On today’s episode, Lee Padgett from Busted Bra Shop talks to Daniela, Penji’s partnership coordinator about how she built a thriving business from the ground up, securing her first 100 customers by fearlessly addressing an unmet need for inclusive bra sizing in Detroit and beyond.
Here are three things you’ll learn in this episode:
🌎 Identifying and Filling a Market Gap: Leigh Padgett, a disabled veteran, recognized a significant unmet need for properly fitting bras, especially for women with larger cup sizes, in Detroit. She launched Busted Bra Shop in 2013 with minimal capital, driven by the realization that women were traveling long distances or struggling to find suitable options.
🤝 The Power of Word-of-Mouth and Community Engagement: The initial growth of Busted Bra Shop was largely fueled by word-of-mouth referrals and active community engagement. Leigh leveraged a business incubator contest, street-corner promotions, and private parties to attract her first customers, quickly expanding beyond the initial 100 to thousands through genuine customer satisfaction and unique service.
💡 Advocacy for Inclusivity and Industry Influence: Busted Bra Shop is committed to inclusivity, offering over 200 bra sizes and a wide range of colors and styles, contrasting with the limited options found in most national brands. Leigh actively collaborates with manufacturers to influence design and production, even inspiring a new bra style (the "Jada") based on customer and employee feedback, demonstrating her impact on the industry.
About Lee and Busted Bra Shop:
- Website: https://bustedbrashop.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lee-padgett-9a469861/
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