We were lucky to catch up with Hannah Helsel + Jordan Brisson recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hannah Helsel, appreciate you joining us today. What was it like going from idea to execution? Can you share some of the backstory and some of the major steps or milestones?
We had started an event rental company 1.5 years before launching WAYV. We built custom walls and tables for parties, rented them out, and saved up every dollar that we made. We knew that the event rental space wasn’t our end-game, so we made the decision to pivot and made it happen. We sat down, talked through our common passions, and made a decision to start a clothing business that was centered around health and wellness. Our biggest motivator in starting was that exercise had changed both of our lives from the time we were little, to playing sports in high school and college, but most importantly when we stepped into the real world. We wanted to be the brand that would encourage people to ‘find their Wayv’ in whatever season of life that they were in. We have shifted our vision a little bit since launch and are geared a bit more towards high-intensity athletes who have found a higher purpose in pushing themselves past their limits.
Back to our execution… we had all of these great ideas, but we knew that it wasn’t real until we signed the dotted line with our manufacturer. Once we got our first prototype in and ended up loving it, we did just that. We poured almost all of the money that we made in our event rental business back into this business and never looked back. We knew once we placed our first bulk order of 500 items, we had some work to do- and that was sell product and more importantly, tell our story.
Hannah Helsel, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
We got into the activewear industry because we quite literally live in it day-in and day-out. We are in the gym (together) every single day at 5:00AM and are often finding ourselves back in our gym clothes by the end of the day. We see the activewear industry changing rapidly and saw an opportunity for growth in the way our clothes stay on us while working out. We wanted to design clothing that stayed put and was also still comfortable while working out. Insert our Coeur Line… our very first line includes leggings with a drawstring that do not fall down. I repeat, they DO NOT FALL DOWN… but they also let you breathe. The line also includes a sports bra that is breathable and secure. We are most proud of the design that we mocked-up for this line, worked with the manufacturer on, and brought to life in one try! That is a rare case, but we did it!
Can you share one of your favorite marketing or sales stories?
One of our favorite success stories started with a risk that we took. A former competitor of Hannah’s from back in her pole vaulting days had reached out to us and asked if we wanted to sponsor an Elite Pole Vault meet. We weren’t sure if track and field would be a good market for us, but after some thought, we decided to say yes. Bridget, the pole vaulter who had invited us to sponsor and come out to the meet did an incredible job at helping us get our name into the pole vault community at that meet, and we ended up breaking even at that event which was honestly a huge win for us.
But the story gets better. We went on to sign Bridget as an athlete of Wayv, and she ended up winning the Olympic Trials for the pole vault (while wearing Wayv), and jumping in the 2024 Paris Olympics. We did a custom sale for Bridget with our current lines, adding her name and giving her 50% of the profits, and it was a HUGE success. We were beaming with joy seeing how much support she got, and it was also amazing exposure and business for us. We are forever grateful for her and for saying yes to that first sponsorship invitation.
We’d love to hear about how you met your business partner.
We met at CrossFit! Jordan had been doing it for a while and Hannah was new and looking to do some local competitions for fun. A coach had asked Jordan if she wanted to do a competition with the new girl, and Jordan said, ‘no thanks.’ ;) We ended up meeting at a class one morning and our friendship grew from there. We both quickly learned that we each have an entrepreneurial spirit about us and were both looking to go out on our own someday and start a business. The rest is history! We found a best friend, workout buddy, and business partner all in one for each other!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.wayvactive.com
- Instagram: @wayvactive
- Facebook: @wayvactive
Image Credits
Benacci Palloto @drbennyboybenacci