Michelle Wahler, Beyond Yoga: A Levi's Collaboration Became an Acquisition

Join our ⁠Entreprenista League⁠ community of women founders! You’ll have access to a private community of like-minded Entreprenistas who are making an impact in business every day, special discounts on business products and solutions, exclusive content, private events, the opportunity to have your story featured on our ⁠website⁠ and social channels, and access to Office Hours with top founders who have been on our show! We can’t wait to welcome you, support you, and be part of your business journey! Curious about joining the Entreprenista League? ⁠Sign up ⁠here⁠⁠ for a free info session. "But it is important to ask your wholesale partners for help and to say I cant give that but we are working towards it and allow them to be part of that journey” In this episode of the Entreprenista Podcast, Stephanie sits down with Michelle Wahler, co-founder and former CEO of Beyond Yoga, to unpack the remarkable journey of building a beloved activewear brand from the ground up and ultimately selling it to Levi Strauss & Co. Michelle shares how she and her co-founder grew Beyond Yoga organically without outside investors, why saying “no” to major retail opportunities helped protect the brand, and how relationships with wholesale partners became one of the company's greatest growth engines. She also reveals how she navigated more than $6 million in canceled orders during the early days of COVID—and how that crisis ultimately accelerated the company's e-commerce growth. What We Talked About: From Graphic Design to New York City [3:39] Early Sales Reps and Brand Credibility [10:25] Partnering With REI [17:57] The Pandemic and $6M in Cancellations [37:37] A Memorable Last Day [54:41] Mentoring Female Founders [60:26] Connect with Michelle: @michelle.wahler on Instagram Michelle Wahler on LinkedIn Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of The Entreprenista Podcast - the most fun business meeting for women founders and leaders. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to the show and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts. ⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠TuneIn⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠iHeart Radio⁠⁠ Be sure to share your favorite episodes across social media to help us reach more amazing female founders, like you.