How do you reinvent an essential household item that has been around forever? That is the task at-hand for Lindsey Johnson and Liz Eicholtz, cofounders of the just-launched Weezie Towels.
They wanted high-quality affordable towels that were also attractive. So they created them. “We couldn’t relate to or trust any of the brands in the space–we wanted an expert focusing on towels and only towels. Not towels offered as an afterthought. We surveyed hundreds of consumers and confirmed they felt the same way, and that gave us the push to start Weezie,” they said. I spoke to them about Weezie and their best career advice.
What inspired you to start Weezie Towels? What was your career path?
Lindsey: I have a background in finance and an MBA from Columbia Business School. About two years ago I started investing in startups and became obsessed with the consumer space. Around the same time that I went to business school, we came up with the idea for Weezie and I worked on it until I graduated this past May.
Liz: My background is in graphic design. I’ve spent my career working on in-house creative teams, first at an e-commerce company, Uncommon Goods, and most recently at Bustle, where I was their first creative director. Both were incredible experiences, but I’ve always had the entrepreneurial bug! I started a sleep mask company as a side hustle which fulfilled me in a completely different way than being a creative director for someone else’s company.
What has been the biggest challenge and, on the flip side, the biggest reward of starting Weezie Towels?
Lindsey: Personally, the biggest challenge has been learning to accept uncertainty. I am an obsessive planner and unfortunately, that is just not feasible in startup life! I have (kind of) learned to take each day as it comes and embrace the unknown. On the business side, the biggest challenge has been setting up our supply chain and hiring the right partners. Custom embroidery is a meticulous craft and we learned early on why so few players are able to do it at scale. I am hoping the reward comes as soon as we are able to delight our customers. I literally cannot imagine what that will feel like!
Liz: The biggest challenge has been starting a company at the exact same time I had my first child. I got pregnant right around when we started working on Weezie and my daughter is seven months now. I am still learning how to juggle it all! On the flip side, it’s really helped me keep everything in perspective at work and be insanely efficient with my time. I think the biggest reward will (hopefully) be building something my daughter can be proud of and learn from. After all, she has been there every step of the way, including me reading her legal contracts from the delivery room!
How did you come up with the name?
Lindsey: Weezie is a modern nickname for the more traditional names, Louise and Eloise. It is a nod to my mother’s mother who was one of the most welcoming, yet easy-going women I have ever known. Think of Weezie as the new age hostess — thoughtful but laid back at the same time. She is your friend whose door (and wine fridge!) is always open, and she definitely has fresh towels in the guest bathroom.
Liz: Real talk — it’s our fourth name! Naming a company can be so hard, and you will never please everyone. The most important thing is ending up with a name that embodies your brand, which Weezie so perfectly does for us. Bonus points for special meaning — it is a family name for both of us.
What advice do you have for other women who hope to start their own businesses?
Lindsey: Ignore the naysayers! I have always been someone who thrives off of positive feedback and I was surprised at how much negative feedback I got when we first started this process. I think this is particularly true for consumer businesses. Because everyone is a consumer, they feel that they are qualified to give you feedback on your idea. My advice is to do your research, arm yourself with data and once you have convinced yourself to go for it, do not turn back.
Liz: Just start. That’s the hardest part! Start googling, making phone calls, asking questions, and meeting with anyone who will take a meeting. You aren’t going to know how to do everything and there will be countless unforeseen roadblocks but you have to start somewhere. Don’t think of everything you have to do all at once, just chip away at things one by one and you will make progress.
What is a workday like? Please walk me through a day!
Lindsey: We are both early risers so my day usually starts around 7 a.m. Morning is for knocking out to-do list items, responding to emails and slacks and getting a plan together for the day. Liz and I are in different cities, so we hop on a call around 9 a.m. to go through our to-do list together. I usually have a few meetings each day with various partners and advisors, and spend the in-between hours on whatever that day’s project is — liaising with manufacturing partners, setting up operational systems, etc. Starting a company means having a never-ending to-do list but the variety is what keeps things fun and challenging!
Liz: I know this sounds cliche, but every day is so different! The only consistent parts of my day are spending early mornings and evenings with my daughter, talking to Lindsey 500+ times, and dealing with some sort of fire drill. Yesterday morning I was receiving an inventory shipment to our Savannah fulfillment center in the middle of a torrential downpour, designing and sending press collateral to the printer in the afternoon, and editing our website in the evening. Tomorrow it will be something completely different!
What are your responsibilities as co-founders of Weezie Towels?
We are currently the only two full-time employees of Weezie so our responsibilities really include everything you can think of. We have complementary skill sets (Lindsey is the spreadsheet person and Liz is the creative) so it has been super valuable for us to include each other in every major decision. That being said, as things have come to fruition we have had to divide and conquer a bit more because there is just so much to do! We generally gravitate towards our respective strengths. For Lindsey, that means everything that’s behind the scenes and for Liz, that’s everything consumer-facing.
What are the most important characteristics someone needs to have to be successful in your role?
Lindsey: Resilience and determination are table stakes. After that, I think the ability to be both detail-oriented and focused on high-level strategy at the same time is so important for any CEO. My to-do list is usually filled with 50% nitty-gritty execution-oriented tasks (sign and file a form, pay a vendor) and 50% more strategic related items (product roadmap, press strategy). You need to be able to do both well!
Liz: As a creative director for a startup, you have to be able to balance feedback while staying true to your vision for the company. Not everyone is going to respond well to your brand, and listening to everyone can leave you with a watered-down version of your vision. Being open-minded and adaptable is important, but so is having the boldness to stay true to your brand.
What’s the biggest lesson you learned at work and how did you learn it?
Liz: Trust your gut and have confidence in your opinion and experience. When you are the one starting the company, you know everything so much better than you think you do. I used to doubt myself and stifle my gut reactions, and each time it has come back to haunt me. I’ve gotten so much better at recognizing those gut reactions and, more importantly, having the confidence to follow through with them.
Lindsey: Take each day at a time. I learned this from Liz beating it into me over the past year! I am a quick person and have a natural tendency to get ahead of myself. This means starting on tasks too early — whether it be starting to hire for a position or starting a partnership when we aren’t necessarily ready. Being efficient is one thing, but rushing the process will only cost you time and money.
What is one thing that you wish you had known when you were starting out your career?
We wish we had appreciated that careers are long and never linear. I think this is as much our personalities as it is our generation, but when we were first out of school we were both hyper-focused on planning out every step of our careers. It never ends up where you think it will, and we’re really grateful for that. Every company and role we had before launching Weezie taught us something, even if it was not immediately obvious to us at the time. Looking back, it all makes sense! Your career will evolve and grow as long as you are open-minded and consistently work hard. So have some patience and trust in the process!
What is the best advice you’ve ever received?
Lindsey: Surround yourself with people smarter than you. It’s okay not to have all the answers as long as you are committed to figuring them out. Remember that asking for help is a sign of strength, not weakness, and it actually helps build credibility when you admit you don’t know something.
Liz: You don’t get what you expect, you get what you inspect. You cannot assume that someone is going to do something with the same attention to detail or quality standards that you would.
What is your business advice for other young professional women?
Lindsey: Do not be scared to take a risk! Even if you fail, you will learn so much from trying something new. Also, connect with as many people as possible in both your personal and professional lives. Never turn down a meeting in the beginning, no matter how busy you are or how useless you think it will be. The power of networking is real and has paid off big time in launching Weezie.
Liz: Find a partner or mentor you trust. Starting out can be so intimidating and bouncing ideas off someone is invaluable. If you want to meet with someone or pick someone’s brain, just ask. We were pleasantly surprised by how willing people were to help when asked. Also, enjoy the ride! Remember to keep perspective and not get hung up on the bad days.
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