Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Erin Yates. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Erin, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. How did you come up with the idea for your business?

Sales has always run through my veins. I was the kid who rummaged through my parents’ carport looking for anything I could sell at the end of the driveway. Old newspapers, old coolers, anything I could wheel in my red wagon to the street to hustle. Old fishing trophies were my bread & butter. I just liked the satisfaction of helping someone find something they liked. Fast forward to June of 2011. I was recruited to work for a locally-owned European lingerie store as a full-time bra fitter. You may be thinking, “Interesting….” I can honestly say it was one of the most rewarding experiences in my life. I compare bra fitting to therapy sessions (for some, not all.) When you’re in such an intimate environment with someone you don’t know, trust is something that must quickly be made. That job wasn’t just about selling pretty things. I conversed with countless women on topics such as body image, family issues & work/life balance. I saw many tears (more so of joy), gave hundreds of hugs, & watched confidence levels rise in the dressing room. When a woman finally experiences a properly fit bra, it can be life changing.

Fast forward ten years to June of 2020. I had now been the buyer for the company for several years, not so much on the sales floor or fitting room any longer but more behind-the-scenes. I was in the highest position available. There was no more growth for me within the company. I knew it had come time for me to finally take the plunge & start my own business. This was always my end goal. I knew it would be sales related, but not exactly sure what I wanted to sell. Then Covid arrived. My mind reverted back to the days in the dressing room. What was it that really fulfilled me from fitting women? How could I experience that rewarding feeling again this time with my own business? And then I began to brainstorm a term in which I had read in bra descriptions for years – “comfort.”
How could I help a woman achieve that ultimate feeling that all women want? Comfort. Not just something soft on the body, but internally. This is how Lounge With Us was born.

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

The first sales job I can recall (aside from selling old fishing trophies at the end of the driveway) was at a local gas station/hangout spot my parents used to frequent with their friends on weekends. Picture cricket cages, older, wooden shelves with a few canned products, a large cooler anyone could go grab a beer from & a sportsman’s kitchen in the back with the best chicken fingers a girl could ask for. I was around 7 or 8 years old. Growing up in the country, rural South Carolina, there aren’t many kid-friendly jaunts. It was always a treat for me to go there because I knew I’d get paid in grape Blow-Pops for pricing the bread. I loved using that pricing gun. I’d price as fast as I could. I also used to take my mother’s stethoscope & check the heartbeats of those hanging out for tips. I loved getting rewarded for meeting a goal. (Truthfully, my diagnoses on heartbeats was most likely inaccurate but still.) I visit this place each time I get back home. I’m proud of it & the sales drive it gave me as a child.

I’ve always had a passion for fashion (camo in the beginning), a love for beautiful clothing. To have the ability to help change the way in which a woman views herself for the better is invaluable to me. Bra fitting taught me this. Bra fitting allowed me to truly learn the art of active listening. It taught me patience & humility. Fast forward to today. I created LWU as a community for real women to lend a listening ear to one another, to engage in different ways in which we do & can achieve comfort in our everyday lives. Comfort is the core of LWU & it’s not just the tangible feeling. If I can help one more woman feel more confident in her own skin, then I’m doing what I was meant to do.

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

This really pertains to those business owners who are strictly ecommerce. Your goal may be to have a brick & mortar one day, but that overhead is too unrealistic right now. When I first started LWU, I relied heavily on social media. I asked friends & family members to please share my posts & stories to help LWU become more visible. Truthfully in the beginning, I was disappointed by the lack of sales. But I reminded myself what should I expect when Amazon is one of my competitors. I began to explore other means of getting my products seen. I joined local female entrepreneur groups on Facebook. I started chatting within these groups about my qualms & learned I’m not alone! I started discovering different “pop-up shops” on Facebook happening in my community & thought, “I could do that!?” Why spend all of my efforts working to sell through a computer when real-life events are happening right down the street. I missed that face-to-face communication. I’ve gained wonderful new clients from me packing up my clothes, racks, & tent & popping up at local markets in my community. My advice to someone starting out would be to start googling local pop up shops or markets. Apply! Let them see & feel your product in person. I’ve made more wonderful new friends & clients from doing this.

We’d love to hear about how you keep in touch with clients.

The old saying used to be “Content is king.” I now go by “Video is king.” When you are trying to build an online presence, it’s all about video. As much to my chagrin sometimes, going live on social media platforms has been my best method to stay engaged with clients. There are days where I don’t feel like putting make-up on. I’m just not in the mood. And I remember my “why.” LWU exists because of real women communicating with one another, helping each other discover ways in which we can find inner comfort. Brand loyalty is also built on brand consistency. Aside from social media, I blast a newsletter a few times a month filling those in on upcoming events & showcasing our next Real Charleston Woman – a series I created to bring light to those real personalities behind Charleston’s small female owned brands. I also created my own virtual dressing room under a Facebook group called The Lounge. Here, real women discuss real happenings in our everyday lives. It serves as a means to uplift & educate others on ways we find comfort.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.loungewithus.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/loungewithus
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/loungewithus
• Other: TikTok: @loungewithus

Image Credits
Erin Turner Photography