Mimir7 Huhti 2025

What Retail Can Learn from Tech with Nina Ligon, Founder of Generation Sport

This one’s for the builders who care about more than product-market fit—who want their work to make people feel understood.

Nina is the founder and CEO of Generation Sport—a performance apparel brand designed specifically for women athletes. She’s also a former Olympic equestrian, a product designer by trade, and an alum of companies like Headspace. So when she decided to enter the chaotic world of retail and fashion, she brought something entirely new with her: a startup mindset.

In this conversation, we dive into what it means to build a physical product like a digital one, how to design with real user insight (not just assumptions), and why the traditional model for launching a clothing brand is totally broken.

But more than anything, this episode is about designing better experiences—for customers, for partners, and for yourself as a founder.

We cover:

The myth of one-size-fits-all apparel – Why “inclusivity” in fashion can actually be exclusive
How to apply product sprints to retail – And what it looks like to beta test shorts
What early pitching really looks like – And how Nina refined her vision by saying the wrong thing first
Why most founders misunderstand customer validation – And how Nina structured her first sprint to learn fast
The logistics no one talks about – From manufacturing partnerships to supply chain surprises
What makes a problem worth solving – And how to know if you’re the one to solve it

Nina is thoughtful, clear-eyed, and refreshingly honest. I walked away from this conversation with so many insights—and a deep appreciation for how much intention she brings to building something that matters. I hope you guys enjoyed this conversation as much as I did.

Connect with Nina:

www.generationsport.co
https://www.instagram.com/generation.sportco/
https://www.tiktok.com/@generationsport

Nina’s LinkedIn

Tämä jakso on lisätty Podme-palveluun avoimen RSS-syötteen kautta eikä se ole Podmen omaa tuotantoa. Siksi jakso saattaa sisältää mainontaa.

Jaksot(103)

You have nothing without a unique POV, with Neha Shah founder of Diaspora Nutrition

Neha Shah built her business on speaking her truth.When she emigrated from India to the US, her body stopped cooperating. Her digestion suffered, she broke out in cystic acne, and for a while she thou...

30 Kesä 53min

Lauren Kleban, Founder of LEKFIT, on building a company that’s ruthlessly you

Lauren Kleban started her career as a professional dancer. She moved to Las Vegas and booked a show at the Paris Hotel. But like every Vegas dancer, that wasn't her only gig. She was stacking five job...

23 Kesä 53min

We made it to episode 100

It's been a long time coming.For 100 episodes I've sat across from founders and asked them how they built their businesses. For this one, it's just me, looking back at three years of doing this and as...

16 Kesä 26min

You can't pour from an empty cup with Ashley Presti, Founder of Blended Bond

Ashley Presti never set out to build a company. But Blended Bond grew out of a problem she was actively living, blending two families under one roof. Unsurprisingly, her business succeeded for the sam...

26 Touko 50min

An overnight success takes 9 years with Connie Lo, co-founder of Three Ships Beauty

Today’s episode is a real pinch me moment. I was a Three Ships customer before I knew Connie Lo's name. I absolutely love their Jelly Drops for the most amazing glow and their soft serve lip balm befo...

19 Touko 54min

What rapid, enviable growth actually costs with Colin McIntosh, founder of Sheets and Giggles

Colin McIntosh started Sheets and Giggles in 2017 and scaled it to $1.4 million per month by 2020. Last November, after eight years of building through COVID, supply chain crises, and a 2025 tariff sh...

4 Touko 52min

Allie Stark on becoming a relaxed founder who still gets what she wants

I don’t know about you guys but 2026 for me is certainly earning it’s title as year of the fire horse. I truly feel like I’ve been riding a fire breathing horse bareback at full speed. I’m just here h...

27 Huhti 54min

Danielle Brooks: From the margins to the main thing, on how she grew Honey Truck from one hive to luxury brand.

Today I'm sitting down with Danielle Brooks, the founder of Honey Truck, a boutique honey brand. Danielle and I met through a podcast matching platform. In her pitch to me she told me that Honey Truck...

13 Huhti 48min