defined T\\xeara Kaia\\u2019s top as technical gear\\u2026 and that one key decision influences everything from how they communicate online to how they create imagery for their online shop and on Instagram. \\u201cWe really go out of our way to make sure that it\\u2019s communicated that this is a piece of technical gear,\\u201d Bridget says.\\nBeyond the design, they identified keywords that they use throughout the branding process: contour, strong, dynamic, futuristic, minimal,'