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Build A Global Supply Chain With Zero Industry Experience, With Kady Zinke
KADYLUXE started with a $23,000 Kickstarter, a stolen engineering fund, and a garage in Denver. Today, it partners with 50+ NCAA universities and major pro teams, including the Denver Broncos, Dallas Cowboys, and Chicago Bulls.
The episode covers her journey of cold-calling the Colorado School of Mines to develop patented technology, sewing NFL leggings with exiled Mormon seamstresses in the Colorado mountains, losing a million-dollar client to Lululemon overnight, and the moment she sold out the Broncos team store before the opening whistle even blew. This conversation is loaded with hard-won wisdom about cash cycles, blue ocean strategy, AI in operations, and the one financial habit that separates a real business from an expensive hobby.
KEY TOPICS:
- Women's sports fashion and the "pink it, shrink it" gap
- Bootstrapping vs. being properly capitalized
- Blue ocean strategy in licensed sports apparel
- AI as an operational enhancement tool
- Cash flow management for CPG businesses
- The power of audacious cold outreach
- Female entrepreneurship in male-dominated industries
CHAPTERS:
- 00:00:02 - From the Court to the Company
- 00:07:23 - Kickstarter, Stolen Funds, and Resilience
- 00:19:51 - The Real-World MBA in Shanghai
- 00:23:57 - Sewing with the Mormon Women
- 00:30:04 - David vs. Goliath: Competing with Lululemon
- 00:36:39 - The Denver Broncos Breakthrough
- 00:46:44 - Scaling Operations and Embracing AI
- 00:52:49 - Know Your Numbers or It's a Hobby:
ABOUT KADY:
Kady Zinke is the Founder & CEO of KADYLUXE, a 100% women-owned fashion house designing premium sports apparel for women. Based in Denver, Colorado, the brand partners with 50+ NCAA universities, NFL teams (Denver Broncos, Dallas Cowboys), NBA teams (Chicago Bulls, Denver Nuggets, Atlanta Hawks), and NHL teams (Pittsburgh Penguins). Kady is a former NBA dancer, holds a patented material technology, and was the first woman in Colorado to win a state accelerator award for her R&D work.
RESOURCES MENTIONED:
- Book Referenced: Blue Ocean Strategy.
- Partner Institution: Colorado School of Mines
- Coupon Code: KLPurpose15 - 15% off entire order at kadyluxe.com
Follow the Host, Rachel Bernier-Green:
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelberniergreen/
- Website: www.instagram.com/jointhryvo/
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/jointhryvo/
- LinkedIn (Company): www.linkedin.com/company/jointhryvo/
- Twitter/X: x.com/jointhryvo
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/jointhryvo
- Tiktok: www.tiktok.com/@jointhryvo
Listening Links:
- Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0kmrlBqo4QHftlfmqo2Q32
- Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-purpose-profit-shift/id1829627732
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@PurposeProfitShift
----------------------------
If this episode resonated with you, subscribe, leave a review, and share it with a fellow business owner who needs to hear this!
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By EJCKADYLUXE started with a $23,000 Kickstarter, a stolen engineering fund, and a garage in Denver. Today, it partners with 50+ NCAA universities and major pro teams, including the Denver Broncos, Dallas Cowboys, and Chicago Bulls.
The episode covers her journey of cold-calling the Colorado School of Mines to develop patented technology, sewing NFL leggings with exiled Mormon seamstresses in the Colorado mountains, losing a million-dollar client to Lululemon overnight, and the moment she sold out the Broncos team store before the opening whistle even blew. This conversation is loaded with hard-won wisdom about cash cycles, blue ocean strategy, AI in operations, and the one financial habit that separates a real business from an expensive hobby.
KEY TOPICS:
- Women's sports fashion and the "pink it, shrink it" gap
- Bootstrapping vs. being properly capitalized
- Blue ocean strategy in licensed sports apparel
- AI as an operational enhancement tool
- Cash flow management for CPG businesses
- The power of audacious cold outreach
- Female entrepreneurship in male-dominated industries
CHAPTERS:
- 00:00:02 - From the Court to the Company
- 00:07:23 - Kickstarter, Stolen Funds, and Resilience
- 00:19:51 - The Real-World MBA in Shanghai
- 00:23:57 - Sewing with the Mormon Women
- 00:30:04 - David vs. Goliath: Competing with Lululemon
- 00:36:39 - The Denver Broncos Breakthrough
- 00:46:44 - Scaling Operations and Embracing AI
- 00:52:49 - Know Your Numbers or It's a Hobby:
ABOUT KADY:
Kady Zinke is the Founder & CEO of KADYLUXE, a 100% women-owned fashion house designing premium sports apparel for women. Based in Denver, Colorado, the brand partners with 50+ NCAA universities, NFL teams (Denver Broncos, Dallas Cowboys), NBA teams (Chicago Bulls, Denver Nuggets, Atlanta Hawks), and NHL teams (Pittsburgh Penguins). Kady is a former NBA dancer, holds a patented material technology, and was the first woman in Colorado to win a state accelerator award for her R&D work.
RESOURCES MENTIONED:
- Book Referenced: Blue Ocean Strategy.
- Partner Institution: Colorado School of Mines
- Coupon Code: KLPurpose15 - 15% off entire order at kadyluxe.com
Follow the Host, Rachel Bernier-Green:
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelberniergreen/
- Website: www.instagram.com/jointhryvo/
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/jointhryvo/
- LinkedIn (Company): www.linkedin.com/company/jointhryvo/
- Twitter/X: x.com/jointhryvo
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/jointhryvo
- Tiktok: www.tiktok.com/@jointhryvo
Listening Links:
- Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0kmrlBqo4QHftlfmqo2Q32
- Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-purpose-profit-shift/id1829627732
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@PurposeProfitShift
----------------------------
If this episode resonated with you, subscribe, leave a review, and share it with a fellow business owner who needs to hear this!