294 | Fashion and Gender Norms: Moving Beyond Stereotypes with Elizabeth Brunner
Our guest this week on the pod is Elizabeth Brunner. Elizabeth is the Founder of SteroType, a clothing brand for kids envisioning a new world free from limits on expression and joy. They created the concept of blended fashion which breaks down gender norms in fashion to create fun and functional clothing that supports a child’s unique style.
This episode is sponsored by the coaching company of our host, Zelizer Consulting Services.
Resources mentioned in this episode include:
Fashion and Gender Norms: Moving Beyond Stereotypes - an interview with Elizabeth Brunner
NOTE: While it’s not perfect, we offer this transcription by Otter.ai for those who are hearing impaired or who don’t find listening to a podcast enjoyable or possible.
SPEAKERS
Elizabeth Brunner, Paul Zelizer
Paul Zelizer 00:01
Hi, this is Paul Zelizer, and welcome to another episode of the Awarepreneurs podcast. On this show, we dive deep into wisdom from some of the world's leading social entrepreneurs. Our goal is to help increase your positive impact your profitability, and your quality of life. Before we get into today's topic, I have one request. If you could hit subscribe and do a review on your favorite podcast app that helps more people learn how to have positive impact through values based business. Thank you so much. Today, I'm thrilled to introduce you to Elizabeth Bruner. And our topic is Fashion and Gender Norms: Moving Beyond Stereotypes. Elizabeth is the founder of Stereo Type, a clothing brand for kids envisioning a new world free from limits on expression and joy. They created the concept of blended fashion, which breaks down gender boundaries, to create fun and functional clothing that supports a child's unique style. Elizabeth, welcome to the show.
01:01
Hi, Paul. Thank you for having me
Paul Zelizer 01:03
doing some really important work. And I can't wait to introduce our audience to what you're up to, before we get into stereotype and all the great things you're doing with the company. Give us a little background. What would somebody need to know about you, Elizabeth, in terms of where you've invested your professional energy? And how did you get excited about this particular focus of kids and gender stereotypes?
01:27
Wow, okay, we're starting date PA. Yeah. Why?
Paul Zelizer 01:30
You know, are you tell me about the weather?
01:35
Well, thank you so much for having me again. Yeah, so I, I'm a designer by trade I've been designing for the past 20 years, probably 20. Plus, if you just count like inspiration for my childhood and being a designer at a young age, and not really having the language to describe that. But professionally, I've been a designer, about 20 years and I had a business before I started stereotype called piece by piece, which was all about recycling fabrics and making one of a kind garments. So I've been, you have had a purpose driven brand for, you know, a couple of, well, this is my second business stereotype is my second business. So that's where I started. And stereotype is also a purpose driven brand, inspired by my girl boy twins and their desire to start clothing at a very young age. And that's where sort of the seed was planted was observing my own kids and their behavior, their natural behavior to wear what they love.
Paul Zelizer 02:36
Yeah, so you have a boy and a girl, and they're twins. And you started to notice that where they were attracted to didn't fit the cultural norms of what a male child or a female child should wear tell us like, what were some of the things you were noticing?
02:53
Exactly. So my kids were just you know, since I've have a boy and a girl, and they're twins, you know, they were the same size. And when they were around for I noticed that they were just kind of naturally putting on clothing from each other's wardrobe. So my daughter would put on a dinosaur t shirt and put on camo pants and a baseball cap and my son would naturally just be gravitating toward sparkle or pink. And you know, these were things that were sort of sparse in their wardrobe, just because I didn't usually buy clothing that was super gendered, I would try and keep things somewhat neutral. But of course, I had my own, you know, ideas about what I thought that they should wear. And so it was a really interesting observation to make about what they were just naturally drawn to. And I remember my son putting on a dress for the first time, he asked to put it on and the look of joy on his face when he was twirling around, really just struck me so deeply about, you know, what it is our children really need and what they need is to be seen for who they are and what they're doing and not judge them for what they're what we think that they should be wearing. So that that really started early on in my journey in even thinking about starting a new company like stereotype and same for my daughter, you know, she really loves to wear black and in all black she'll she'll feel more like herself. And so for me it was removing the need to insert myself to quote unquote, correct them and just let them be.
Paul Zelizer 04:31
So your son's lining up hitting on a dress, your daughter's lighting up putting on black clothes, and a light bulb goes off in your head like tell us about that light bulb?
Elizabeth Brunner 04:41
Yeah, I mean, the light bulb ain't no happened over you know, just watching them over time. It wasn't it was like a small seed that was planted and just started to grow. So, you know, for me, I had really no intention of starting a new business. I was finishing up my previous business piece by apiece. Um, but I just became so you know entranced by this idea of removing gender from clothing, that it just became something I really deeply felt called to do. And as my children grew older and started to explore the world outside of our home, the safety over home, that's really when the calling became louder, because my daughter was experiencing things very differently for my son for wearing more masculine clothing. And when my son would wear more feminine clothing, he would get a different response. And I found that to be, you know, somewhat triggering in terms of the difference that they were receiving. Nobody said anything about my daughter, wearing more masculine clothing, but when my son presented a more feminine book, he would get side glances whispers, and that just didn't sit well with me. So that definitely sparked a fire in me to change that, in some way. And stereotype is a reflection of that spark.
Paul Zelizer 06:02
Not were you finding it hard to find clothes that were I mean, was everything out there? Very, I don't know, think of pink and blue as very classically gender stereotype closer, were you having a hard time finding goals for them? Were you having a hard time, like, why found a company rather than being more selective in what was already out there?
Elizabeth Brunner 06:29
Well, I was definitely being selective out there. And it wasn't that I was finding clothing, I think it was the fact that I was shopping for my daughter in the boys department and shopping for my son in the girls department. And my realization in doing that was that these departments should just be together, and it should be a kid's department, there shouldn't be a gender associated with it. So that's really where, you know, that initial idea of creating a gender free clothing line came from and, you know, I don't like to say that, you know, it's not bad to dress your kids and the gender that they're associated with, I think it's more removing the label that they have to stay within a certain parameter, because kids are just naturally attracted to what they love. And it's not until we insert ourselves or tried to correct them, that they feel that they're doing something that's not right. And for me, it was I didn't want my kids to stop wearing something that they love, because the outside world said it wasn't right or okay for them. So it was really removing an invisible barrier, that they should be in certain parameters and stick with within those certain parameters. So starting the clothing line was really my call to action into removing a barrier that really doesn't exist.
Paul Zelizer 07:45
As your tongue Elizabeth, I'm thinking about, okay, let's say your son like sparkly clothes, and you're in a physical, you know, store that sells clothes. And you say, Well, honey, I know that you like sparkly clothes, but they don't have them in the boys department, we have to go to the girls department, you know, like that kind of, oh, wow, that doesn't feel good. Right? And the same for your daughter, like, that doesn't feel good. Is that part of the impetus for starting a company like this?
Elizabeth Brunner 08:16
You know, again, it sort of happened, you know, a little at a time these realizations as I was sort of toying with the idea of, well, what could this clothing brand D what is my message really, and, you know, for me, it was, like I said, removing an invisible barrier, right, and we put our kids into a box, and you know, in a gendered box, you know, girls need to wear pink and sparkle, and they have to love unicorns and boys are, you know, supposed to love dinosaurs and trucks. And, you know, and I think that's, that's very limiting, when we put a limit on our child, we're not really giving them the chance to express who they fully are. And you know, for me, as a parent, I try to be very conscious of that, because I want my kids to know who they are as soon as they can, you know, it's something that is a gift that I feel like I can give them in terms of I see this whole child before me, I'm not going to put a limit on it because something may feel uncomfortable for me or the outside world may not agree. So you know, it's pretty deep in terms of my own self reflection and what I've been able to discover for myself, and that really comes through with the message and the purpose behind the brand as well is supporting the whole child before you for me it was observing my children and pure joy of what they were wearing, and removing any limits that I had or labels that I had on that and giving them the freedom and the option to express who they fully are individually.
Paul Zelizer 09:45
So these thoughts these experiences over time kind of stacked up and eventually you just don't you decided to start stereotyping the talent when was that that you started the company?
Elizabeth Brunner 09:57
I started stereotype the idea for starting Time started in 2018. So I think that firstly, seed was planted then. And then I was like, Well, you know, I don't know, I'm not sure if I can start another company, I really don't, I don't see myself doing that. But as I said, you know, this calling sort of became louder and louder, especially as my children grew, and they went to school, and they, you know, were expressing a desire to wear clothing outside of gender norms at school. And, you know, having for me having some fear around, you know, having a worry that my, my child, my son, in particular, is going to be bullied because he likes to wear feminine clothes. And that really became something I had to work on for myself in terms of, well, why am I triggered in this way? Why am I having fear about this? Is it really about my son? Or is it about me, and so I had to dig a little bit deeper into, you know, why I was having a adverse reaction to the outside world instead of standing next to my son, and supporting him in wearing whatever he wanted to wear. So it's just it became a lesson for me about what do I really stand for? And what does this company stand for? If I started, and it's really removing boundaries, you know, and creating a space for children to express themselves individually. And as a mom of twins, that's really something I'm hyper aware of, because I want them to be individual and their own rights and not compare even with each other. So that became, like you said, sort of layered upon layer two reasons why I needed to start the company and it became a mission.
Paul Zelizer 11:43
During my research, Elizabeth, one of the things that you talked about in another interview was that you weren't necessarily like an enthusiastic, you know, a second time founder, it was a bit of they'll have a reluctant founder syndrome. Tell us a little bit about some of the what the reluctance was, and what changed, they you said, Alright, I'm gonna do this.
Elizabeth Brunner 12:04
Yeah, I call myself an accidental entrepreneur, because even with my first business, piece by piece, it was, it also felt like a calling, I had an emotional reaction to it. And, you know, with stereotype, I, you know, my kids were, were and are the inspiration for the brand. So I can't think of anything more, you know, like, exciting to get yourself worked up in in terms of a vision. So for me, it was, you know, yeah, kind of overcoming the reluctance of that. Overcoming, you know, my own, like insecurity even about starting a new business, and what will what do I really have to say? And how am I going to say it, and what will people think and, you know, it really took a lot of work for me to get beyond even that limit for myself and use the, the idea of behind stereotype to move beyond a boundary. And so for me, I always say, you know, being a founder is you really have to get comfortable being uncomfortable, because it's not easy. It certainly will challenge you, and many, many ways. And for me, because it's such a personal business, right? It's about my kids. It really takes a different level of showing up and doing the work than I've ever experienced before. And it's a challenge. But it's a good challenge, because it's moving me beyond what I thought I could do.
Paul Zelizer 13:27
That the challenge in all situations, or almost every entrepreneur, every founder, I've spoken to said, yeah, there's been some really, really, really hard times, specifically to you and to stereotype. The idea, you started saying, Alright, I think I'm going to do this, or I'm going to do this around 2008. Here we are recording this and 2023 the past five years, we've seen some pretty significant changes in the dialogue around LGBTQ issues. And whether it's some of the cultural tug of war around gender affirming care for kids and families and all sorts of big issues that have more charts, the polarization we're seeing in the wider culture is the this is one of the flash points. Is that fair to say?
Elizabeth Brunner 14:19
It certainly wasn't my, when I started the brand or started the idea developing it wasn't something I really considered. I knew it'd be a polarizing idea, right? Because people are used to being put in a category and that category can feel safe for a lot of people but it's not for everyone. And I think that's the distinction here is that it's it's not okay for everyone to dress the same depending on your gender like you can move beyond that and, and simplify it and so yeah, seeing thing, you know, being in 2023 and seeing, you know, the bills that are trying to be passed and you know, the ways that you society is trying to close up a gender like gender, or be more specific with gender and not have a conversation about what's underneath that is, is really upsetting to me and makes me feel even more energized to get the message out there that clothing is genderless. Actually, we are the ones that put gender on clothing. And so it's important for me to stick with my beliefs and my values around that. And like I said, you don't have to, just because you're you have a son or a daughter, I'm not saying you should dress them in opposite genders, it's making space for if they are attracted to something beyond a gender norm, to give them the freedom to do that, and to not be afraid of it.
Paul Zelizer 15:48
What kind of response have you gotten from families from other parents who's maybe like your son, they have a kid who's like, really drawn to certain colors or certain looks, your daughter is black? Or, you know, more traditional masculine clothes? Like, what what have you seen both people like saying, I imagine you might have gotten some really positive feedback, and maybe you've gotten some pushback, tell us a little bit about kind of the spectrum of feedback, you get a stereotype.
Elizabeth Brunner 16:17
I mean, personally, I've gotten, you know, for my kids, you know, I remember, you know, when I, we discovered I was having a boy and a girl, you know, the influx of pink and blue was just a tidal wave, I was really just surprised by that. And, you know, as they grew and started to express beyond gender norms, you know, I, I, as a parent, it was interesting, because even within my family, they were like, well, why doesn't your daughter work? Why isn't she ever wear pink, I never see her in pink or purple. I never, you know, see your son and in, you know, the typical boy things either. And I think for me, it was just, you know, realizing that that wasn't really something instinctually as a parent that I felt I needed to create for them, I would get gifts and things, things would be handed to them hand me downs from other families, and they would naturally know, like certain things, but yeah, it wasn't something that was necessarily taken, like when my son would where he I bought him a night gown, a dress night gown, and he loved wearing it, but he was really shy around wearing it around family members, because he didn't want anyone to make fun of him. And I said, it's okay, you know, I if somebody says something to you, I'm going to be right there. And I'll, I'll speak up for you and be with you. So there's been a little bit of pushback in my own family. But I think, for the most part, they all understand that, you know, my children dress the way they want to dress, and they express the way they want to express them. So there isn't any pushback on that at all. Now, in terms of my brand, you know, it's interesting when I first started talking about it, with adults, whether they had children or not, they would say, you know, when I was a boy, I really wanted to wear pink and my mom would let me and or what and when I was a little girl, I really wanted to wear camo and my my mom would let me in. So I would get really interesting feedback around, you know, what kids were really allowed to express themselves when they were younger, or even for myself. So, so some of the some of the feedback has been very interesting in terms of how people see themselves in the clothing brand, and how they're relating to it. You know, people from the outside worlds have certainly made comments about the fact that they had wished that this clothing brand was around for their kids when they were younger or for themselves. So it's been a really interesting journey in hearing feedback from different people.
Paul Zelizer 18:59
To parents out there, Lizabeth who are there sympathetic, they are really glad that stereotype is there and that this conversations happen, that there's two things they're thinking about. One is they're working with their own concern, you know, if I send my kid out into the world, in clothing that kind of pushes what those gender norms are, I'm worried that they might get made fun of or bullied or whatever, right. So so part one of the question is how can parents out there work with their own fear and concern and then part two of the question is you talked about like, kind of having your kids back and think you said you'll be right there for them. Right? If If grandma and grandpa or you know, an uncle or parent on the soccer team makes a comment and it really is, you know, make your child feel not good about the clothes they're wearing. And you want to be there for them to year worry. about what do I even say when something that like that comes up? What would you suggest to parents around those two questions?
Elizabeth Brunner 20:08
Those are great questions. Well, the first question, you know, about, you know, if you have a fear, and I've had those fears myself, I said earlier, you know, I didn't want my son to be bullied, and I knew it was a bigger risk for him than my daughter. I had to ask myself and do personal reflection on Okay, well, what am I really worried about here? Where was the seed planted about how kids should dress, how I should dress, I made it really personal, even about myself and my own limits, you know. And I think that that's a really great place to start, when you can look at where a seed is planted, and ask yourself, does it resonate anymore? Does it fit with my values? Do I want to label and limit my child, and, you know, we say we love our kids unconditionally, but do we really, if we're putting a condition on them to be a certain way, so these were deep conversations that I had with myself, and again, you know, I, the idea started in 2018, it took me a couple of years to really even dive deeper and get and get it going. But that's a good place to start is to do some self reflection, because I think once you do some self reflection, you realize, oh, this was a, this seed was planted because of my culture, the seed was planted in society to seed was planted within my family. And if you can do some work around that, you can make some space to shift the way that you're thinking, and your child will only appreciate that, and you will begin to understand yourself more deeply, which is, in my opinion, invaluable. The second part to your question about, you know, how to work with that if your child is your or your, I'm sorry, your family or your friends, or having a reaction to your child is really to stand with your child and love your child wholeheartedly and support them. And, you know, for me, I my, my own parents were just like, why is why is he wearing dresses? Why does Jacob buy toy dresses, and for me, you know, I didn't care if it was my parents that Mama Bear instinct really came out. And I was like, because he likes to work them period. And so for me, I can get pretty sharp if I need to. And, you know, I was able to also soften myself with my son to just say, it doesn't matter if people don't think you should wear it, they don't know you can wear whatever you want. They don't know, but I know. And you know. And so I was able to create a really safe space for my kids to express themselves in any way that they wanted to, you know, my daughter is stomping around in her dinosaur uniform, you know, I'm digging in the dirt, like, I'm not going to put a stop to that I'm not going to put a stop to my son. I can singing out loud and twirling and dancing. And, you know, for me, it was really watching the radiance, and who they were at those times. Why would I want to put a stop to that? Why wouldn't I want to support that? Why wouldn't I want to cultivate that. And it goes beyond clothing. It goes beyond what they put on their bodies and how they're expressing themselves. And for me, that was a pretty powerful.
Paul Zelizer 23:15
Beautiful, thanks for sharing those tips. So let's do this. In a moment, I'm going to come back and hear what the startup journey has been like it stereotype where you are now where do you see it going. But before we do that, I just want to take a quick break and hear a word from our sponsor. It's no secret that I'm a big fan of LinkedIn. In fact, I've recently been sharing some of the experiences I've had getting business consulting contracts from my LinkedIn connections. But let me give you your data points that will help you understand why I'm so excited. LinkedIn has users in over 200 countries, and 53% of LinkedIn users have a high monthly income. Only about 1% of LinkedIn users actually post on the platform regularly. Compare that to Instagram, where it's over 69%. So it's much harder to get your content seen. And lastly, marketers see 2x higher conversion on LinkedIn than any other social media platform. Maybe you've heard about LinkedIn, and you've thought about using it but you're not really sure what to do. How do you attract higher level opportunities through LinkedIn. I've been doing a lot of sessions with people on this exact topic LinkedIn for Social Entrepreneurs. If you wanted to, you could use my strategy session format to do a LinkedIn profile review where we'll do things like look at your headshot, your timeline, photo, your bio, your about section and your experience, and tailor them all to your ideal client. And in addition, we'll do a simple LinkedIn marketing plan for your business based on your goals to help you leverage this powerful platform. If you'd like to find out more you can Click on the link below, then just let me know you'd really like to uplevel your game on LinkedIn and get more results. So welcome back. And then the second part of the show, we like to joke about putting on our social entrepreneur glasses. So help us understand a little bit about the journey. Elizabeth in 2018, you had the idea? You said it took a little while to sort of, okay, I guess I'm gonna do this. And you know, tell us a little bit from like, the from conception and the idea to like, actually having products that you were selling in the marketplace? How long did that take?
Elizabeth Brunner 25:35
Yeah, it was quite a journey. Because it so I had the idea in 2018. And then when I sort of got beyond my own limits, and self doubt about starting it, and really decided, okay, I have to just, this is it, I'm doing it, there's just no other way I have to get this out there. I began really slowly, you know, I just began by really defining what it was that I was trying to say. And also the vision behind the brand. So my clothing is, is gender free, but I also call it blended fashion. So it's a blend of boy and girl. So there's feminine elements, and there's masculine elements, but it's really looking at those two elements as equal in value. And so that was my perspective on creating the clothing line. And you know, it's been a pretty wild journey I started in 2020, I launched it in 2020, excuse me, with no product, just images of the clothing that I had designed. And it was quite a feat to get that first capsule launched because factories were closed, there was limits on what I could do. The fabric that I chose, I basically had to choose, like one or two fabrics that I could use, because that's just what was available. I was making things locally, so I wouldn't have to, you know, travel away from my family. So I really had to jump some hurdles to get it done. But once I decided to do it, things really aligned. And that's when I knew I was on the right track. So yes, it's been quite a journey. It's still a quite a journey. It's a wild wild ride, for sure. But as long as I keep, you know, in line with my vision, and my heart is aligned with that vision, things do seem to fall into place. It doesn't mean it's easy. It's certainly not I am challenged every single day. But it's a challenge that I'm willing to take, if it means getting this brand and his mission out there.
Paul Zelizer 27:33
And plus, like imagining, yeah, I know how to have fun. Let's launch a physical products brand. Right as COVID is. Right for, right. That sounds like a party I just did deep out to you and everybody else who navigated particularly, you know, with physical product brands, because like you have somebody else to make it and they're usually in a room with other people who are making things. And so just to deep out to you and yeah, staying with a mission based business. Yeah. Wow.
Elizabeth Brunner 28:09
So is that it was quite a journey. And just in terms of Yeah, actually getting the products made, for sure. But it was also the antidote to what was happening in the outside world. It allowed me to shift my focus and focus on something positive. And I think I really want to mention that as well. Like, yes, it was obviously a very adverse time. And very difficult in a lot of ways. But for me, it was, like I said, it's my calling, it's my purpose. So I was really focused on it. And it became the medicine that I needed at that time. And the goal of it is still, you know, evolving. And so I feel like it's it's something that I'm evolving with as well. And so that that makes it more exciting. So it's a it's a challenge, but it's an exciting one.
Paul Zelizer 28:58
So you said something, and I'm really fascinated, you said, you know, I started, there were designs up I assume on some website presence or somewhere, right, there's designs up but there wasn't even physical products that he started to put out. The, you know, I'm thinking of Seth Godin, who's the marketing, you know, the thought leader who I respect and he talks a lot about, sometimes you want to market it and see what people buy before you go out and make a million units of clothing, right? It sounds like you were taking partially maybe because of your background but also partially because of COVID You took a bit of that approach to start up is that fair to say?
Elizabeth Brunner 29:36
Um, you know, that wasn't my intention. It was just how things lined up. So the reason we didn't have the product made so I did have products but they weren't samples I didn't have product to sell. So the products were you were able to see them visibly online but you weren't able to purchase anything. You could sign up for the newsletter and be alerted to when the capsule was going to drop but in terms of actually purchasing it It wasn't an option for him for like eight months. So it took a while to get there. So I think, you know, looking back on that, it was certainly a big risk for me to launch my company without physical product. But it was also just sort of the way it was meant to be. It was really important for me, I was really driven to get the message out there, it's, it's about the product, but it's more about the purpose and the mission behind the brand. So it became less of a driver for me to just, I'm not trying to make a bunch of money, per se, it's more about getting this message out about supporting individuality for kids, and, you know, my own kids, they're for all kids, and it extends beyond kids, it goes to the adults too. So for me, it was, let me get this message out there as soon as I can, and then the products will follow. And that's still how I operate now is, you know, when things sell out, it's okay, I'll just make sure that, you know, I gathered the information that I need to in terms of like, you know, an email that can go out and say, this product is going to be restocked, or, you know, will be available or new designs are coming. So it's certainly a learning process, I don't have it all down. And not everything was planned out perfectly. But, you know, that's the way it goes in a startup.
Paul Zelizer 31:21
So talking about a startup, one of the questions that listeners oftentimes appreciate me asking is, talk to us a little bit about startup capital, like, how much of this came from, you know, close circles, were there outside investors, just where did you get the money to start stereotype.
Elizabeth Brunner 31:40
So it's a personal investment. You know, it's a bootstrapped organization, for sure. And it still is, I don't have any immediate plans to take outside funding, because it's really important for me to control the message and the brand as much as possible. And that may change, you know, I could change my mind tomorrow, for instance, but for now, I'm really using, you know, our own resources to fund the startup, which is extremely difficult, but also gives me a lot of control and how I can get the message out there. There's also limits to that, right, that's the flip side is like, I'm not going to be able to spend as much money on marketing, for instance, as you know, a brand that it has a lot of funding. But at the moment, I'm working that out in terms of, you know, really defining what it is, I'm trying to say and how I want to say it. And that is more important to me than, you know, getting capital and really pushing the brand out there before it's really ready to expand. And, you know, that takes a lot of effort for me, as well. And you know, I'm a mom, and I want to make sure that my focus is on my kids as much as possible. And on this mission and this brand that I started because of them.
Paul Zelizer 32:58
I can't count Elizabeth, how many times you've talked about the mission, and having the company be in service to that, as opposed to, you know, sometimes it feels like people are talking about impact, but the money and the sales are, clearly if you just count the number of times they talk about things, what they're referencing, their impact and their mission, get referenced a 10th of the time as increasing sales or, you know, increasing revenue, and profits. And just wanted to highlight that listeners just notice how much Elizabeth is leading with the mission leading with the desired impact and making choices to what kind of business model and what kind of funding to access or in your case to bootstrap Elizabeth with that as your primary focus and not that that's better or worse, but in business that's not common. So I just wanted to draw that to your attention listeners. So Elizabeth, where is it now like how many products if we go to stereotype site right now like how many products is somebody going to see?
Elizabeth Brunner 34:12
There are let's see, I think I'm trying to count I think there's about 12 products and there are new products that are coming so I'm kind of like you know, losing count of exactly how many products are available right now. But there is a a nice range. We have a great piece of clothing that is a called the boombox blazer and it's a modern take on a sweatshirt a hoodie. The Blazer is made from sweatshirt material, it's very cozy, it's got masculine and feminine elements to it. So there's a lot of innovation with my products, you know, they can be worn, they can be passed down to other family members to friends. They're sturdy, they're made well they're made locally. There's a lot of integrity with the clothing. and all of the pieces in my brand. And so that's something I'm very proud of, and really want to highlight. There's also a really great piece called the athletic skirt, which is a denim skirt, with athletic shorts underneath that allows for movement and freedom and also privacy. So there's a lot of different types of pieces in the clothing line that'll fit anyone, any child and there's a few adult pieces as well. If you want to match your your child, there's some great T shirts and a couple of hoodies that you can match your child with. So there's a nice range of products there and more to come.
Paul Zelizer 35:39
The dozen product more on the way, how are people finding you?
Elizabeth Brunner 35:43
They're finding me on my website, so direct to consumer and also through Instagram. That's our main social channel right now.
Paul Zelizer 35:50
Would you say that most new customers find from Instagram or word of mouth, the mom or dad like loves what you're doing? And they say go buy it.
Elizabeth Brunner 36:00
It's it's really through all channels through podcasting, through interviews through through other media, through Instagram, we do have a Facebook presence as well. So yeah, and word of mouth. You know, it's great when someone says I heard about your brand, and I really love it. And, you know, they buy a product from it from someone else. So yeah, it's it's kind of interesting to see it that way, I'm not taking the usual channels, I mean, I definitely would like to get more marketing going in for a lot of reasons. But it's interesting to see it sort of evolve in a way that's more organic rather than forced, which is important for me, because I can only do so much. And I'd rather do something really well than do a bunch of things, you know, not really that well. And so it's evolving with me, and I'm doing what I can with, with what I can when when you know the brand is sort of growing and in a growing state, which it is right now. So I'm happy to get all of the attention that I'm getting through interviews through, you know, talking with people like you and also just organically through Instagram or through friends of friends.
Paul Zelizer 37:10
And it seems like just mentioning podcasts and interviews, it seems like you're leaning into that talk to us, like how does that fit? Why podcasting? Why interviews? Why do you like it? What do you think it means for a founder to be on a show like that?
Elizabeth Brunner 37:23
Well, I think you definitely get to understand, you know, why someone is doing what they're doing the why behind the by right is, is something that we hear a lot, especially as founders. And for me, you know, you've mentioned you mentioned the mission base part of his brand and, and by business, and that really takes precedence over everything else. I mean, you don't really even have to buy my clothes to dress, you know, gender free, you can go to target, you can share with your neighbor, you can, you know, share with a sibling. So for me, it's really about the message and removing a barrier that doesn't really exist. And that's really important to me, because it allows room for growth. And it allows room for growth as a parent allows room room for growth as a child, and that makes your bond with your child really enriched. And I'm really here to advocate for that as well as that, that bond with your child and loving the whole child before you what you see and not being afraid of it. And if there are is if there is fear around what you're saying, asking yourself why I think you just become, you know, like a more conscious person. And that is something that's really needed in this world, especially as we are seeing some of these negative effects on trying to, you know, close down any sort of gender support is it's really, you know, disheartening. So for me, it's like you can create a safe space for your child in your home. And the kids really need that support and that autonomy. And you know, as an individual as an adult, you also need to be able to explore yourself and move beyond a boundary.
Paul Zelizer 39:12
In my businesses I've been leaning in and 2023 is doing a lot more podcast guesting as well and what I heard in your answer Elisabetha I love that the why. Behind the by the podcasting and a deeper dive interviews is it really works well for brands that have more intersections, more nuanced places where things are polarized, we have time and space. It's not just like, here's these really cool clothes, go buy them. You know, a 32nd clip, video or sound or whatever or like a 14 word meme on social media. It's hard to bring out the nuances and the depth and the intersections and what I think the deeper dive in View longer form interview format does really give us a chance to articulate the why. And when people that are oriented towards values and impact, hear that they're much more likely to buy. And I just wanted to share again, for your sake listeners, if you're looking at how to get your impact brand out there really encourage you to take a page out of Elizabeth book of being able to have your mission be certainly talk about the products, but you're leading with your why. And you're leading with your values, and you're leading with the impact you want to have. And not just here's the product. Here's the feature. Here's how much a Costco buy some little bit of thinking about why it guesting strategy. So you're about in year three, you got a dozen products and more on the way a little bit, you're starting to pay a little bit more attention to marketing. And these organic as time allows kind of ways, like look forward three to five years, where do you see stereotype?
Elizabeth Brunner 41:00
That's a great question. I really would love to see stereotype, do more collaborations and really evolve the platform into a community that creates a safe space for people to talk about dressing beyond gender norms and other things. I also would love to I'm writing a children's book now. But I would also love to continue to write and write my own story. There's just a lot of possibilities. My kids are co founders, I made them co founders last year because they are the DNA of the brand. And I think it's important for them to understand how to build a business. And they're getting to watch me firsthand, you know, with the ups and downs of being an entrepreneur, and I think that's really valuable for them, and will inspire them with their own businesses there. They're already both like I want to do, you know, my daughter loves cooking, and she loves creating her own recipes. And my son loves drawing and travel and they're already like got their own ideas about things that they want to do as adults. So to answer your question, you know, I'm wide open I, I try not to, you know, put any sort of parameters around what I want to do, or what I think will happen, because I think that might limit what I can do. But I am very excited about the future of stereotype. And I'm really excited to see where it takes me and takes my kids. And yeah, I'm open.
Paul Zelizer 42:29
So if you were going to make a suggestion, or any kind of early stage advice for a mission based founder, somebody who's got the why the impact before the profits, not that we don't like making money here, our audiences are comfortable with profits and fairly comfortable telling you about money. But it's more an audience that cares about mission and impact first. And you've really spoken to that very powerfully. If somebody's a little earlier on like, like where you were in 2018. And they have the idea, but it's not yet. In the marketplace, there's not a product or there isn't strong product market fit where it's really starting to sell? Well. Yeah. And you're gonna make a couple suggestions for somebody in that position. What would you suggest?
Elizabeth Brunner 43:22
Well, I certainly suggest talking to your inner circle, you know, people you trust about your idea, and you know, why you have the idea? You know, what is the inspiration? I think for me, you know, my my kids were my inspiration. So that's pretty personal in terms of, you know, having that first seed planted. And so if you have an idea that is mission based, and you really want to, you know, see if it can go somewhere, I think talking to people that you trust about that idea, and getting their feedback is really important for me, you know, doing that early on, and just hearing people's reaction to like, wow, that that's a really great idea, or I got goosebumps when I heard that idea. I mean, that was very affirming for me in the very beginning. And to do that, you know, thoughtfully and you know, make notes and self reflect on why you really want to start a business. It's not for the faint of heart. As you know, I'm sure you've talked to many guests that have have said similar things. You know, I do want to make a profit, I want to make that clear. I do want to make a profit. But that's not my driver. That is not what inspired me to start the brand. And it's certainly not what is inspiring me today. It is part of the plan for sure. I expect to turn a profit soon. But that's not the force behind it. And I think when you can get behind an idea and you really are heart centered with it, it's really hard to ignore that. And I think that that's important, too, to listen to as a calling because we're all put on this earth to you know, have a purpose. And that purpose is calling you for reason. And to deep dive into what that purpose is and why it's calling you And, you know, to make plans to, you know, one step at a time, get it done.
Paul Zelizer 45:07
So Lizbeth, I could hang out with you all day, you're doing such amazing work and you're busy, our listeners are busy, I wouldn't do that to people. So if there was something you were hoping we were going to get to, and we haven't gotten to it yet, either something about what stereotype is doing or where you're going or another suggestion for our social entrepreneur listeners, what would that be?
Elizabeth Brunner 45:32
Well, I would love for everyone to go and check out my website and check out the blog posts that I've written. There's a lot there in terms of my mission, my brand, but also why I started the company, where I'm at with it. And I'm very honest with the ups and downs of starting a business. But there's also just a lot of learning in there for parents and tips on, you know, moving beyond a boundary. And I think that that's important. If you're a parent or even if you're not a parent, it's important as an individual. So I would say go to my website, sign up for my newsletter, you can get a discount, you also get original content that will not be shared on other channels. So that's important as well. Go to Instagram and check out my content, my work there as well. You can meet my kids there, meet the co founders, and have fun with the brand. The brand is actually really fun. We've had a lot of deep conversation and I know it seems very serious, but it's actually a really a fun brand. And there's a lot more to discover about it. You know via those channels, so check out my website, check out Instagram at stereotype official on Instagram and stereotype kids.com and send me your messages. If you have any comments or questions or you know anything about dressing gender free just dressing beyond the norms or parenting tips, send them my way because I love answering questions and supporting a community beyond an interview. And beyond this podcast.
Paul Zelizer 47:00
Listeners in the shownotes will be a link to the homepage, go sign up for the newsletter and check out the discounts the blog. With these great posts that I got to peruse before the interview getting ready for this go check out Instagram. So all that will be in the show notes. Elizabeth, thank you so much for being on the show today.
Elizabeth Brunner 47:21
Thank you so much, Paul, it was so much fun.
Paul Zelizer 47:24
So again, check out the show notes for links. And before we go I just want to remind you we love listener suggested topics and guests. So if you have an idea for a show, you can go to the AWARE printers website. And on our contact page. We have three simple guidelines, we try to be really transparent, here's what we're looking for. So if you look at those and feels like a fit, send your ideas in. I just want to say thank you so much for listening. Please take really good care and these intense times. And thank you for all the positive impact that you're working for in our world.