Tori and David Scott
Unified People
Los Angeles, CA
What is your product(s)?
At Unified People, we create premium unisex essentials—hoodies, tees, crewnecks and headwear—designed with bold graphics that inspire. All of our apparel is knit, cut, sewn, and dyed in Los Angeles with a partner that values sustainable & ethical production. In an effort to reduce our environmental impact, all apparel is made from 100% GOTS Certified Organic Cotton. A core pillar of our brand is celebrating the power of the collective and unifying for the greater good, so we donate a portion of all sales to non-profit organizations in need.
Where were you with your idea or business before joining Factory45?
Before Factory45, Unified People was just an idea. We had the LLC and the desire to make the brand a reality, but we didn’t have the resources to get started. Factory45 piqued our interest for many reasons. Firstly, because it was created specifically for entrepreneurs interested in sustainable production. This was hugely important to us, and we knew it wouldn’t be an easy path to take, but we were excited to learn about the in’s and out’s of sustainable fashion production from experts like Shannon. Secondly, we loved that Factory45 also provided a community of like-minded individuals. Starting your own business can be a daunting task, and we liked the idea of brainstorming alongside other entrepreneurs and learning from one another.
How did joining Factory45 help you?
Joining Factory45 was an essential step in launching Unified People, and proved to be an incredibly invaluable experience. Some of our biggest takeaways from the program were the countless tips and resources related to production and business development. Shannon helped demystify the daunting process of sourcing fabrics and manufacturers, and she provided helpful tips and suggestions regarding pitfalls to avoid. The Factory45 program also encouraged us to think more strategically about our brand and our mission. The various assignments that Shannon provided allowed us to gather as a team and finetune important components of our business, such as our vision statement, our target audience, and our roadmap. We truly believe that the extra time spent on these areas was imperative in getting our brand off the ground.
In your opinion, what is the most valuable thing about Factory45?
In our opinion, the most valuable thing about Factory45 was the structure of the program and the community. With full-time jobs taking up the majority of our day, it was difficult to find the necessary time to focus on Unified People. But with Factory45, the structure of the courses combined with the camaraderie from other students in the community helped motivate us to carve out the time and do the work. Without Factory45, we wouldn’t have had the confidence and the resources to launch Unified People when we did.
What were some big or small milestones that you hit after going through Factory45?
Immediately after completing the Factory45 program, we assembled a team of four talented individuals to bring Unified People to life. After some unfortunate setbacks due to Covid-19, we finally found our dream manufacturing partner in Los Angeles, and we produced the inventory for our first collection. We spent the next few months creating a launch plan for Unified People, and we used some of the tips from Factory45 to ensure that we had a well-rounded marketing strategy in place.
Please describe your business after Factory45.
Two years after graduating from Factory45, we officially launched Unified People in August 2021. This was a huge milestone for us, and we were so thrilled to finally make the brand a reality. Fast forward to today, and we’ve been featured in publications like The Los Angeles Times and British GQ. We’ve been able to incrementally grow our email subscribers, our social media followers, and our sales since our launch, and we’re incredibly excited about the future of Unified People in 2022 and beyond.
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