“To make the world a better place I think it’s going to start on the inside. We have to love ourselves…and feel good about who we are…to go out and embrace the world unapologetically.” -Fran Dunaway
Fran Dunaway, CEO and Co-Founder of TomboyX, shares her experience becoming a first-time entrepreneur at age 50 – and what she’s learned about herself while building a brand based on authentic self-expression.
More About Fran:
Fran Dunaway is the CEO and Co-Founder of TomboyX, a brand that is set to disrupt the $13B undergarment industry by celebrating the independent spirit inside every body. Working on her third career, this is Fran’s first foray into fashion, an interesting choice for someone who started out not knowing a knit from a woven. The journey began with the search for the perfect button up shirt, like a Robert Graham or a Ben Sherman but for women. When they designed the first boxer briefs for women, TomboyX felt the immediate resonance this product and the brand was having and decided to pivot. Partnered with the CP+B Group, TomboyX is in the midst of a massive rebrand that is hell bent on creating a movement that challenges assumptions, dismantles stereotypes and promotes self expression. From the inside out.
Highlights
- How Fran learned that business can advance social causes
- Fran’s career journey from working with developmentally disabled adults to producing political ads to becoming a first time entrepreneur at age 50
- How Fran refined her career path by noticing what she liked doing – and what she didn’t
- Why Fran feels so strongly about allowing women and men to express themselves authentically (vs. brands that dictate what “being cool” means)
- How Fran’s own understanding of gender expression has changed – and how TomboyX is saying no to clothing that puts us all in stereotypical male/female boxes
- Specific practices that help Fran feel comfortable in her skin day to day
- What success looks like for Fran and how she integrates her personal values into her business
- Fran’s advice for how all genders can help each other succeed in business and in life
Resources Mentioned in This Episode
A gift from Fran and TomboyX for Women on the Rise listeners: Get 15% off TomboyX through November 2019 by using code LARA15
Connect with Fran: Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn
Thank You for Listening!
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