In 2012, Denise Lee was training for her first marathon and went out in search of activewear. She wanted to find modern and sleek styles that were similar to the contemporary designers she wore in her everyday wardrobe — but she quickly realized what she wanted wasn't available.

Noticing this void in the marketplace led her to create her own brand, Alala, inspired by the Greek goddess of the same name. Alala is a luxury workout brand that is now carried in over 100 major retailers including Bloomingdales, Neiman Marcus and Shopbop. The brand offers bold, sophisticated designs that are not just limited to activewear, but can also be worn outside the gym and transitioned from day to night.

In her conversation with Monica, Denise discuses what it's like to launch a digital brand, the role of retail in the business plan, whether founders should take funding or bootstrap, and what both Monica and Denise wish they knew when starting their businesses.