Vyra Scher - Building a business as an Asian Immigrant Trans Woman

Vyra Scher is a transgender Asian immigrant woman who launched LECHERY® an affordable luxury brand offering gender-neutral European hosiery, socks, and shapewear at just 20 years old. In less than two years, the business has grown from 0 to $15 Million with 100,000 loyal customers and availability at major retailers such as Target, Kohl's, Nordstrom, Macy's, Saks, HSN, QVC, Belk, and Lord & Taylor.

Vyra shares her traumatic background, her escape to the US, the challenges she's faced as a woman and an asylum seeker, and how those challenges propelled her to launch her own business, build a community, and find an underserved segment in her market that helped her create a compelling and successful brand.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

[01:14] - Dino opens the show and introduces his guest, Vyra Scher, the young founder of LECHERY an affordable luxury brand offering gender-neutral European hosiery, socks, and shapewear.

[02:55] - *Trigger warning. Vyra shares her background—a story of trauma and resilience.

[05:52] - Facing prison, the risky move that Vyra made with only $1200 to her name.

[08:00] - Vyra's twofold reason for Launching LECHERY

[09:00] - The deeper meaning behind the Lechery mission

[11:31] - A community where the nonbinary and body positivity community could share without judgment.

[12:22] - "The sanctuary for the sexy you,": Lechery's mission to help ALL people express their sexiest selves.

[14:20] - Vyra shares the most important steps in launching a successful brand that will dominate and find a home with the big box retailers.

[17:09] - No VC necessary: How a little-known fact about construction workers gave Vyra the green light to launch her gender-neutral hosiery company.

[18:42] - Ambitious leadership—how embracing the idea that she didn’t fit the traditional mold of an entrepreneur helped her use her unique perspective to her advantage.

[21:22] - The lessons she’s learned as a young Founder and the number one trait she feels makes a strong leader.

[23:03] - How she keeps from sacrificing success for likeability.

[23:56] - Vyra shares the two key ingredients to being a successful leader.

[25:17] - The challenges of starting a business in the US as an asylum seeker.

[27:10] - Using the fuel of rejection to take LECHERY from 0 to seven figures in less than two years.

[29:51] - The disparity in VC funding between genders.

[32:36] - Despite the MeToo movement sexual harassment and abuse is still very much prominent in the workplace. The frightening experience that kept Vyra from going the VC route.

[37:21] - You can learn more about Vyra and LECHERY on their website, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and TikTok.

[37:56] - The hobbies that Vyra engages in that help her deal with her stress and keep her creative juices flowing.

[39:10] - How listening to stories of other founders and people with influence inspires Vyra and the podcasts she listens to, (besides ​​AL4EP): Diary of a CEO with Stephen Bartlett and Hilo with EmRata, (aka Emily Radikowski).

[40:08] - The phrase that Vyra finds viscerally annoying (and Dino says may have “jumped the shark” ) and a glaring lack of honesty in the world of business.

[42:10] - Vyra shares the advice she learned from High Low with EmRata that has helped her enter her “B**** era” and embrace her feminism.

[43:23] - If you enjoyed this episode, share it with your friends and family, and subscribe on your favorite listening platform so you don't miss any episodes. You can also follow the podcast on Twitter and Instagram.

Contact Dino at: dino@al4ep.com

Websites:

al4ep.com or authenticleadershipforeverydaypeople.com

lecherynewyork.com

Other links for Vyra:

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/lechery

Instagram: @lechery.official

Twitter: @LecheryOfficial

TikTok: lechery.official

Vyra’s LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/vyrascher

Authentic Leadership For Everyday People / Dino Cattaneo

Dino on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/dinocattaneo

Podcast Instagram: @al4edp

Podcast Twitter: @al4edp

Podcast Facebook: facebook.com/al4edp

Music

Follow | Susan Cattaneo | Continental Record Services

All Is Quiet | Susan Cattaneo | Continental Record Services

Susan Cattaneo

Podcasts

The Diary Of A CEO with Steven Bartlett

High Low with EmRata