Episode 241: Designing for NBA Champs with Gemma Aguiar, Design Like Whoa

Welcome to Skucast, the podcast for entrepreneurs in the promotional products industry. Skucast shines a light on our industry's best work, features maverick personalities, and discusses what's really involved in running a modern promotional products business. Skucast is the official podcast of Common Skew.

Gemma Aguiar is founder and CEO of Design Like Whoa, a women-led and San Francisco-based agency with a design-forward focus who makes sustainable attainable for their clients. Gemma began all on her own by starting a clothing line for the tech industry and in time grew from 1 to 12 employees and now works with clients like Spotify, Meta, Fanatics, Sephora, and she and her team developed a line of womenswear for NBA champs, the Golden State Warriors. Today we talk about their design focus, the process behind the Warriors project, how the pandemic really pushed this hard-hit San Francisco-based company to rethink their business, and more. Hi friends, I'm Bobby LeHew, Commonsku's Chief Content Officer. You've heard about SKUCON, right? SKUCON 2023 is the branded merch industry's most radical and inspirational experience. It's built for distributors and suppliers in the promotional products industry who want to connect, learn, and re-energize alongside other progressive, like-minded pros. SKUCON sits at the cutting edge of merch life, featuring talks by tomorrow's leaders, stories from pros in the trenches, and radical thinkers who will push you and your team to dream and grow. SKUCON will be held on Sunday, January 8th at the Keep Memory Alive Center in Las Vegas. But this year, we also have a bit of a surprise. For those that can't make it to the in-person event in Las Vegas, You can still join us virtually on January 19th. That means if you go to SCUCon in person and are only able to take a few colleagues, you can now invite the entire team to join in on the experience. Join us to hear Michael Bungay Stanier, whose book The Coaching Habit has sold over a million copies. Also, Ali Delgado, CEO of Merchology. Nick Cessaris with Polyient X, who will talk about Web3. Travis Veit and Caleb Gilbertson, the founders of Imprint Engine. Jeff Becker with Codus Design. Nate Bailey, Tiana Gamble, Regina Rinda, Trina Bicknell, Stephanie Taylor, Holly Brown, and more. You can check out the full lineup and register you and your team at SkuCon.com. And just one note, SkuCon sells out really quickly. In fact, we're already 70% sold out. So if you're thinking about it, secure those tickets now at SkuCon.com. Today's episode is brought to you by Commonsku, the work from anywhere platform that powers your connected workflow, enabling you to process more orders and dramatically grow your sales. To learn more, visit commonscue.com. Now here's my chat with Gemma.

Gemma, can you share with me again your origin story? I mean, you started like 11 years ago just working out of your mom's house and you wanted to start a clothing line. What was that like?

That's right. I started the company out of my mom's house and I actually had the intention of starting a line of t-shirts. So not a company that specializes in corporate apparel. And the t-shirt line actually poked fun at the startup economy. The shirts have prints like, "Will work for equity," or "Millionaire on paper." And they ended up getting some press, which essentially launched the company. And from the press, I had a lot of inbound requests asking me to design and print company shirts. And I loved that. And so I was really excited to be able to enter this market and help these companies out and just create really great swag. And I felt like this experience validated my choice to start the company. And then I just kept moving forward and I never looked back.

Yeah. When, when did you decide you needed to start targeting more wholesale corporate buyers? When did that evolution start happening?

So I actually decided this about 3 years ago, and before that we were taking any and all orders, which is spreading the team really thin, and it just wasn't profitable for us either. So if we go back to our roots, B2B sales is where we were at when we first started. And then I also just know that's where we can provide a lot of impact through prioritizing sustainable goods.

So today you are a woman-led and founded organization with 12+ employees, a sustainable focus, and your design work is stunning. It's just amazing work. The first caption in why we're different, um, is that you call yourself design consultants. Can you share how that works in business? I mean, do you start with design? How does a project with a new client begin? And you've obviously differentiated with design. And it's become an important part of who you are. Why has that become so important?

Yeah, so first of all, thank you for saying that. And our, so our design consultants work end to end with the client and we've just found a lot of the time our clients are not graphic designers themselves. They just have kind of a vision and they really don't know how to execute it. Like sometimes people will give us a PowerPoint and ask us to help, you know, put that on a t-shirt. So our team has the ability to actually manipulate the artwork on the spot for them and help execute that client's vision.

Does— do you have design consultants as a, as a role different from, say, a traditional sales executive role?

Is that the same thing, or how does that work?

So we actually have a business development role that kind of helps bring in leads, and then I'll also do that myself. And then our design consultants are more like, I would say, like an account manager and designer hybrid.

And your background is design, right?

It's actually not.

It's not? Interesting.

Yeah.

Uh, my background is not in corporate apparel and it's not in design, which is pretty crazy. I, I learned, um, all the design programs on my own essentially when I started the business.

Wow. Well, that, that's, uh, even more astounding, I think, just because you lead with design, which I think is a brilliant way to lead, uh, because that's how clients approach us now is they really approach us with a design-first mentality and then a product second, wouldn't you say?

Yeah, I definitely agree.

Yeah.

Yeah. And I would say also just not every client needs design work off the bat, but I would say, you know, when they do, that's something we can definitely assist with right away.

Yeah. Your IG is amazing. I mean, beautiful images. You have over 4,000 followers. What are the most important marketing channels and tactics to you and your team right now?

Thank you. So shout out to Devin on our team. She's actually the mastermind behind all of our design, including our social media. And we focus our efforts in the area where our clients live. So I'd say that's kind of our, like, step one is our goal. And Instagram is mainly a way for us to showcase our portfolio. So we're also kind of trying to provide credibility, give you guys a sense of what, what to see when working with us. And since we actually target corporate buyers, we pay more attention to LinkedIn than we do Instagram. So since we know that our consumer lives kind of on LinkedIn realm, that's where we kind of focus most of our efforts and we provide content that we feel like would basically cater to them most, like blog posts and stuff like that.

Yeah. Are you using lookbooks and email marketing and all of those other things as well?

We are. Yeah.

Most businesses experience a period of sustained growth and then a spike in growth, both sales and obviously team growth. In the past 11 years, when you would say— what would— when would you say is the most significant growth season for you and your team? And maybe, maybe you're in it right now.

Yep. Yep. That's such a great question. We are in it right now. We had a big push to rebrand, which we actually started in 2019, kind of pushed into 2020. And during that time, we just really became more clear on our target market and just started doing things to attract the clientele and buyer that we wanted. And because, you know, we really started focusing in that direction, we're now in the thick of it.

Tell us a little bit about your team structure, and I'll offer a caveat. I mean, everyone seems to be going through a reorganization right now and a rethinking of their structure. We talked a bit about your design consultants. I love that title, by the way. I love business development. How has your team infrastructure changed?

So we've definitely experienced a lot of change over the past 2 years, and because of that, we're constantly looking at and just evolving our team structure. And it's really important to us that we create a team structure that benefits both the company as well as the team. So currently our team is just split into two categories, which is like production and sourcing and then design and client support. And then we also have a separate role, which is business development.

Let's talk for a minute about how the pandemic has, has changed you and your business going forward. I mean, you were hit really hard being in San Francisco, but you're here, you survived. What did you learn about yourself and your business during that time that shapes kind of who you are today?

I think so many years of bootstrapping prior to the pandemic was a really good thing to have under my belt. So I was just used to operating under difficult and challenging circumstances from the get-go. So when this happened, it kind of made it less scary. And so during this time, I just made sure that we stayed focused. We really just, we already kind of had that, that strategy of kind of rebranding the company. So we just kept our focus there. We kept checking in with our clients, seeing how they were doing. And then we also started expanding into new markets. A big market for us. And I think a lot of people is PPE and then also gift boxes. And we weren't, you know, we weren't doing any PPE previously and we weren't really doing as many gift boxes. So that I think really came out of the pandemic.

Yeah. Um, let's talk a little bit about these amazing client projects. You have the Golden State Warriors.

Wow.

What a client. Um, you were featured on NBC Sports Interview. They were celebrating Women's History Month and highlighted your clothing line. For Women by Women that you created for the NBA champs, the Golden State Warriors. Can you share the story behind that project with us?

Yeah, to kind of long story short, what we did there is we really wanted to create a line that women wanted to wear beyond the game. That was really important to us because so much fanwear for women feels just very underwhelming, like the fit, the quality, the design. So our team put, put our heads together and as a group of women ourselves, we thought, what do we actually want to wear? And that's kind of how we started.

They are beautifully designed products. What was that design process like for you and your team? Like, how many variations of options did you consider before finalizing? And I, by the way, I love the hoodie with the vertical imprint on the back and especially the tone-on-tone black. Very cool. But what was that process like?

Thank you so much. I'm so glad you like them. So after we received initial guidance from Fanatics and the Warriors, our team created a line of merch that we knew would be like trendy, subtle, great quality, fun. And it did take a while. So it took months of back and forth with the teams, like with Fanatics, with the Warriors. And we narrowed down everything to 9 styles. So we launched with 9 different styles. Hmm.

It's a beautiful launch too. The marketing around it is gorgeous. Did the, and, and really effective. Did that project lead to more business with Golden State?

It did. We're actually, it led to more business with them. We're working with them again this coming season. We're just starting to plan for that now. And then it also kind of launched into more NBA leagues, which is really exciting.

Was there something about the designing this merch line that you learned or you or your team learned from this experience that you maybe that was new to you?

Yeah, I would say our team is really, really strong in thinking outside the box and just kind of thinking about the designs in a way that's like fun. What can we do that's fun, unique, trendy, creative? And I think from this project we learned how creative we can be and what we're capable of. And I feel like I kind of knew this about them already. I don't know if they knew this as much about themselves, of just kind of like, you know, that they could really take on a project of this caliber. So I think it kind of instilled more confidence in everybody and in their abilities.

That's cool. That's really cool. Speaking of, you landed a really big project with Sephora that came over the past few years. How did that change your team and had that— was that— that have the same kind of expansion to your team and capabilities and you realize you're, you can, you're capable of far more?

Definitely. I would say it's kind of, kind of same thing as with the Warriors working with kind of these bigger clients and a bigger project scope. It's, it's a similar thing where we have to get really creative with sourcing and then design and kind of the project in itself. And so it's, it's a really kind of a project where the entire team steps in and has a part to play in it. So I think again, it was one of those projects that really kind of like showed what we were capable of and really just kind of pushed that confidence forward.

Did, uh, Gemma of 11 years ago imagine someday she'd be working with the NBA and working with the major retail brands?

Absolutely not. I think I never really thought about the future that I had. It was kind of like, this is fun and I like it. And that's kind of the Gemma of 11 years ago was This is fun and exciting and, and new and, you know, it's really creative. And so I think that's kind of where my head was at.

Yeah. It's, it's a really fascinating evolution from entrepreneurs that get in the business who start that way and then realize there's this two, two paths that are, are two aspects that become more important. One is there's an entire discipline around the business itself that you can develop around creativity and sourcing. And then that, that there's this entire incredible entrepreneurial opportunity because now you have, you know, 12 members, you're growing fast. So it's really fascinating. Kudos to you and the team for all the progress you've made.

Thank you so much.

What do you love doing the most inside the business? I mean, you, you wear many hats, um, and you've no doubt done everything because you started from scratch.

Yeah.

But since you've done everything, what do you love doing the most?

I would say just so much of a company is being put in situations you've never been in before and just having to create solutions. So I, I I think just in general, I love that aspect of it. I love a challenge. I love problem solving. I love creating and building. So I think that just like is what kind of keeps me going in this. And then on another part, I really enjoy working with clients and that's just been something since day one. I really love problem solving specifically for them. So that's always been really exciting for me.

Yeah, that's cool. What, what excites you about building a team today? Because that's really, I'm sure that's a large part of your role now as well.

Yeah. Yeah. It's crazy to see, you know, starting as one person kind of built, you know, adding in people as you go, kind of where you get, yeah, the most fulfillment from. And I would say, I think just watching them get excited about projects now and not just me and them leading projects and it not being just me, I think that's really fulfilling. And then also just seeing them grow and evolve in their roles and get stronger. I think that's just another aspect I love.

Yeah. Where do you draw inspiration from? I mean, what non-industry apparel or retail brands inspire you?

I can't think of a specific one, but in general, I love just clean design that has really clear direction too.

Yeah.

And then anything that kind of, you know, has an approach of kind of giving an experience to the end consumer. 'Cause I think that everything matters, like from your internal documents to your outward appearance, your social media. It's really important to just create a really holistic experience. So I feel like just any kind of company that has that is kind of what I'll look back to.

Yeah, talk more about that. So in other words, every touch that, that a prospect or a client has with your company, it's going to be an important part to you of the entire experience.

That's right. Yeah. So I would say even from the voice that you have with your clients, our team kind of has the same voice, the same email structure.

When you say the same voice, what do you mean?

They have this kind of business casual tone is what we call it. But we also structure our emails in a way with clients so that we try to be really clear and concise. And so the entire team is kind of on board with this, like whether you're in production and sourcing or whether you're kind of more client facing, our whole team kind of speaks in the same way. So I'd say like that's part of it. It's just kind of creating this whole experience from, you know, from the first time somebody reaches out to you to that may be looking on your website or looking at your social media or, you know, any kind of interaction they're going to have with you, that experience should translate along the way.

Yeah, very consistent brand experience. I love that, by the way. I love that even down to formatting emails and being succinct and all of the things that represent your brand voice translates over into email. Such an important part.

Yeah, I think so too.

What about industry influences? Are there brands or suppliers you and your team love the most?

We pretty much love anything that has a sustainable focus or some kind of give back component because those are the products that we really try to push with our clients. Right. And then on another side for who we like to work with, what suppliers, anyone who is quick to respond, easy to work with. I would say that's like the main thing there.

That's our list.

Yeah. Yeah. And I would say, and even just to give you some more concrete examples of that, I think St. Mar as a supplier is great. We've always had really good interactions with them. They're always talking to us about new products that they know our company values. Like they'll— they know we, we value sustainability, so they'll show us, you know, products that fall in that category. So that's been really great to work with them. And then I would say from another brand standpoint, I don't know if you've heard of them, but there's a company called Everywhere Apparel and they're actually a t-shirt brand and they— their t-shirts are produced with recycled cotton and they also do things like send you a mailer to send back clothing that they'll recycle.

Oh, very cool.

Yeah.

Yeah. Sustainability is obviously a really big focus for you and your team. What has changed with sustainability and, and how vital is it for you and your team? Is this like a number one tenet? Is this a— yeah, we can get that for you. I mean, what's, what's that like?

It's— yeah, it's such a hard— it's a hard balance because, you know, we are in the industry of producing physical products.

Right.

So it makes it a little bit tough. But what we really try to do is, you know, it's really our end consumer. It's their, you know, whether they want to purchase the sustainable product versus another, it's up to them. But what we're going to do is we're going to make it easy for you to do that. So we're going to show you these products, tell you why they're important, tell you why they're great. And then hopefully, you'll be kind of inspired by that. And I think that's kind of been what's happening with a lot of our clients is they will choose that sustainable option over something that's not. And then I've also just seen in general, the industry is kind of shifting there. Overall, I think, you know, everybody's noticing that climate change is happening, that a lot of apparel ends up in landfills and stuff like that. And I think there's just been a huge shift to kind of showcase and build more sustainable options in even like a product catalog of, you know, S&S and MAR and some of those suppliers.

Yeah, that's cool. It is a great time. I, you know, I was recording with Seth Godin and we published that episode and, and we talked about that. I was mentioning to him the progress that's been made. And so it's a really refreshing time to be a part of the business because not only are there so many options, but people are very conscientious about it. It's not just that they're trying to hop on a bandwagon. People are very more, uh, very conscientious about it. Um, you've come a long way from working out of your mom's house to fast-growing team of 12 plus working with some of the most iconic brands today. Speak to that young entrepreneur listening to this episode who's maybe just getting started, has a small team of a few people, wants to grow in your direction. What would you advise her to focus on the most and what would you advise her not to do?

So I would say my two biggest pieces of advice, I would say think about your future and be clear on what you want and the direction you want to go in. So create a plan, but be open to adjustments along the way, but keep those kind of big picture goals in mind. And then second, I would say is ask for advice and support, whether you're a first-time founder or you're not. I think asking for advice along the way is absolutely absolutely necessary, especially when a company begins to scale. And then in terms of what not to do, I would say don't spread yourself too thin. Just be mindful about where you're spending your time and where that's kind of most impactful for your clients and the company. This is something that I've struggled with before. I've struggled with it for a long time. I would say even 9 years of the business, that's kind of where I've been. You know, and I've tried to do it all. I've burnt out many times. But you have to keep in mind that it's not the best thing for your business or your team. And sometimes that's really hard to do.

Since you're working with so many high-profile San Francisco clients, particularly that there's a lot of tech forward, there's a lot of forward-thinking clients, you're working with retail brands, you're working with NBA, there's some really fascinating and challenging experiences that you're creating on behalf of clients. How do you think the team will look different, the team that's excelling well in these areas in the future? Will we see far more design focus? Sustainability would be 100% of what we're doing. What do you think that looks like?

I think I, I guess I would like to take that step back first and kind of think about what clients are asking for and kind of think about what they've kind of asking even from us and kind of paying attention to that. And I would say first people care most about giving, like, let's say they're purchasing products for, you know, like a new hire or something like that. They care about impact. It seems like that's kind of the biggest thing, and that's— we care about that too. So I feel like that's very aligned. But making sure that whatever, you know, they're giving out to somebody is something they actually want to keep and that they like. And it really kind of gives that kind of, um, having a like a good tie back to the company too.

Yeah. Yeah. But you had a really great point there about impact, impacting not just their company, impacting the community and impacting the world. It's a real interesting ripple effect that's going on out there.

Yeah, I totally— you phrased that well. I agree with that. They care about kind of the impact of whoever they're sending out that product to. They want them to, to actually want to keep that product and they want them to kind of feel kind of like They wanna carry that brand with them. Yeah. But then they also care about the behind the scenes. So they care about what's the mission behind the product that we're offering. Oh yeah. What's the sustainable component? Who also produced that product? Was it, you know, like I feel like more founders are kind of showing their faces even from the product standpoint. And the clients care, they actually wanna know. Yeah. So I think there's more just thought in general instead of just kind of what you just said, throwing out swag, just like. Here's a bunch of gadgets at a conference. I don't know if anyone wants them. I'm just going to throw them out there. I think people are like, wait, take a step back. What do people want? And they're actually asking us this versus that didn't really happen initially.

Yeah, it's a great point. Jimin, thank you for taking the time to chat with us today. You have built a remarkable company. I know just from watching on the outside in the periphery, you have an amazing team and you're working, you're doing some really cool projects. So thanks for taking the time to share with us today.

Thank you so much.

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