We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Melanie Bell a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Melanie , thanks for joining us today. Risk taking is something we’re really interested in and we’d love to hear the story of a risk you’ve taken.

I think one of the biggest risks I’ve ever taken is starting my own business, which is a risk for anyone who is an entrepreneur. I’ve been a leotard designer for about 6 or 7 years now. My first ‘big girl’ job out of college was working for a well-known leotard brand. I designed for elite gymnasts, colleges; I worked with coaches and choreographers like Dominic Zito and had designs worn at multiple US and World Championships and the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. After a while, I decided to leave the company. I wanted to see my designs with my own logo on them, so I made the big decision and took a leap of faith to start my own brand, Bell Leotards.

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

I got into designing leotards by responding to a Craigslist ad for an open position at an ‘apparel company,’ later discovering that it involved working with leotards. I started at the bottom as a digitizer, creating stone files for the other designers. I worked my way up to a designer in less than a month and eventually became the lead designer, traveling for design sessions with prominent coaches and choreographers. That’s how I got into the world of leotard design, and I fell in love with it. I’ve designed many things in my lifetime, but nothing compares to designing in the world of gymnastics. When I made the decision to start Bell Leotards, I already had years of experience and had learned valuable lessons that I could apply to my business. I also learned what I wanted to avoid as a company. One of the most important principles for us is that we believe in working directly with our clients; we’re personable. We don’t pass them off to a representative as if they’re just a number. They’re more than coaches, parents, and gymnasts; they’re people. I was raised with the old saying ‘treat people the way you would like to be treated.

How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?

Bell Leotards was basically started by bootstrapping. We began with what we had. I knew how much it took to start a business, especially a leotard business, because I had worked in the industry. So, I saved up what I could and eventually saved enough to get prototypes and then our first batch of inventory, and we’ve been growing ever since.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

Honestly, I believe that just being myself and sharing my story with those willing to listen has been key. I started our Instagram account without a product to show. The only thing I could do was create a video explaining who I am, the brand I was starting, and my experience as a leotard designer, having previously worked for a major company. People gradually began to follow me. They listened to what I had to say, shared my story, cheered me on, sent kind messages, and became my little Bell Leotards family; I call them my Bell Besties. We’ve gained over 13K followers on Instagram in a little over a year because of those first few who followed. I ask for their advice, opinions, and ideas for collections, shoots, and designs. We chat, laugh, and hang out during Instagram lives. Bell Leotards wouldn’t be here without them.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://bellleotards.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bellleotards/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BellLeotards
• Other: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bellleotards

Image Credits
Photographer: Lesley Martinez