We were lucky to catch up with Alexa McNeal recently and have shared our conversation below.
Alexa, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. How did you come up with the idea for your business?
A little background info on me, I went to school for apparel Merchandising and had been a manager for multiple Free People retail locations until age 25. I had previously tried starting my own personal styling business and felt like It wasn’t exactly the right move for me, but I knew I wanted my own business involving fashion. Fast forward to the beginning of Spring 2019, swimsuit season is right around the corner for us Washingtonians. I hated being in a swimsuit ever since I was little because I my weight was always fluctuating. I used to cry trying on swimsuit after swimsuit and never feeling confident in my body. I would end up spending over $250 on suits and then cut and sew them to make sure it fit my body perfectly, I started sketching swimsuits of what I wish companies could cary that would look good on my body type. I met with a friend and we designed a very rough sample suit which I ended up calling the “Every Which Way” (our best seller) and then I took pictures of me in the suit and posted on instagram. In 30 minutes I received over 25 DMs asking me what brand the suit was and where did I get it. From that moment on I knew I needed to start a swimwear brand with EVERY suit having an adjustable feature to make sure the suits can fit EVERY body type. I really believe we shouldn’t have to adjust our bodies to fit clothing, clothing should be adjustable to fit us. Plus I love a unique style and I feel as if there’s more to create than the average string bikini.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers
Hey, I’m Lex, I’m 28 years old, I’m a black female entrepreneur, and the Founder & CEO of Bold Beach Swimwear. Growing up I have always struggled with my weight and never felt confident in swimwear. I would spend hundreds of dollars on swimsuits just to take them home and cut & sew them to fit my body. I wanted to create a line of adjustable swimsuits that could fit EVERY BODY without people feeling like they need to alter their body to fit into a swimsuit. I design all of the suits on my own and have them manufactured in California with the materials sourced within the U.S because I believe in sustainability. Bold Beach is a body positive swimwear line with a strong and growing community of people who want to feel their best in a suit that’s different than the average string bikini.
I strive to be the hype woman that we all need and If I can make someone love their body in a Bold Beach Swimsuit then that’s when I’m at my happiest. I’m incredibly proud of how much I have grown the business in the past 2.5 years since I’ve launched. I’ve participated in multiple trade shows, pop-up shops, co-hosted events for black female business owners, featured Bold Beach Swim in a my first fashion show, been featured on different podcasts, and started working with a few businesses to carry Bold Beach Swim in their clothing Boutiques. In 2023 I have 2 big collaborations I’m working on that I can’t give too much away, but it involves expanding the brand beyond swimwear…
Okay – so how did you figure out the manufacturing part? Did you have prior experience?
To be completely transparent, I had no idea what was the right or wrong answer in the beginning of my entrepreneurial journey and I still don’t have all the answers. I just followed my instincts, listened to podcasts, asked questions to different business owners, and then googled…everything. I have known how to sew since I was in elementary school , but I would never sell my products if I was in charge of sewing them. I can create rough samples of the swimsuits, but I knew I needed manufacturer’s to produce them in bulk. I live in seattle, WA and as the designer I wanted a line of constant/clear communication to the manufacturers. I also decided to be the fit model because of all the years I spent adjusting swimsuits to fit my body. I knew I didn’t want 100% standard sizing, I wanted wiggle room. All of these factors made me feel confident that I should have the suits manufactured in California given how close it is for shipping, etc. to Washington. I then googled a list of manufacturers in California and started cold-calling each one. The companies that sounded like they had zero patience working with a first time designer, I immediately took them off my list. I finally made it to a company who was open to my ideas, had a full service packages, reasonable prices, and flexible minimums for production. It’s so important to be able to communicate clearly with your manufacturers and don’t be afraid to say no this isn’t perfect. When it comes to 150 swimsuits that all have the same issue that you hate, then you’ll be happy you didn’t settle…trust me!
Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?
I wish I was better about actually reading, but because I work a full time job as a Nanny/House Manager as well as running Bold Beach Swimwear, podcasts are perfect for me. The best podcast for entrepreneurs is “The Skinny Confidential Him & Her Podcast” with Lauren Evarts Bosstick and Michael Bosstick. This podcast gave me the best piece of advice about starting your own business, they always say “Launch fast and adjust later”. Put your work out there and learn as you go is basically how all successful businesses have to start out. I swear by this podcast!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://boldbeachswim.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/boldbeachswim/
- Youtube: https://youtu.be/tYorEgD_bfc
Image Credits
*Christian Nondys Designs *Nori31 Photography *Chasejulietphotography