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Recently, Innovate Marquette hosted its annual Women in Entrepreneurship event featuring a keynote presentation from Georgia Grace Edwards, the CEO and Co-Founder of Gnara. Georgia Grace is a trailblazer in the outdoor apparel industry, creating innovative solutions for women’s outdoor needs. Georgia Grace shared invaluable lessons she learned while building Gnara from the ground up, offering insights that are both inspiring and practical for aspiring entrepreneurs.
Identifying personal frustrations can lead to innovative solutions; problems faced by one person often resonate with many. For Georgia Grace, that was peeing outside. As a backpacking guide in college and a glacier guide in Alaska, she faced significant challenges compared to her male counterparts. This led her to innovate and create a solution that addressed a common problem for women in the outdoors.
To connect with your audience, pair a specific, memorable, and emotional event with a quantitative fact or statistic. When pitching, Georgia Grace shares her glacier story and follows it with data showing the broader relevance of the problem. For instance, Gnara’s pockets are 48% deeper and 16% wider than average women’s pants pockets, and 56% of women have had a bathroom accident outside in the past year.
Never let the fear of negative feedback or potential knockoffs prevent you from sharing and validating your idea. Initially, Georgia Grace was hesitant to talk about her idea publicly, but constant feedback helped refine designs and secure their first licensing deal. Always take constructive feedback into consideration and pitch your idea at every opportunity.
If you are completely mortified by past versions of your product or service, you’re doing it right. Embarrassment is a major marker of growth. As Reid Hoffman, the founder of LinkedIn, said, “If you are not embarrassed by your first iteration, you’re moving too slowly.” Embrace your past iterations as they show how far you’ve come.
Steve Jobs is not the only successful entrepreneur on the planet. Don’t be afraid to do it your way on your own timeline. You don’t need to drop out of college or take extreme risks to succeed. For Georgia Grace, finishing school and working full-time jobs for several years provided valuable experience and stability that strengthened her business.
Building a team has less to do with prior experience or relationships, especially in the early days, and much more to do with pure enthusiasm. Gnara’s operations manager, Gaby, was their first unpaid intern and is now an indispensable part of the Gnara team. Enthusiasm and willingness to learn can outweigh experience in many cases.
The best remedies for imposter syndrome are preparation and vulnerability. Do your research and back up your claims with data. Remember, only you are the expert in what you are doing. It’s also okay to admit when you don’t know something. This honesty can build trust and credibility.
Track your progress and celebrate your wins, no matter how small. Whether it’s a minor achievement or a significant milestone, recognizing these moments can help measure your progress and keep you motivated.
A good sense of humor is arguably the most important trait in an entrepreneur, especially when doing something revolutionary. Humor makes you relatable and approachable, and it helps you move past inevitable mistakes and bad luck. It can turn criticism into opportunity and make your brand more engaging.
End every interaction with an ask. This could be anything from signing up for a waitlist to following on social media. You never know where it might lead. Today, Georgia Grace’s ask is for you to connect her with any brands that could benefit from Gnara’s patented zipper technology or to tag Gnara in posts to show demand for their products. Your support can help Gnara reach new heights.
Start your Innovation Journey with Innovate Marquette today by submitting an idea at the button below. After you complete the form, an Invent@NMU Onboarding Guide will contact you within 3-5 business days.
