We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Ilana Mekler a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Ilana, thanks for joining us today. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?
I’ve always been curious about how running your business works and dreamt of having my own clothing line. One day, I decided to bite the bullet and start the process. I had absolutely no idea what I was doing. The only professional skills I had to offer were social media management and I knew how to use Shopify and handle shipping. I just jumped in feet first and am so thankful I did.
I love a good challenge and to have something like owning/starting your own business is the best challenge I could’ve given myself. I knew there would be risks but I felt that it would be rewarding to have this opportunity, even if it meant failing.
I named my business Lounging Llama because I love comfortable clothing and my childhood nickname is Llama so I decided to combine the two!
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
My name is Ilana and I am the founder/CEO of Lounging Llama. With no business experience, I started Lounging Llama all on my own. I sell unisex loungewear for adults and children as well as accessories but I would love to branch out and do more! My motto is if you feel good, you look good and that’s how I want my customers to feel when they wear a piece of my clothing.
One of the items I sell is an Alzheimer’s Charity tee shirt where a portion of the proceeds is donated to fund Alzheimer’s research. My family has been affected by this horrible disease and I want to play a part in one day finding a cure.
How did you build your audience on social media?
Building an audience on social media isn’t easy. There are so many factors that play into it in order to reach your goal. I think networking is probably the best way to do it. Join Facebook groups, pass out your business cards, go to networking events. You’ll be reaching a whole other audience besides just your friends and family.
Alright – let’s talk about marketing or sales – do you have any fun stories about a risk you’ve taken or something else exciting on the sales and marketing side?
I am very big on influencer marketing and decided to reach out to an actress I used to watch as a kid on television. Sending your products to an influencer/celebrity is a hit or miss because sometimes they just say thank you and never post about you and other times they go above and beyond. This actress I reached out to not only told me that she wears my shirts all the time, but she made TikTok videos and Instagram Reels promoting my brand.
Contact Info:
- Website: loungingllamastore.com
- Instagram: LoungingLlamaStore
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LoungingLlamaStore/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lounging-llama