Marjorie Verschueren
Choix
San Francisco, CA
What is your product(s)?
Conscious breathable clothing made for the modern mom in mind. All pieces are breastfeeding friendly and made to flatter the ever-changing mother’s body. Ethically made in California, 70% of the fabrics come from deadstock warehouses and the balance is sourced responsibly and we choose environmentally friendly materials. Say goodbye to Mister Sweaty Polyester.
Where were you with your idea or business before joining Factory45?
When I joined Factory 45, I only had an idea and a very simple deck with a mini collection plan. I had no idea how to execute any of it. But I was determined to develop my idea as I just quit my corporate job after my maternity leave.
How did joining Factory45 help you?
Factory 45 guided me from the beginning to the end! The program started in June, mid-July I was traveling to LA and meeting fabric suppliers and end of August, I had my very first samples. Keep in mind, I had ZERO contacts and knowledge on suppliers, pattern-makers. But the program is bringing so many resources. Alumni’s are full of resources as well and Shannon is bringing them into the program to share their journey. She actually interviewed Kendall from Vesta and right after I emailed her with all my questions, she was so kind and helped me organized my LA sourcing trip. I found more than half of my fabrics because of her.
In your opinion, what is the most valuable thing about Factory45?
It’s really hard to pick one thing that was the most valuable because the program is valuable as a whole. I would say the lessons gave me a real structure to follow and stick to. Without it, I would have been lost without any pace or sense of prioritization. I started the program in June 2019 and I launched in March 2020 during a pandemic! I would have never been able to launch Choix in less than a year without Factory 45. The program exactly layout step by step on what to do, when, and how. I also love Shannon’s words of encouragements, somehow you always hear them when you need it the most, whether in her blog posts, Instagram posts, or videos… The sense of community made me feel like I wasn’t alone in this journey.
What were some big or small milestones that you hit after going through Factory45?
Shortly after the end of the program, I started having a few guest posts published on blogs and other small related business owners sharing their love for Choix which brought more visibility, interest and brand awareness.
Please describe your business after Factory45.
I launched Choix through pre-sales during the pandemic. It’s been a bit rocky as our production in San Francisco stopped but it’s not stopping me or discouraging me from keeping going. There is a happy dance behind every order coming through.
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