YouSaid · the spoken record

Michelle Wahler

lines on the record: 66
first: 2025-02-10
most recent: 2025-02-10
sittings or episodes: 1
sources: podcast

Every line below is reproduced as it was said and linked to the record it came from. Nothing here is summarised or generated. Directory · Search · Corrections

“No, it definitely wasn't. So when I first moved to New York, I was living with my best friend from college, and it was her birthday, and I was trying to think, what could I get Lauren, the girl who pretty much has everything? So I made this really cute illustration of Lauren and I bought a t-shirt and then I put the picture of Lauren in the center and I gave it to her for her birthday. And then very quickly all of my friends were like, I want an illustration of me. And so throughout that time, I started creating this collection, you know, different women doing different activities, different shapes, different sizes. And I would put the pictures up on my wall in the cubicle at People magazine. And I had a really good cubicle because I was right outside of the publisher, Kathy. And so people were always waiting to talk to Kathy. So they'd hang out at my cubicle and they'd be like, oh.”
2025-02-10 · How I Built This with Guy Raz · Beyond Yoga: Michelle Wahler · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT
“I started my first entrepreneurial endeavor, which was called Unsweetened, and I made this t-shirt line for women that I drew women and I drew them as they are. I called it the unsweetened version or the unsugar-coated version of themselves.”
2025-02-10 · How I Built This with Guy Raz · Beyond Yoga: Michelle Wahler · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT
“So at people, I loved working at People magazine. It was a great place. I met so many fantastic people. It was just a very warm, nurturing environment. And I got to see so much and I got to learn so much. And one of the things that I saw that I wasn't as excited about was all of the Photoshop that was going on. Everything is Photoshopped. And so when women are looking at these magazines and they even, if you think you're seeing just a real picture of somebody that's candid, it's not. It's not really who they are and everybody is, you know, getting their legs elongated or their arms nipped and tucked in in these photos. And I realized that was just continuing to perpetuate this impossible image of what women are supposed to look like. And it was very frustrating to me. But when I was working at people,”
2025-02-10 · How I Built This with Guy Raz · Beyond Yoga: Michelle Wahler · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT
“2001. So I moved to New York and I really didn't know anything about New York. I got two graphic design jobs. But then very quickly, 9-11 occurred. And so both of those jobs basically disappeared. And then very quickly, I just started waiting tables. And then every table that I waited on, I said, you know anybody who needs a graphic designer? And I would slip my little card in. And it wasn't actually through that that I got a job. But eventually I got an interview for a position at sports illustrated. And that didn't work out, but the recruiter really liked me. And when there was an opening at People Magazine, she called me again and I was able to come in.”
2025-02-10 · How I Built This with Guy Raz · Beyond Yoga: Michelle Wahler · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT
“That's like all I did as a kid. I would draw. And paint, and I was always in the art classes and the drawing extracurriculars. And that's always what I gravitated towards.”
2025-02-10 · How I Built This with Guy Raz · Beyond Yoga: Michelle Wahler · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT
“Yes. So I thought my dad was going to lose it when I said I was going to do this, but he actually was really supportive and he was like, I absolutely think you should follow this art path, which I was surprised that he was so supportive about, but he really was.”
2025-02-10 · How I Built This with Guy Raz · Beyond Yoga: Michelle Wahler · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT
“I think it was hard for him to realize that this had actually ended. And I think there was a large period of denial. And, you know, my father had been relatively successful. And so I think that he thought he had a pretty good runway in order to figure out what he was going to do next. And unfortunately, I never really saw that happen. He started a couple different things. He was going to do some business consulting, but ultimately my parents ended up moving to Florida. So they basically lost their home. Downsized to a little condo in Jacksonville, Florida. And my dad tried to do Sale, he kept going on the sales path. And he kept thinking because there was a lot of upside. But he wasn't a natural born salesperson. And I think that was something that he never really accepted.”
2025-02-10 · How I Built This with Guy Raz · Beyond Yoga: Michelle Wahler · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT
“I was in high school when this started to happen. It was before I left for college. And I think he didn't really want to be a part of the contraction of the business. I think that was just a little more than his heart could take. So at some point along the way, he had two brothers who became his business partners and he ended up selling the business to them. But it wasn't the exit that I think he always imagined. I think it was more of a closing down and changing of guard. There wasn't any big financial reward out of that situation.”
2025-02-10 · How I Built This with Guy Raz · Beyond Yoga: Michelle Wahler · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT
“Not paying for it. Exactly. So once MP3s came onto the scene, once Napster, all of that, that really shifted everything that was happening with my father's business. And I watched my dad lose his entire company, which was really painful to watch. And it wasn't because he did anything wrong. It wasn't because he wasn't managing his numbers or paying attention, but the industry just kind of shifted overnight. And sometimes there's just nothing you can do about it.”
2025-02-10 · How I Built This with Guy Raz · Beyond Yoga: Michelle Wahler · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT
“Yes. So he had a chain of music stores and he started off, he bought one music store. And it was kind of funny because he wasn't really that into music. But he thought it was a good opportunity. It was initially called Kent Mill Records. And he built this business one store at a time. And I think by the end he had over 30 locations.”
2025-02-10 · How I Built This with Guy Raz · Beyond Yoga: Michelle Wahler · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT
“Important to her, and I watched her struggle with her weight. And it was just frustrating to me because I really wanted her to see herself the way I saw her. And she didn't.”
2025-02-10 · How I Built This with Guy Raz · Beyond Yoga: Michelle Wahler · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT
“She was, you know, the mom that was involved in everything. And I loved having my mom around. And it was great. But one thing that was highly influential on me is the fact that my mom really struggled with her self-esteem and how she viewed herself. And my mom is an extremely beautiful, smart, kind, caring person. But I think that she fell kind of into the trap of just never feeling like she was enough and wanting to, you know, we were at that time, it was a lot of diet culture. And I think she thought there was only one vision of beauty. And that was skinny. And when I would bring some of my friends home, you know, she was always talking about what everybody looked like. And oh, this person's so skinny and oh, this person, you have the best smile. And she started giving superlatives out to me and my friends. And that was very important.”
2025-02-10 · How I Built This with Guy Raz · Beyond Yoga: Michelle Wahler · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT
“In making yoga clothes for women of all sizes. Now today that's pretty standard, but remember, back in the day, brands like Lululemon had a reputation for being designed to make women look skinny. Beyond yoga took a different approach, and it paid off. Slowly, carefully and methodically, the brand found a lot of loyal fans, and by twenty sixteen a decade into the business, it became the fastest growing indie yoga brand in America. In 2021, Beyond Yoga was acquired by Levi's for $400 million, and it all started with a LinkedIn message to co-founder Michelle Whaler. How that deal went down was also unprecedented, which you'll hear about. Three years after the acquisition, Michelle stepped down as CEO, and today, the brand is looking to compete with its much bigger rivals. As for Michelle, she grew up in suburban Maryland.”
2025-02-10 · How I Built This with Guy Raz · Beyond Yoga: Michelle Wahler · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT
“Beyond yoga operated pretty much under the radar, bigger brands like Lululemon and Athleta got most of the attention from the media and consumers, but the company did a few unusual things that ultimately worked. It was founded in 2005 by two women, Michelle Whaler and Jody Guberbrovsky, though in this episode, we'll just hear from Michelle. Anyway, they launched the business with a relatively modest investment from Jody's dad, and with that money, they developed a line of yoga apparel for women. Now one of the things beyond yoga did, which was risky, was to go the wholesale route. In other words, unlike more aggressive startups, they didn't pursue a direct to consumer model, at least not at first. They sold their clothes through boutiques, yoga studios, and eventually department stores. And where beyond yoga actually found its niche was”
2025-02-10 · How I Built This with Guy Raz · Beyond Yoga: Michelle Wahler · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT
“I went to visit one of our fabric vendors and we were just going through all these fabric samples and I was like what is this? And I remember my sales rep, she was like, oh, Michelle, you don't want that. That's way too expensive. And I was like, no, I need this. What is this? It's fantastic and it feels really good. And I was like, I don't care how expensive it is. This is what everybody is going to want to put on their body.”
2025-02-10 · How I Built This with Guy Raz · Beyond Yoga: Michelle Wahler · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT
“You know, one of my favorite parts of traveling is getting a feel for a neighborhood, the way locals do. A few summers ago, I was in Rome and stayed in an apartment I booked on Airbnb. It was tucked in a quiet neighborhood just outside the Roman forum. Every morning I'd walk to the corner cafe, grab an espresso, and just watch the world go by outside. I even managed to chat with the owner about the neighborhood he lived in for nearly forty years. And he got me thinking about my own neighborhood. There are incredible hiking trails and great restaurants and, of course, the beach. And when I'm traveling this summer, listing my own place on Airbnb could be a really smart way to let someone else experience the area the way I do, like a local. Listing your home on Airbnb while you're traveling is a great way to make some extra money. You could put the money toward your next trip. Your home might be worth more than you think. Find out how much”
2025-02-10 · How I Built This with Guy Raz · Beyond Yoga: Michelle Wahler · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT