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

Tammi, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.

The moment I know this was a worthwhile endeavor, was when I was walking into a major retailer and saw clear plastic bra straps that are marketed to be :invisible” as a solution to women exposing the traditional bra straps. It was at the moment, I thought to myself “I can’t believe for as long as bra have been in existence, why there wasn’t an innovation around bra straps that are stylish and you don’t have to hide?” After years of research and talking to hundreds women about the same frustration, I realized the bra industry may have overlooked a need that women of all ages wanted; stylish and chic bra straps that complemented your outfit and you can show! Unlike anything that was done before, my approach was entirely different than anyone has tried before the launch of my brand. Finally, fashionable and stylish bra straps that not only solved the problem of women hiding their bra straps btut a collection of designer bra straps that elevated a women’s style and accentuated her shoulders.

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?

Before I launched BRA-sériē, my professional background spanned many years in design/advertising, and the non-profit sector. As I became more dedicated to motherhood, I seized the opportunity to get involved in numerous local city projects and volunteered my time with various organizations.

What fills me with the greatest pride is that I embarked on this entrepreneurial journey in my 50s, shortly after relocating to Northern California where I knew no one. Amid the demands of motherhood and finding myself in a new community, I took a bold leap into uncharted territory, venturing into the launch of a high-quality collection of bra straps that had never before graced the market. It has been a journey marked by determination, hard work, and tears, yet here I stand.

What continues to fuel my passion is the sight of photos from women all across the United States proudly showcasing their beautiful BRA-sériē bra straps, coupled with the heartwarming compliments they share about how these straps have transformed their lives.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

Learning to cultivate resilience and endure challenges became evident right from the inception of my business, a phase that theoretically should have been relatively smooth. One prime example of this resilience journey is rooted in the name of my brand, BRA-sériē. (A quick side note: The name is a creative fusion of “BRA” and “accessory” with a French twist.)

Naturally, my initial step upon conceiving this brand name was to consult a trademark attorney to secure its legal protection. After engaging in at least 2-3 discussions with the attorney, it seemed that the next logical step would be to proceed with the paperwork filing. However, unexpectedly, the attorney reached out to me with a strong recommendation against pursuing trademark protection. They asserted that, based on their expertise, approval was unlikely, and they advised me to consider a different name. As you can imagine, after investing months in crafting my brand identity and conducting customer research, this news was disheartening.

Following my conversation with the patent attorney, I faced a critical decision. Put yourself in my shoes as a new and inexperienced entrepreneur: you have a highly regarded patent attorney providing compelling reasons why trademarking your potential brand name is not a viable path. Logically, one might be inclined to surrender and shift course. Yet, this is where my resilience truly came to the fore.

I took it upon myself to conduct extensive research on trademark matters. This independent exploration led me to the firm decision to proceed and file the trademark application myself. As it turned out, the patent attorney’s initial assessment was incorrect, and I successfully obtained an official trademark for BRA-sériē.

This experience encapsulates resilience—refusing to give up, following one’s intuition despite expert opinions, and maintaining unwavering persistence.

How do you keep in touch with clients and foster brand loyalty?

As a “boutique” brand, I recognized quite some time ago that competing head-to-head with larger brands and e-commerce platforms is simply beyond my capabilities due to resource constraints. However, there is a silver lining in this realization—my smaller size presents a unique opportunity to distinguish myself.

In a positive light, my boutique status allows me to embark on a distinctive path to stand out. With each initial customer order, I have the privilege to express my gratitude by including a personal handwritten note from me. This small but meaningful gesture serves to convey to every first-time customer that they are not merely another faceless order in the crowd. Through these notes, I aim to convey the depth of our appreciation for their patronage. I believe that this practice is a wonderful avenue for nurturing brand loyalty and communicating to customers that they hold a special place in our brand’s heart—far from being just another transaction.

Contact Info:

• Website: braserie.com
• Instagram: bra_serie
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BRAserieCA
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tammirelyea

Image Credits
All photos credits: Alias Josie Photography www.aliasjosie.com