We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Leana Shayefar. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Leana below.

Leana, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. One of the things we most admire about small businesses is their ability to diverge from the corporate/industry standard. Is there something that you or your brand do that differs from the industry standard? We’d love to hear about it as well as any stories you might have that illustrate how or why this difference matters.

Arebesk is known for creating the first luxury grip sock brand for yoga, pilates, barre and Dance. We are the first brand to introduce patented one of a kind designs exclusive to Arebesk as well as a double grip design which provides the best traction for your workout. We are also the creators of the first sock wash bag sold with each pair of our socks.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I started in the fashion industry when I was 19 after moving to Los Angeles from upstate NY. I was thrown into a big industry and worked hard to learn everything I know today. Lets just say I have paid my dues. I also had started 3 other businesses when I was younger but due to lack of funding and maybe not enough know how I was only able to get so far and threw in the towel. After I had 2 kids and got into Pilates I got the itch again to create and when I saw generic looking grip socks with not so great grip in all the studios I was going to I knew I could create something better and more appealing to the consumer.
I started Arebesk out of my garage with 10K start up and 0 outside money. I worked hard cold calling studios and retailers to pave my way into the market. 4 years later we are selling to over 500 studios around the world as well as major retailers like Nordstrom.com and freepeople.com .
Arebesk has grown with strong support from small business owners and consumers who love our brand and quality. I care alot about the designs and quality I put out for my customer and I am so proud of where Arebesk is today.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

I took a turn when I decided to get out of the fashion industry when I was in my late 20s. I was burnt out and didnt have the funding to see my ideas flourish. I took some time off to settle down and have kids. It wasnt unitl after my 2nd child i decided to give this another try and create another brand. sometimes you need to step away from things to see where you want to be. I came back full circle to what I was doing before but this time things were different for me. I was more focused and driven to succeed.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

To be resilient is to bounce back. I have bounced back many times to try again at something i love which is to create products. There have been many set backs and legal issues I had to navigate through and at times felt like I couldnt do it but if you keep pushing forward you will see that you can get through anything and come back stronger

Contact Info:

• Website: www.arebesk.com
• Instagram: arebeskusa
• Facebook: arebeskusa

Image Credits
Jose Landeros Ethan Ingram Sarah Orbanic