"I came up with this concept to change the way that people thought about underwear."

Joanna Griffiths, founder and president of Knix, created a billion dollar category within the intimate apparel industry when she designed leak-proof period underwear.

Joanna's commitment to designing products for genuine bodies and real-life situations led to incredible success for a brand that champions diversity and inclusivity. Through comprehensive research and testing, she developed high-quality, comfortable period underwear tailored to authentic needs. Beyond product development, Joanna's intuition guided pivotal business choices, including her fundraising approaches and her decision to part ways with retail partners who didn't align with Knix's core values.

Joanna's story is both enlightening and raw. Unlike many polished tales of entrepreneurship, she honestly shares challenges she faced, dispelling the misconception that business success happens instantaneously.

Key Takeaways:

• When you're creating a product, do your market research.

• When you have to make a decision that's going to impact your business, good or bad, you have to trust your instinct.

• Believe in yourself and set your own parameters. It's your company and your rules, so set them.

• Invest in your own resiliency and in your mental health.

• Find a tribe of female founders that are going through it, too.

Quotes:

• "But what I think is so cool about starting a company and it doesn't matter if you're making a physical product or you're building a community, there's a million different pieces you could put together to build the puzzle. And you never know the ones that are gonna end up being game changing." (12:06 | Joanna)

• "Don't you think that's one of the hardest things you have to learn as a founder is to make the unpopular call for the greater good of the company and the team, even though you hurt people or not everyone is happy." (27:14 | Joanna)

• "I look back and there were certain moments and I have distinct memories of moments where I should have said something back, like something so rude was said to me that I should have walked out and I didn't. And I wish I had, because when you just sit there and you eat it and you accept it, I know for sure that person has gone on to say bad things to multiple people, you know? Because they felt like it was totally appropriate." (33:55 | Joanna)

• "I think you're nervous in the beginning to say no, because you're never sure if another opportunity is gonna come around. And one of the things that I've realized, like, you know, now being at this for a while and being a female founder for a while, is if we wanna see change, we all have to hold the power of no. And we have to reward the people who are good actors, and we have to say, fuck off to the ones that aren't." (36:53 | Joanna)

About the Podcast Guest:

Joanna Griffiths is the Founder and President of Knix and Kt by Knix the direct-to-consumer intimate apparel brands reinventing intimates for real life. Since launching the company in 2013, Joanna has built Knix into one of the fastest-growing intimate apparel brands globally.

Joanna broke the Canadian record for the largest publicly disclosed sale of a private company by a female founder when Swedish health and hygiene Giant Essity purchased 80% of Knix in 2022 for $320MM. Always one to push for greater change when asked about the record Joanna said she "hopes it is a title she holds for a short period of time and can't wait to cheer on whoever holds it next.

To learn more about Joanna Griffiths, follow her on Instagram.

About the Podcast Host:

To learn more about Lindsay Pinchuk visit her website (Lindsay Pinchuk).

About Dear FoundHer...:

Dear FoundHer... is a weekly letter to female entrepreneurs to inspire, motivate and provide actionable tips for success through thought-provoking conversations with some of the most successful founders and entrepreneurs who have paved the way. Hosted by award-winning entrepreneur, Lindsay Pinchuk, each week she picks the brains of some of her closest contacts, offering them the chance to share their teachable moments as well as business, marketing, content, social media tips and more! Your journey as a founder is the ride of a lifetime, some come on in and join us!

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Listen to, or watch, the full podcast interview by Lindsay Pinchuk on your preferred podcast channel.

Original Source of the original story >> The Intimates Brand That Sold for $320 MILLION and Completely Disrupted the Category, on Dear FoundHer...